The Best Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings
What's better than a cozy chicken dinner? This recipe for Dutch oven chicken and dumplings is loaded with veggies, fresh herbs, and fluffy homemade dumplings for a simple, savory meal that comes together in just 20 minutes of hands-on prep. Make this elevated stew for dinner parties, family dinners, or chilly winter nights. It's the absolute best!
Ingredients
Chicken Soup
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (900 grams)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil (15 milliliters)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (60 grams)
- 2 large shallots, diced (1 cup/100 grams)
- 4 celery stalks, diced (3/4 cup/100 grams)
- 5 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups/230 grams)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (40 grams)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (960 milliliters)
- 1 cup half-and-half (240 milliliters)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I recommend Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (85 grams)
Homemade Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup buttermilk (240 milliliters)
- 1 large egg, lightly whisked
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (60 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons freshly-snipped chives, plus more for sprinkling (12 grams)
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
- Kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Mixing bowl
Instructions
Sear the chicken
- Using paper towels, pat the chicken thighs dry. Season both sides generously with Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Next, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Once it's very hot and shimmering, sear the chicken until it's golden-brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear the other side until golden-brown, another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces. (It will still be raw in the center, but it will finish cooking in the soup.)
Make the soup
- Return the Dutch oven to the stove over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Then, add the shallots, celery, carrots, and a big pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté the veggies until they're slightly softened and starting to brown on the edges.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the mixture is fragrant. Then, add the flour and sauté for 1 more minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth and half-and-half, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Then, stir in the chopped chicken and any leftover juices. Add the chicken bouillon and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the broth has thickened slightly.
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Right before adding the dumplings, stir the frozen peas into the soup.
Simmer the dumplings
- While the soup simmers, make the dumpling batter. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and chives. Stir just until the batter is combined and there are no more streaks of flour.
- Using a cupcake scoop, drop the batter in concentric circles on top of the simmering chicken soup. Cover the pot and gently simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid and simmer the soup, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle the dumplings with more chopped chives. Enjoy!
Notes
While you're searing the chicken, don't move it around too much. Once the chicken is fully seared, it will easily release from the pan. If the chicken is sticking to the pot, give it more time.
I like to use chicken thighs in this recipe, because after the chicken is seared, it leaves behind little brown bits (a.k.a. fond). When the fond is scraped up with the chicken broth, it adds so much flavor! But of course, if you're short on time, rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut.
For the best flavor, use fresh rosemary, thyme, and chives. In a pinch, dried herbs will work but fresh definitely tastes so much better!
This recipe is the perfect solution for leftovers. Use leftover roasted chicken, shredded chicken, or even turkey.
For a soupier consistency, add 1 more cup of chicken broth. If you prefer a thicker stew, use 3 cups of chicken broth or add a bit more flour to thicken the broth.
To make sure the dumplings come out fluffy every time, it's important to use a scale to measure the ingredients. If you don't have a scale, then use the fluff-spoon-level method for the flour. Start by whisking the flour until it's fluffy. Then, spoon the fluffed flour into a measuring cup and level it off without packing the flour in.
Don't over-mix the batter! Otherwise, the dumplings will come out dense and bready instead of light and fluffy. You want to mix the batter just until there are no more streaks of flour. A few lumps are ok!
For even dumplings, I recommend using a scoop. You can use either a cookie scoop or cupcake scoop depending on the size of the dumplings you want. If you use a smaller scoop, start checking for doneness around 15-16 minutes.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 633kcal, Carbohydrates: 55.3g, Protein: 40.2g, Fat: 26.9g, Saturated Fat: 13.1g, Cholesterol: 173mg, Sodium: 290mg, Potassium: 1228mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5.7g, Calcium: 240mg, Iron: 4mg
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