The Best Chicken and Dumplings
This is pure comfort food at its finest. Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables come together in a creamy, richly-flavored sauce with pillowy dumplings baked right on top. It's hearty but not too heavy and comes together from scratch in about an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoonsolive oil
- 3 mediumcarrots, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 2celery stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 mediumonion, diced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tablespoonfresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 cupdry white wine
- 4 tablespoonsunsalted butter
- ½ cupall-purpose flour
- ½ cupwhole milk
- 1 ½ poundsboneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ½ cupshomemade chicken stock (see cook's note)
- ¼ cupfresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 cupfrozen peas
- 1 ¾ cupsall-purpose flour (see cook's note)
- 1 tablespoonbaking powder
- 1 teaspoongarlic salt
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted
- 1 cupwhole milk
Directions
- 1
For the chicken: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just begin to soften but don't take on any color, 4 to 5 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until completely evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the butter until completely melted. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until it is completely incorporated and a sandy paste forms. Pour in the milk and stir until the flour has been smoothly incorporated into the liquid.
- 3
Add the chicken and the chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and peas and remove from the heat.
- 4
For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until just combined, then add the milk and stir until a ball of dough forms.
- 5
Use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop 10 balls of dough into the pot (about 2 tablespoons each). Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the dumplings have puffed up and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with more parsley.