Creamy Chicken and Dumplings
55 min
|
intermediate
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Meet your cozy, creamy chicken and dumplings: a rich, garlicky gravy loaded with tender rotisserie chicken, sweet peas, and pillowy sour cream dumplings that actually taste like something.
It is a one-pot hug for Sunday supper, snow days, or sick days, fast enough for weeknights and properly seasoned with thyme, black pepper, and a touch of bouillon for real depth no bland dumplings on my watch.
Ingredients (6 servings)
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Ingredients for the Chicken Stew:
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter unsalted butter 1 oz
- 1 Tbsp olive oil olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced yellow onions 0.21 lb small
- 2 carrots, peeled, diced carrots 0.21 lb
- 2 fresh celery stalks, diced fresh celery 2.67 oz
- ½ cup frozen green peas frozen green peas 2.73 oz
- 2 cloves garlic, minced garlic 0.18 head (for garlic clove)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.07 lb
- 4 cups chicken broth chicken broth 32 fl oz
- 1 cup whole milk whole milk 8 fl oz
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken works great) cooked chicken 0.73 lb
- 1 chicken bouillon chicken bouillon 1 ct
- ½ tsp dried thyme dried thyme 0.01 oz
- ½ tsp salt salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper black peppercorns (for freshly ground black pepper)
Ingredients for the Dumplings:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.28 lb
- 2 tsp baking powder baking powder 0.33 oz
- ½ tsp salt salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder garlic powder 0.05 oz
- ½ tsp onion powder onion powder 0.04 oz
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted unsalted butter 1 oz
- ½ cup heavy cream heavy cream 4 fl oz
- ¼ cup sour cream, cold sour cream 2 oz
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Dumplings
-
Set up and prep
Dice the onion, carrots, and celery, mince the garlic, and shred the cooked chicken so you are not scrambling once the pot is hot.
-
Sauté the aromatics
Heat a wide heavy pot over medium heat with butter and olive oil until the butter foams.
Add onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook until softened and lightly glossy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
-
Build the roux
Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly to coat the vegetables and cook off the raw taste, about 2 minutes.
-
Whisk in liquids
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom to release any flavorful bits.
Whisk in the milk until smooth and gently bubbling.
Crumble in the chicken bouillon or dissolve it in a small splash of hot broth first to avoid granules, then add it to the pot.
-
Season and simmer
Add thyme, salt, and black pepper and bring to a gentle simmer so the stew thickens to a light gravy, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Add chicken and peas
Stir in the shredded chicken and frozen peas and keep at a low simmer while you mix the dumplings.
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Mix the dry dumpling base
In a bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to evenly distribute leavening and seasoning.
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Add wet ingredients gently
Stir in melted butter, heavy cream, and cold sour cream until just combined and slightly shaggy, leaving small lumps for tenderness.
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Drop the dumplings
Use a tablespoon or small scoop to drop mounds of dough onto the simmering stew, spacing them slightly so they have room to puff.
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Steam without peeking
Cover tightly and cook at a steady gentle simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the dumplings are set and springy, and do not lift the lid before 12 minutes or you lose steam and fluff.
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Finish and adjust
Uncover, taste the gravy, and adjust with salt and pepper, then let the pot sit 3 minutes so the dumplings relax and the stew settles.
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Serve
Ladle stew and dumplings into warm bowls and finish with a crack of black pepper or a sprinkle of paprika if you like a little swagger.
Substitutions
- Milk -> Evaporated milk
- Swap the 1 cup milk with 1 cup unsweetened evaporated milk for a silkier, more stable gravy that resists curdling and tastes extra creamy without adding more fat.
- Sour cream -> Greek yogurt
- Use cold full-fat Greek yogurt in the dumplings for the same tang and tenderness, giving you a slightly lighter bite while keeping that plush, pillowy texture.
- Chicken bouillon -> White or yellow miso
- Stir in 1 teaspoon white or yellow miso for savory backbone and gentle umami that melts seamlessly into the gravy and makes the chicken taste meatier.
Tips
- Keep dumpling mix cold
- Cold sour cream and cool heavy cream help the dumplings puff and stay tender, so do not let the mixture sit on a hot stove.
- Roux control equals gravy control
- Cook the flour long enough to smell nutty but not browned, which prevents raw flour flavor while keeping the stew a pretty creamy color.
- No peeking means fluffy dumplings
- Lid stays on until at least 12 minutes or you vent steam and end up with dense dough balls, and I do not negotiate with flat dumplings.
- Season in layers
- Salt the vegetables lightly, use bouillon for depth, then finish with final salt and pepper so every spoonful tastes full and balanced.
- Right simmer, not a boil
- A gentle blip keeps dairy happy and dumplings intact, while a rolling boil can split the milk and knock the dumplings apart.
- Use a wide pot
- A wider surface gives dumplings space to puff and keeps them from merging, and it reduces steamy crowding that can make them gummy.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 463 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23 | g |
| Total Fat | 23 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 44 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why are my dumplings dense or tough?
- You overmixed or lifted the lid early, so keep the batter a little lumpy and steam undisturbed for the full time to let the baking powder do its job.
- My stew is too thin, how do I fix it?
- Simmer uncovered a few minutes to reduce or whisk 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons cold milk, then whisk it into the simmering stew and cook 2 minutes.
- The gravy looks curdled, what happened?
- The heat was too high or the dairy went in when the pot was boiling, so lower to a gentle simmer and add dairy gradually while whisking.
- Can I use raw chicken instead of cooked?
- Yes, brown bite-size pieces in a little oil first, remove them, build the stew, then return chicken to simmer until cooked through before dropping dumplings.
- It tastes too salty, how do I rescue it?
- Add a splash of milk or water to dilute and a handful of frozen peas or diced potato to absorb, then simmer a few minutes and recheck seasoning.
- Can I make it ahead or freeze it?
- The stew base holds well, but dumplings are best fresh, so make the gravy and chicken ahead and drop dumplings to cook right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Big bowls love a drizzle of good olive oil and a dusting of paprika or chopped parsley for color and a little attitude.
Pair with a crisp green salad and warm buttered bread, or go cozy with roasted Brussels sprouts so you get creamy, crunchy, and toasty in one meal.
More pairings:
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