Description
A simple, one-pot comfort food recipe featuring tender chicken, rich broth, and fluffy drop biscuits that require no rolling pins or advanced skills.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅓ cup (80ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 1.5 lbs (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 cups (950ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter for sautéing
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and carrots soften slightly.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add dried thyme and parsley. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the raw chicken chunks to the simmering broth. Cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C). Avoid vigorous boiling to keep chicken tender.
- While chicken cooks, prepare the dumpling dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and work it into the flour using a pastry cutter or fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir gently with a spatula until the dough just comes together. It should look shaggy and wet; do not overmix.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked chicken and set aside. Optionally shred the chicken and stir it back in.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the simmering broth, spacing them out slightly. Cover the pot tightly.
- Do not lift the lid for the first 10 minutes to allow steam to cook the dumplings. After 10 minutes, check if dumplings are firm. If not, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Total dumpling cooking time is 15-20 minutes.
- Once dumplings are fluffy and cooked through, give the pot a gentle stir. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Keep butter very cold for fluffy dumplings. Do not lift the lid while dumplings are cooking to retain steam. If using rotisserie chicken, skip the boiling step and add shredded chicken in the last 5 minutes. Dumplings absorb broth over time, so consistency will thicken upon storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approx. 1.5 cups wit
- Calories: 450
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
Keywords: chicken and dumplings, drop biscuits, comfort food, one pot meal, easy dinner, fluffy dumplings, foolproof recipe