Description
A comforting classic Chicken and Dumplings recipe featuring tender browned chicken simmered in a savory herb-infused gravy with fluffy homemade dumplings. This dish combines a rich roux-based gravy with fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs, perfect for a hearty family meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Gravy
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Brown Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and brown them on each side until very golden. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate flavor. Add diced carrots and celery, and continue to sauté for about five more minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Make Roux: Add the butter and flour to the skillet, stirring continuously until the butter melts and the flour forms a paste coating the vegetables. Cook and stir this mixture for about two minutes to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Make Gravy: Stir in dried parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, chicken broth, and whole milk. Increase heat to medium-high and cook while stirring until the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens.
- Add Chicken: Dice the browned chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and return them to the skillet with the vegetable gravy. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat to cook the chicken thoroughly and allow flavors to meld while preparing the dumplings.
- Make Dumplings: In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, dried parsley, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and freshly cracked black pepper. Pour in the milk and melted butter, stirring gently just until a soft, scoopable batter forms. Avoid overmixing to keep dumplings light and tender.
- Add Dumplings: Remove the lid from the skillet and drop the dumpling batter onto the surface of the simmering gravy in about 2 tablespoon dollops, aiming for approximately 12 dumplings.
- Cook Dumplings: Make sure the gravy continues simmering, cover again with the lid, and allow the dumplings to cook for 15 minutes undisturbed. The dumplings will double in size and become fluffy and cooked through. Serve the dish hot for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- Do not over-stir the dumpling batter to ensure fluffy texture.
- Maintaining a simmer is crucial for cooking the dumplings properly; avoid boiling as it can break them apart.
- Brown chicken well for deeper flavor in the gravy.
- Use a deep skillet or Dutch oven for even cooking and sufficient space for dumplings to expand.
- If preferred, leftover cooked chicken can be used, but add it later in the cooking process to avoid overcooking.
