If your dumplings keep dissolving into paste while your broth tastes like dishwater, you need to meet my friend Mark Lambert. This seven-time Memphis in May world champion served us chicken and dumplings last year that completely rewired our opinion of this dish. Dumplings that actually held their shape, broth with real flavor, the kind of bowl that reminds you why this is comfort food royalty in the South.
Here’s what Mark knows that most recipes never mention: bone-in thighs make a broth worth drinking straight; Better Than Bouillon isn’t cheating when you use it with intention; and those 17 minutes with the lid sealed are non-negotiable if you want dumplings that stay fluffy instead of turning to glue. And trust us — once you learn how to build flavor properly, this will sit right next to your favorite comfort recipes like our Beef and Barley Soup.
After avoiding this dish for years, we have nailed it with this recipe. This is the version that turns chicken and dumplings into the kind of comfort food people show up early for.
🔪 Ingredients & Tools You’ll Need
For the Chicken and Broth
- Avocado oil
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Bay leaves
- Water
For the Stew
- Butter
- Yellow onion, diced
- Carrots, diced
- Celery, diced
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken bouillon paste (Better Than Bouillon)
- Half and half
- Frozen peas
- Fresh parsley
For the Buttermilk Dumplings
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Melted butter
- Fresh chives (optional)
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Ladle
If you’re the kind of person who lives on cozy bowls this time of year, you’ll want to check out our full lineup of Soup & Stew Recipes.
📝 How to Make Chicken and Dumplings: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sear the chicken.
Pat thighs dry and season generously. Heat oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown on both sides. Don’t crowd the pan — work in batches. - Simmer the broth.
Pour water into the same pot, scraping up all that browned goodness from the bottom. That golden layer is the same flavor-building step we rely on for recipes like our Oxtail Soup. Add thyme and bay leaves, return chicken, cover, and simmer gently until cooked through. - Shred the chicken.
Remove the chicken and strain the broth. Once cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. If you’re always looking for new ways to cook chicken thighs, we’ve got plenty more Poultry Recipes for you. - Build the stew.
In the same pot, melt butter and sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened. Sprinkle flour over the veggies, stirring constantly to make a quick roux. Whisk in your homemade broth and bouillon paste slowly, then bring to a simmer. - Finish the base.
Stir in the shredded chicken, half-and-half, and peas. Let it all come back to a gentle simmer while you mix the dumplings. - Make the dumpling dough.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Stir in buttermilk, melted butter, and chives just until a shaggy dough forms — no overmixing. - Steam the dumplings.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the stew’s surface. Cover tightly and cook for 15–17 minutes without peeking. Turn off the heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. - Serve it up.
Garnish with parsley and spoon those tender dumplings and rich chicken stew into bowls.
Searing the chicken — even if you discard the skin — is not optional. That golden crust builds the flavor foundation for your broth, thanks to the Maillard reaction. It’s how you turn a simple soup into something that tastes like it simmered all day.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Swap half and half for a mix of heavy cream + broth for a richer texture.
- Add mushrooms or corn for extra body.
- Use rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth for a shortcut and skip to the stew step – but know, the flavors won’t be as deep. Once you master this gentle simmer technique, try it in our White Chicken Chili for the same juicy results
- Make it herby: toss in dill or tarragon to freshen up the flavor.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Dry chicken = crisp sear. Moisture kills browning. Pat those thighs bone-dry before hitting the pan.
- Gentle simmer = juicy chicken. A rolling boil makes meat stringy. Keep the heat low and steady.
- Don’t lift the lid. Steam cooks the dumplings. Peek too soon and they’ll fall flat.
- Skim the broth. After straining, let it rest so the fat rises — then spoon off excess for a cleaner stew.
🍽️ What to Serve with Chicken and Dumplings
Serve with a crisp side salad or roasted green beans to cut through the richness. Or go full comfort and pair it with buttermilk biscuits or a glass of buttery Chardonnay for the grown-ups.
🧊 Leftovers and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Up to 3 days in an airtight container. Dumplings will soften but stay tasty.
- Reheat: Gently on the stovetop over low heat — add a splash of broth or milk if needed.
- Freeze: The stew (without dumplings) freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. Make fresh dumplings when reheating.
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Chicken and Dumplings (Homemade Broth + Fluffy Buttermilk Dumplings)
Recommended Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Broth:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups water
For the Stew:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon chicken paste
- 1 cup half and half
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
For the Buttermilk Dumplings:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Sear the Chicken
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken thighs skin side down, working in batches if necessary.
- Sear for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set the chicken on a plate.
Make the Stew
- Pour the water into the same pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Return the chicken thighs to the pot, bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a steady simmer.
- Cover and cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or measuring cup. This is our homemade chicken broth.
- Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery.
- Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in the homemade broth. Stir in the Better Than Bouillon paste and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the shredded chicken, half and half, and peas. Bring back to a gentle simmer.
Make the Dumplings
- While it heats, prepare the dumpling batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and the optional chives.
- Add the buttermilk and melted butter to the dry ingredients, and stir with a fork only until a shaggy dough forms.
Steam the Dumplings
- Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of the batter onto the surface of the stew. We find a cookie scoop is the easiest way to evenly measure the dumplings. Spritz it with a little oil before scooping to prevent sticking.
- Cover the pot tightly, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15-17 minutes without lifting the lid.
Rest and Serve
- Turn off the heat and let the pot rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Dry the chicken well before searing to build a golden crust that adds depth to the broth.
- Keep the simmer gentle so the chicken stays tender and the broth stays clear.
- Better Than Bouillon boosts the homemade broth without overpowering it.
- Keep the lid sealed during the dumpling stage; steam is what makes dumplings light and fluffy.
- Dumplings will naturally thicken the stew. Loosen leftovers with broth or milk when reheating.
- For extra flavor, add a fire-roasted poblano to the vegetable base (a trick we learned from champion pitmaster Mark Lambert).
Nutrition
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❓ FAQs for how to make the best chicken and Dumplings
No, but you should. That quick simmer with seared chicken builds unmatched depth (or try our Insta-Pot stock shortcut). If you’re short on time, use low-sodium stock and skip the water step.
Overmixing the batter or stirring after adding them to the stew can make them tough or cause them to break. Drop and walk away — the lid does the work.
Sure, but thighs stay juicier. If you use breasts, reduce the simmering time so they don’t dry out.
Yes. Sear the chicken first, then transfer everything except the dumplings to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–7 hours, then drop in dumplings for the final 30–40 minutes.
A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (like our fav 6-quart Lodge or Le Creuset) that gives even heat and keeps dumplings from scorching on the bottom.
