Best Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 32 ounces chicken stock
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
• Salt to taste

Dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Instructions 

   • In a large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven), melt butter over medium-high heat. 
   • Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables being to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
   • Add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
   • Add evaporated milk and chicken stock and quickly stir to combine. 
   • Bring to a boil and add chicken, thyme, black pepper and salt. Let soup simmer, uncovered, while you make dumplings. 
   • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it. 
   • Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk. 
   • Using a large or medium sized cookie scoop (depending on how large you want your dumplings), scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. 
   • Once all dumplings have been added, gently press them down so the soup runs over just the tops of them. 
   • Place the lid on your pot and lower the heat a little to a low simmer (you don’t want the bottom of the soup to burn but also want the soup to still be simmering to cook the dumplings). 
   • Cook for 15 minutes, gently stir the soup/dumplings and then cut one dumpling in half to make sure they are cooked through.
   • If the dumplings are cooked through, serve hot! If not, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes and check again. 

Notes:

• To use raw chicken, add 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs to the pot in step 3. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken and continue with the recipe.
• To make gluten-free dumplings, use cornstarch instead of flour in the dumplings. Skip step 5 and whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of water or chicken broth. In step 6, stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup before adding the dumplings.
• To store leftovers, let the soup cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
• To freeze leftovers, let the soup cool to room temperature and then ladle into freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

I hope this is helpful!