Chicken and Dumplings

Ahhh, cozy-core activated 🥹🍲
Here’s a classic, from-scratch Chicken and Dumplings—thick, comforting, and exactly what you want on a chill day.

---

🍗 Chicken and Dumplings (Old-School Style)

Ingredients

Chicken & Broth

• 2 lbs bone-in chicken (thighs + breasts work great)
• 8 cups chicken broth (or water + bouillon)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed
• ¾ cup milk (or buttermilk for extra flavor)

To Finish

• ½ cup heavy cream (optional but elite)
• Fresh parsley or black pepper

---

Instructions

1. Cook the chicken
   In a large pot or Dutch oven, add chicken, broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf.
   Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 30–40 minutes until chicken is tender.
2. Shred the chicken
   Remove chicken, discard skin and bones, shred meat, and return it to the pot. Remove bay leaf.
3. Make the dumplings
   Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk just until combined—don’t overmix.
4. Drop the dumplings
   Bring soup to a gentle simmer (not a hard boil).
   Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the surface.
5. Steam to fluffy perfection
   Cover tightly and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid (important!). Dumplings will puff up.
6. Finish
   Stir in cream if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.

---

🥄 Style Options

• Southern slick dumplings: roll dough thin, cut into strips, and drop in
• Extra thick: mash a few carrots into the broth
• Shortcut: rotisserie chicken + canned biscuits (no shame)

Want a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or gluten-free version?