Description
This Cozy Stovetop Chicken and Dumplings recipe offers a comforting bowl of tender chicken, flavorful vegetables, and soft, fluffy dumplings all cooked together in one pot. Perfect for a hearty and easy weeknight meal, it combines savory broth with creamy textures and classic Southern-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts (skinless or rotisserie chicken)
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 dash Hot Sauce (optional)
- 1 cup Onions (chopped)
- 2 medium Carrots (sliced)
- 1 cup Celery (chopped, optional)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Frozen Peas (or fresh peas)
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth (low-sodium recommended)
- 1 cup Half and Half (or heavy cream)
Dumplings
- 2 cups Dumplings (homemade or canned biscuits)
- Melted Butter (quantity for folding into dumpling dough; approx. 2 tablespoons)
- Milk (amount to mix with dumpling ingredients; approx. 1/4 cup)
- Sour Cream (amount to mix with dumpling ingredients; approx. 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Brown the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then cook them for about 3 minutes on each side until browned. Remove from the pot and dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, melt butter and add chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Add Aromatics and Sauces: Stir in minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of hot sauce if using. Cook for an additional minute to combine the flavors.
- Make the Base: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and half and half until the mixture thickens into a creamy base.
- Combine Chicken and Peas: Return the diced chicken and frozen peas to the pot. Allow the stew to simmer gently for a few minutes to meld the flavors.
- Prepare Dumpling Dough: In a separate bowl, mix the dry dumpling ingredients if homemade, then fold in melted butter, milk, and sour cream until just combined to form a soft dough.
- Cook Dumplings: Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the simmering soup. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid so that the dumplings steam and cook through.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken and dumplings into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley for a bright finish. Serve hot for maximum comfort.
Notes
- You can use rotisserie chicken to save time instead of cooking raw chicken breasts.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper according to taste during cooking.
- If gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with cornstarch and use gluten-free dumpling ingredients.
- Covering the pot while dumplings cook traps steam to ensure they puff up nicely.
- Dumplings can be made using canned biscuit dough for a quicker alternative.
- For a richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of half and half.
