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 do you keep dumplings from falling apart in chicken and dumplings? ›

So that they cook perfectly, the dumplings need to steam, so cover the pot with its lid. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer when cooking the dumplings. An aggressive simmer or boiling will break them apart. Keep the heat low and cover the pot so that they steam.

Why are my chicken and dumplings tough? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

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.

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.

What pairs well with dumplings? ›

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.

Are dumplings okay for weight loss? ›

The entire 10-pack of dumplings clocks in at only 320 calories, which is low for a main meal – though you could pack it out with some steamed greens or gyozas if you need a little more. You'll also hit 2.8 grams of protein per serve, or 28g per pack, which is great if you struggle to pack enough sodium into your diet.

What is the secret to perfect dumplings? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

First, mix the dumpling ingredients just until the dough comes together. You'll whisk together the dry ingredients, then add melted butter and heavy cream. Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour.

How can I thicken my 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.

Should I cook dumplings covered or uncovered? ›

You want a gentle boil that won't disturb your dumplings as they steam. Make sure you cover them! This allows for as much steam as possible so that your dumplings can definitely get cooked.

What to add to bland chicken and dumplings? ›

Aromatic vegetables like onion, celery, and carrots, a clove of garlic if you like garlic, your preferred herbs and spices, and some chicken stock. Chicken, of course, either a whole chicken cut into eight parts or a pack of bone in thighs. Simmer until almost done. Then you make the dumplings.

Why are my chicken dumplings not fluffy? ›

The trickiest part of the dumplings remaining fluffy lies with the cooking time. If the dumplings are cooked for too long, then they will become hard. If they are cooked and allowed to remain in the heated environment – in the hot liquid or covered in the hot pot, then the dumpling will contract and get hard.

How to get too much salt out of chicken and dumplings? ›

Add Acid to Your Dish

Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt.

What side dishes go well with dumplings? ›

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 main dish goes well with dumplings? ›

Any kind of stewed meat and vegetables. Beef, lamb, pork or chicken, even a good root vegetable stew goes good with dumplings.

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 is a good side dish for chicken and noodles? ›

When serving chicken noodle soup for dinner, some really stellar side dishes can really help complete the meal. From classics such garlic bread and green salad, to healthier options such as sauteed spinach and grilled peppers, there are so many options.

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