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4.87 from 30 votes

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is a comforting winter or fall meal. A classic chicken soup is the base and on top are fluffy cornbread dumplings!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Diet: Low Fat
Servings: 4
Author: Adrianna Adarme
Cost: $12

Equipment

  • 1 (5-quart) Dutch oven or pot

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 2 chicken bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 yellow onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 2 small carrots finely chopped
  • 3 sprigs thyme leaves removed
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

Dumplings:

  • 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon shaken buttermilk

Instructions

To Make the Chicken:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Place the chicken side-by-side and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle both thighs with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the juices run clear.
  • Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When they reach closer to room temperature, use two forks to shred the chicken. Discard any scraps and set the shredded chicken aside.

To Make the Chicken and Dumplings:

  • In a dutch oven or medium pot, set over medium heat, add the butter. When melted, add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme, along wiht a few pinches of salt. Cook until slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Next pour in the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then immediately bring it down to medium low; cook for about 6 to 7 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • While the soup is cooking, let’s make the dumplings! In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined.
  • Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt to your liking and add a bunch of black pepper. I added about 10 turns.
  • Bring the soup up to a gentle simmer and drop tablespoons or ice cream scoops of dumpling dough right onto the boiling point (this will make super fluffy dumplings) and then repeat with the remaining dumpling dough. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through. Move a dumpling aside and slide the reserved shredded chicken into the pot. Divide amongst bowls and serve!

Notes

Tips and Tricks: 
  1. The fluffiest dumplings are made when you drop the scoop of dumpling batter into the bubbling points. This helps the dumplings rise and become super fluffy. 
  2. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken if you like! 
  3. You can use store-bought or homemade chicken broth for this recipe. 
  4. If you want a thicker soup, feel free to add two tablespoons of flour vs. one tablespoon of flour. 
  5. This soup re-heats very well. I find simmering it in a pan over low heat works best. 

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal