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A white bowl filled with a thick and creamy chicken and dumplings stew, featuring large, fluffy dumplings, shredded chicken, and carrots, garnished with fresh parsley.

BEST Creamy Chicken and Dumplings (Easy, Southern Style Recipe)

Learn how to make the best creamy chicken and dumplings with step-by-step instructions. Easy, Southern-style comfort food made simple at home
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Southern
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken Base
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Olive
  • 1 medium Onion finely chopped
  • 2 Carrots sliced
  • 2 Celery Stalks chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 4 cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken Rotisserie chicken works great
  • 1 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
  • 0.5 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp Parsley (fresh or dried)
For the Dumplings
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tbps Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 4 tbps Cold Unsalted Butter| cubed
  • 1 cup Whole Milk

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven At least 5-quarts in size. A heavy-bottomed pot is recommended.
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl Dumpling ka dough mix karne ke liye.
  • 1 Whisk Dumpling ke dry ingredients ko mix karne ke liye.
  • 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For sautéing vegetables and stirring the base.
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons Standard US customary sizes (cups, tbsp, tsp).
  • 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board For chopping the onion, carrots, and celery.

Method
 

Prepare the Creamy Chicken Base
  1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
    A spatula adding fresh minced garlic to a pan of softened vegetables, creating a fragrant base for a chicken stew with dumplings
  2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.
    A chef adding finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery to a pot of broth, creating the vegetable base for a chicken stew with dumplings
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
    A spatula adding fresh minced garlic to a pan of softened vegetables, creating a fragrant base for a chicken stew with dumplings.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
    Pouring a rich chicken broth from a measuring cup into a pan of sautéed vegetables, creating the liquid base for homemade chicken and dumplings.
  5. Stir in the shredded chicken, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Finally, stir in the heavy cream.
    A wooden spoon stirring shredded chicken and fresh herbs into a simmering broth, creating the base for a delicious creamy chicken stew.
Make and Cook the Dumplings
  1. While the base is simmering, prepare the dumpling dough. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
    A white bowl with flour, salt, and baking powder being whisked together, the first step in this fluffy dumplings recipe from scratch
  2. Cut in the cold, cubed butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    Using a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into a flour mixture, a key step in this fluffy dumplings recipe from scratch.
  3. Pour in the milk and stir with a fork until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overmix!
    Pouring milk into a flour and butter mixture to form a soft dough, a key step in this fluffy dumplings recipe from scratch.
  4. Drop spoonfuls of the dough (about 1 tbsp each) directly onto the simmering chicken mixture.
    Dropping a spoonful of raw dough into a simmering pot of stew to cook a fluffy dumplings recipe.
  5. CRUCIAL STEP: Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and let the dumplings steam
    A blue pot covered with a tight-fitting lid on the stove, with a wisp of steam escaping as the dumplings cook for a homemade chicken and dumplings recipe.
Finish & Serve
  1. After 15 minutes, check one dumpling for doneness. It should be light and cooked through on the inside.
    A perfectly cooked dumpling cut in half on a white plate, revealing a light and fluffy interior, demonstrating how to check for doneness in a fluffy dumplings recipe.
  2. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
    Tasting a spoonful of the hot, creamy chicken stew to adjust the final seasoning for a perfect pot of homemade chicken and dumplings.
  3. Serve hot, garnished with extra fresh parsley.
    A white bowl filled with a thick and creamy chicken and dumplings stew, featuring large, fluffy dumplings, shredded chicken, and carrots, garnished with fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Shortcut: For an even easier version, you can use refrigerated canned biscuits cut into quarters instead of making the dumpling dough from scratch.
  • Lighter Version: If you prefer, you can swap the heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk.
  • Extra Veggies: Feel free to add 1/2 cup of frozen peas or corn to the base along with the chicken for extra flavor and nutrition