Try This One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe When You Need a Comforting Dinner Fast (2024)

Our quick chicken and dumplings recipe makes it easy to enjoy this classic comfort food on a weeknight. Though the dish tastes like it simmered long and slow, it starts with cooked chicken and store-bought stock to streamline the prep. The rich chicken stew is packed with vegetables and crowned with fluffy drop dumplings, so it's a complete meal. And those dumplings; they are a magical combination of pantry ingredients; flour, baking powder, butter, and milk is transformed into tender dumplings.

Best of all, this cozy, nostalgic dinner comes together in about 45 minutes and uses one pot, so break out that Dutch oven—and be prepared to field weekly requests for this hearty meal.

Try This One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe When You Need a Comforting Dinner Fast (1)

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The Secrets to Fluffy Dumplings

Light, tender drop dumplings are easy to make, as long as you follow our recipe and keep these tips in mind:

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Just like when you make pancakes, mix the dumpling dough just until it comes together. First use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, cut in the butter and stir in the milk just until there are no patches of dry flour. It's okay if the dough looks a little lumpy.

Mixing the dough more than this is called overworking and will result in tough dumplings.

Cook the Dumplings With the Lid On

Drop heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling dough over the simmering chicken mixture and they will steam—as long as you put the lid on the pot. Putting the lid on means that the moisture that the stew creates stays in the pot and steams the dumplings. Steaming is key to producing light, airy dumplings; without the lid, dumplings are drier and harder. Let the dumplings steam for 12 minutes—no peeking.

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Directions

  1. Cook vegetables:

    In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

  2. Add flour, then broth and simmer:

    Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

  3. Stir in chicken and beans:

    Stir in chicken and green beans and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Make dumplings:

    Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 2 tablespoons parsley.

  5. Add butter and milk:

    Cut in 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in milk.

  6. Drop batter over chicken mixture:

    Drop heaping spoonfuls batter on top of chicken mixture.

  7. Cook dumplings:

    Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve topped with additional chopped parsley.

Try This One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe When You Need a Comforting Dinner Fast (2)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my chicken and dumplings watery?

If you follow our One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe, the liquid for the chicken and dumplings should be rich and comforting, not watery. Adding too much liquid, whether that is water or broth, is the main reason the dish would be watery. You can thicken it by mixing a teaspoon or 2 of flour, or cornstarch with cold water, and then stirring in some liquid from the stew, then adding the slurry to the stew and heating it through until it thickens to the consistency you want.


Why are my chicken and dumplings hard?

There are two main reasons that the dumplings in chicken and dumplings turn out hard. One is the cooking; the dumplings will be hard if they are cooked too long or if they are cooked with the lid off so they simmer rather than steam and do not get the moisture from the stew as they cook.

The other reason for dry dumplings is overmixing the dough so that it doesn't rise as well, and the dumplings are dense not airy and will seem dry.


What goes with chicken and dumplings?

We think chicken and dumplings is a one-dish dinner, you really don't need to serve anything else with it. There's no need for bread or a starch because there are dumplings. If you want to add another vegetable, try sautéed broccoli or braised kale or go with roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes.

Other Stew and Dumpling Recipes to Try:

  • Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken and Dumplings
  • Mushroom-and-Dill Chicken and Dumplings
  • Green-Chile Chicken and Dumplings
  • Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
  • Cornmeal Dumpling Dough for Chicken and Dumplings
Try This One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe When You Need a Comforting Dinner Fast (2024)

FAQs

What to eat with chicken and dumplings for dinner? ›

Elevate your meal with sides that complement, not overshadow, the creaminess of chicken and dumplings. Opt for classic sides like mashed potatoes and cornbread for maximum sauce-sopping potential. Balance out the richness with lighter vegetable sides like green beans or Brussels sprouts.

Are dumplings good for dinner? ›

They're good for lunch or dinner or breakfast. They're good steaming hot just out of the boiling pot, they're good cold, eaten standing in front of the fridge. Between the filling and the wrapper, a dumpling covers at least three food groups.

How to thicken broth for chicken and dumplings? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

How to thicken up chicken and dumplings without cornstarch? ›

To thicken chicken and dumplings soup (or any soup for that matter), add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour to a mixing bowl. Stir in enough cold water to form a thin paste with no lumps when whisked together. Stir in the mixture to the soup to thicken it up slightly.

What to make with dumplings for dinner? ›

The best side dishes to serve with Asian dumplings (East Asia) are ramen, tomato and egg stir fry, fried greens, chilli miso steamed aubergine, pork belly fried rice, cucumber salad (Oi Muchim), tahini miso noodles, and claypot tofu.

Is chicken and dumplings good for a diet? ›

Is Chicken and Dumplings Healthy? Chicken and dumplings is a classic Southern comfort food dish, but it isn't necessarily the healthiest dish. Traditional chicken and dumplings from scratch uses a lot of rich ingredients like chicken fat, butter, and heavy cream.

Are dumplings comfort food? ›

Part of everyone's culinary repertoire should be a go-to winter soup. The easiest and most delicious option, to me, is comfort food in the form of chicken and dumplings. It comes together quickly, it's pretty cheap, the ingredients are easy to find and you probably already have half of them on hand.

Are dumplings okay for weight loss? ›

“If it's fairly lean meat to start with, the dumpling is going to be quite low in fat in that sense,” Austin said. The same goes for frozen dumplings you buy from the supermarket. As long as they're not pre-deep fried and contain whole, healthy ingredients they are an okay option, according to Austin.

How many dumplings per person to eat? ›

Mainly on their own steamed but sometimes fried (Wantons and Gyoza) and sometimes in soup. Usually we have a small starter and some greens and eat around 10-12 per person but sometimes we will eat as many as 15+.

Can I use water instead of chicken broth for chicken and dumplings? ›

They only need 2 ingredients: flour and chicken broth (or water). To make homemade flour dumplings all you have to do is mix the flour and chicken broth together to make a dough.

How do you thicken chicken and noodle broth? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

Why are my chicken and dumplings watery? ›

Why is my chicken and dumplings watery? If you follow our One-Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe, the liquid for the chicken and dumplings should be rich and comforting, not watery. Adding too much liquid, whether that is water or broth, is the main reason the dish would be watery.

How to tell when chicken and dumplings are done? ›

Here's how you can tell whether your chicken and dumpling soup is done and ready to eat. If the biscuit pieces feel gooey or mushy, they are not thoroughly cooked—give them more time to simmer in the rapidly boiling liquid until perfectly pillowy and fluffy.

Why isn t my chicken and dumplings thick? ›

How can I thicken stove top chicken and dumplings? You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

What are dumplings normally served with? ›

The best side dishes to serve with dumplings are chicken noodle soup, beef and broccoli, ramen, bok choy, egg roll in a bowl, orange chicken, Chinese curry sauce, fried rice, hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken, cucumber salad, bao buns, stir-fried vegetables, sesame noodles, spring rolls, and crispy tofu.

What is a good side dish for chicken and noodles? ›

Freshly baked bread, baguette, or dinner rolls are excellent for dipping into the broth. Salads:A light salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a simple vinaigrette can add freshness to the meal. Caesar salad or a side of coleslaw can also be tasty options. Vegetable Sides:Steamed or roasted vege.

Where do people eat chicken and dumplings? ›

Although chicken and dumplings is most commonly attributed to the South, it can also be found in the Midwest and may have even originated from a similar French Canadian dish that appeared in the Great Depression (says Wikipedia).

What to eat with stew and dumplings? ›

Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings – this hearty stew topped with herby dumplings is THE perfect comfort food. This easy crockpot beef casserole requires no browning – simply sit back and let your slow cooker do all the work. Serve with my Goose Fat Roast Potatoes and some crusty bread.

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