Fall is here and Chicken and Herb Dumplings is the quintessential meal of rainy day comfort. A one pot meal with fluffy delicious dumplings.
I’m such a fan of one pot wonders; cleanup is easy and once everything is in the pot, it’s smooth sailing. Now I know everyone’s recipe is different and I know a lot of people will fight me on a few things but these are my “non-negotiables” with this recipe.
Always use chicken thighs {they’re just tastier and can stand up to the cooking process without drying out}, never use water {for the love of Peter and Paul please use chicken stock, if you use water you’re essentially watering down all the ingredients and no amount of salt can come back from that}, and don’t use flour in your soup as a thickener {not necessary at all, the flour in the dumplings will thicken everything up for you}.
Also, if you have a quiet Sunday afternoon to make your own Homemade Chicken Stock, I suggest using that in this recipe. It really is easier than you think and there’s nothing quite like the smell of stock simmering on your stove on a chilly fall day.
These dumplings are little fluffy pillows sent from heaven and are homemade. I know a lot of people that use Bisquick for their dumplings, which is fine if that’s what you’re use to but step out of your box and try making them from scratch because it does make a difference and it’s just as easy. Besides, I’m sure you have all the ingredients to do it anyways so go the extra step.
What I love about one pot meals is that it can be done in a crock-pot just as easily as on the stove.Throw the ingredients in to simmer all day long and add the dumplings in at the end when you’re ready for dinner. Simple, delicious and well worth the time.
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 whole boneless/skinless Chicken Thighs
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to season
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 large Onion, medium dice
- 3 whole Carrots, medium dice
- 3 stalks Celery, medium dice
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves, minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 8 cups Chicken Stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, plus more to season to taste
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Chives, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 6 tablespoons {3/4 stick} Butter, melted
- 1 cup Buttermilk
Directions
- Step 1 Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Season both sides of chicken thighs with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Add to the pot and cook 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Once cooled cut chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, add butter to the same pot and add the diced onions, carrots, and celery, saute until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced thyme and garlic and stir to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reserved chopped chicken and chicken stock to the pot and stir, scrap up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to low to simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
- Step 3 For the Dumplings
- Step 4 In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and chopped parsley and chopped chives. Use a spatula to mix in melted butter, buttermilk until dough forms. Use your hands to roll dough into 8 equal sized balls.
- Step 5 Carefully drop the dough balls into the soup evenly spaced out. Cover the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the dumplings are fluffy and tender to the touch. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives. Serve and Enjoy!
In a large heavy bottomed pot like a Le Creuset brown up the chicken thighs like so. Brown food always tastes better and this is what we like to call the maillard reaction.
Maillard Reaction (/maɪˈjɑr/ my-yar) a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor.
When I say medium dice, this is what that means. Think of it as bite sized pieces.
Now saute those medium diced veggies up.
Now don’t be like me and use a whisk, use a spatula. The batter for the dumplings is thick and it will get stuck in your whisk. I found that one out the hard way.
So there you have it, just a few quick tips to get you through this recipe.
Savor and Enjoy!
great recipe
Thank you!
Wonderful recipe! A little more pizzaz then the traditional, and so lovely to see, smell, and taste.
Thanks Paula! It’s a favorite in my house! Cheers!