Chicken and dumplings is one of the most iconic comfort foods there is. You always hear about it, “oh so and so makes the best chicken and dumplings!” Well I’m here to say that whoever you heard say that, is how do I say this nicely, full of shit. Why? Because THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE! See what I did there?
I can’t begin to take credit for this recipe though, this recipe is from the genius’s over at Serious Eats and The Food Lab, which is my favorite source for recipes and food ideas. They carefully test everything so that you know, empirically, that the recipe you are about to use is the best. It’s all rooted in science and how the eater is going to have the tastiest experience.
Before we get into the recipe, how about a little backstory on Chicken and Dumplings? Or Chicken and Dumplos as my wife so affectionately calls them. Thankfully Southern Kitchen did a big deep dive into the whole dish and debunked some of the myths about the recipe. First things first, the dish did not originate during the depression or the Civil War, dumpling based dishes using meat have been around for centuries. Moreover, the whole idea that Chicken and Dumplings is a peasant dish is also a bit of a misnomer. Chicken was actually a symbol of prosperity around the time the dish really took flight. You can find more info about this dish using the links incorporated above.
My personal take on chicken and dumplings is that it’s sort of like a chicken pot pie that got blown up by a landmine and the chef had to reconfigure all the dish body parts back to into a meal. Gruesome, no? Either way, this dish is really delicious and it’s the perfect dish for a cozy winter day.
Without further ado here is the recipe, from the Food Lab that I used:
*You can add a touch of cream at the end to really make this dish a little more luxurious.*
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 quarts (48 ounces) homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium carrots, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 medium ribs celery, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound leftover chicken, torn into rough bite-sized pieces *I used boiled split chicken breast instead*
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 whole egg
Directions
1.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Add 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring constantly, until pale golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth. Add gravy, onions, carrots, and celery. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and half of parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2.
Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, chives, remaining parsley, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs, and butter in a second bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
3.
Return stew to a bare simmer. Using a tablespoon measure, drop dumpling dough in 1-inch balls over surface of stew. Cover and cook until dumplings have puffed and feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 1/2 quarts (48 ounces) homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large onion, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 medium ribs celery, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 pound leftover chicken, torn into rough bite-sized pieces *I used boiled split chicken breast instead*
- 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 whole egg
- Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat until melted. Add 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring constantly, until pale golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth. Add gravy, onions, carrots, and celery. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and half of parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, chives, remaining parsley, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, eggs, and butter in a second bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Return stew to a bare simmer. Using a tablespoon measure, drop dumpling dough in 1-inch balls over surface of stew. Cover and cook until dumplings have puffed and feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
