Chicken and Dumplings

5 from 3 votes

Tender chicken, soft homemade drop dumplings, and a creamy, savory broth made with vegetables, herbs, and apple cider. A comforting family dinner made from scratch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: american food, american recipe, chicken and dumplings

Servings: people

Cost: $

Ingredients

3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour, divided
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp freshly Ground Pepper
1 Chicken, cut up
2 tbsp Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
2 medium Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Ribs, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
6 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Apple Cider
2 tsp Sugar
2 Bay Leaves
5 whole Peppercorns

Dumplings:

1 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Milk
1 tbsp Butter, melted

Soup:

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tsp Parsley
2 tsp Thyme
Additional Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Mix well to season the flour.
Take the cut-up chicken and coat each piece in the seasoned flour mixture. Shake off excess flour.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Brown the floured chicken pieces in the Dutch oven. Be cautious not to cook them entirely, just brown the exterior for flavor. Once browned, remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set aside.
In the same Dutch oven, sauté the chopped onion, carrots, and celery until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup flour over the vegetables and stir well. Gradually pour in the chicken stock, stirring to avoid lumps and loosen the browned bits. Add the apple cider, sugar, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns. Bring to a simmer.
Return the browned chicken to the Dutch oven. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the thickest pieces reach at least 165°F away from the bone and are tender enough to shred. Larger pieces may take longer. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Skim excess fat from the broth if needed.
In a separate bowl, combine 1-1/3 cups of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Shred the cooked chicken using two forks, discarding the bones and skin. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer.
Drop small, evenly sized spoonfuls of dough onto the gently simmering soup, leaving room for them to expand. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes without lifting the lid. A toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling should come out clean, with no wet dough. Cover and cook a little longer if needed.
Once the dumplings are cooked, lower the heat and gently stir in the heavy whipping cream, parsley, and thyme without breaking up the dumplings. Heat through and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the Chicken and Dumplings into bowls. Garnish with additional herbs if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting and flavorful Chicken and Dumplings!

Video

Notes

Brown the chicken in batches so it develops color instead of steaming. Cook it to at least 165°F before removing it to shred; timing varies with the size of the pieces.
Stir the dumpling dough only until combined, keep the broth at a gentle simmer, and leave the lid closed while the dumplings cook.
Use apple cider, not apple cider vinegar. If the finished soup becomes too thick, gently loosen it with chicken stock without breaking up the dumplings.

Nutrition is estimated per 1/4 recipe using a 4 lb whole chicken before cooking, with skin and bones discarded and excess fat skimmed, whole milk, salted butter, canola oil, fresh herbs, and stock with 440 mg sodium per cup. All listed flour and oil and 1 1/4 tsp table salt are included; extra seasoning is excluded. Values vary with chicken size, brands, and fat skimmed.

Nutrition