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The Ultimate Fluffy & Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

A close-up of a white bowl filled with rich chicken and dumpling stew, featuring three fluffy dumplings and diced carrots.
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Make classic Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings with unbelievably soft, fluffy dumplings. This one-pot meal delivers rich, cozy flavor and is perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie works well)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For the Dumplings:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar added)
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Stir in the dried thyme and sage. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. This creates your roux base.
  4. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until the mixture is smooth. Bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens slightly.
  5. Stir in the shredded chicken, heavy cream, and milk. Bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  6. While the broth simmers, prepare the dumplings. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
  7. Cut in the cold butter pieces using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  8. Pour in the buttermilk all at once. Stir just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; a slightly shaggy dough is best for fluffy dumplings.
  9. Drop the dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons directly onto the simmering chicken mixture. Leave a little space between each drop.
  10. Cover the pot tightly, reduce the heat to low, and let the dumplings steam for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. This step is key for fluffy dumplings.
  11. After 15 minutes, gently stir in the frozen peas. Cook for 2 more minutes until the peas are heated through.
  12. Check the dumplings for doneness; they should be cooked through. Serve immediately as a hearty one-pot chicken meal.

Notes

  • For the richest flavor, use a mix of chicken breast and thigh meat.
  • If you prefer flat dumplings, roll the dough out thinly and cut into strips before dropping them into the pot.
  • To make this a slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe, combine all ingredients except the dumplings and cream in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the cream, then drop the dumplings on top, cover, and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://fooddexterity.com/chicken-and-dumpling-fluffy-easy-recipe/