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Quick Southern Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch

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A quick and easy one-pot Southern comfort food featuring tender chicken, savory broth, and pillowy homemade dumplings, ready in about an hour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the chicken thighs in a single layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release browned bits. Add the thyme, parsley, black pepper, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  4. Using tongs, transfer the cooked chicken thighs to a cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes, then shred the meat using two forks or a hand mixer. Discard any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine.
  5. While the chicken is simmering, prepare the dumplings. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  6. Pour the cold buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix. The dough should be slightly sticky and hold together when pinched.
  7. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Using two spoons, drop rounded tablespoons of the dumpling dough directly into the simmering broth. Do not crowd them. Work quickly so the first dumplings don’t overcook.
  8. Once all the dumplings are in the pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Let them cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
  9. After 15 minutes, remove the lid. The dumplings should be puffed up and cooked through. If using heavy cream, stir it in and let it heat through for 2-3 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

For the best texture, use cold buttermilk and cold butter for the dumplings. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 3/4 cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Do not overmix the dumpling dough. Do not lift the lid while dumplings are cooking. The dish tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken and dumplings, southern chicken and dumplings, quick chicken and dumplings, one-pot chicken and dumplings, comfort food, easy chicken dinner

Find it online: https://zestynora.com/quick-southern-chicken-and-dumplings-from-scratch/