Feed a Crowd Meals for 5+

Big-Batch Chicken and Dumplings

A large pot of chicken and dumplings with tender chicken, a rich broth, and dumplings that stay fluffy instead of pasty.

  • Cuisine: American
Prep
25 min
Cook
55 min
Total
80 min
Yield
10 servings

Ingredients

Chicken base

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery ribs, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Dumplings

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut small
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

  1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, season the chicken with the salt and pepper, and brown it in batches until it has good color on both sides.
  2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, then sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out.
  4. Pour in the stock slowly while stirring, then add the milk, thyme, and sage, and return the chicken and any juices to the pot.
  5. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is fully tender and the broth looks lightly thickened.
  6. For the dumplings, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt, cut in the butter until you have small pea-size pieces, then stir in the milk and parsley just until a soft dough forms.
  7. Taste the broth and adjust the salt before you add the dumplings, because you do not want to stir hard once they go in.
  8. Drop the dumpling dough in heaping spoonfuls over the surface of the simmering pot, leaving a little space between each one.
  9. Cover tightly, reduce to low, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid until the dumplings are puffed and no longer look wet on top.
  10. Rest the pot off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve while the dumplings are still light and the broth is hot.

Notes

Chicken and dumplings needs a steady hand more than it needs fancy technique. Brown the chicken, give the broth time to come together, and then leave the dumplings alone once they go in. That is what keeps the pot hearty instead of gummy.

This is a good family supper for a cold evening, a busy week, or a table with people coming back for seconds. The broth is rich enough to feel comforting, but not so thick that it turns stodgy when the leftovers are reheated.

Recipe Rescue

Dumplings dissolved into the broth

Likely cause:The broth was boiling too hard or the dough was too loose.

Fix now:Turn the heat down, let the pot settle to a gentle simmer, and mix a little more flour into any remaining dough before dropping the next dumplings.

Next time:Keep the simmer gentle and make sure the dough is soft but scoopable, not pourable.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs

Swap:Use cooked shredded chicken and add it after the broth has thickened.

If you use cooked chicken, simmer the broth with the vegetables first so the base still develops enough body and flavor.

Carryover / Next Meal Ideas

Creamy chicken pot pie filling

Chop the leftover dumplings into the broth and bake the reheated chicken mixture under a biscuit or pastry top for a second meal.

  • If the filling looks very thick the next day, loosen it with extra stock before it goes into the baking dish.

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