Description
A comforting classic Chicken and Dumplings recipe featuring tender seared chicken simmered in a flavorful broth with aromatic vegetables and fluffy sour cream dumplings steamed to perfection. This hearty dish is perfect for family dinners and showcases a rich blend of herbs and a creamy, satisfying texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs bone-in skinless chicken breast or thighs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Franks)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dumplings
- 2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ cup cold sour cream
- ¼ cup cold milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Sear the chicken: Season the chicken breasts or thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a 4 ½-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side until some brown color develops, but the chicken remains mostly uncooked inside. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones.
- Prepare seasonings: Combine onion powder, dried basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mustard powder, ground sage, and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook aromatics: In the same soup pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and clean the bottom of the pot to incorporate browned bits for flavor. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the prepared seasoning mix, cooking for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Create the roux and broth: Sprinkle the 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Gradually add the chicken broth in small splashes while stirring to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the half and half similarly, continuing to stir. If using, crumble in the chicken bouillon cube. Stir in frozen peas and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered while preparing dumplings.
- Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and sugar. Add cold sour cream, cold milk, and melted butter. Use a folding motion to gently combine the ingredients into a dough; do not overmix to keep dumplings light and fluffy.
- Combine chicken and soup: Add the chopped chicken and any resting juices back into the soup pot. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low.
- Add dumplings and cook: Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, carefully drop dumpling dough evenly over the surface of the soup. Spoon a small amount of soup liquid over each dumpling to help them steam. Cover the pot tightly and increase heat slightly to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes to steam the dumplings fully.
- Check doneness and serve: After 15 minutes, lift the lid and insert a toothpick into a dumpling center. If it comes out clean, dumplings are done; if not, cover and cook a few more minutes. Garnish the finished dish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Searing chicken is optional but recommended to deepen flavor and color.
- Use bone-in chicken for more flavorful broth; discard bones after searing and resting.
- Do not overmix dumpling dough to prevent tough dumplings.
- Keeps soup covered during dumpling cooking to ensure proper steaming.
- Leftover cooked chicken can be used directly along with juices.
