This Chicken and Dumplings recipe is SO EASY to make from scratch if you use rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth! It's a fast, easy comfort food to make on busy nights. The fresh thyme in the dumplings sets it over the edge.
Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium high heat until softened a bit and beginning to brown (about 3 minutes).
Add 1/4 cup flour, stir to coat.
Add chicken broth (4 cups) and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to simmer and add 1/2 cup milk and the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, mix together the remaining 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, melted, until flour mixture is crumbly looking. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir until JUST combined. Do NOT over mix, or your dumplings may be dense.
Add spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture to the simmering pot- I recommend using a small cookie scoop for this (a tablespoon can also be used).
Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy, cooked, and float to the top. No peeking!
Serve garnished with extra fresh thyme and fresh ground pepper, if desired.
Video
Notes
If you are sensitive to salt, cut the salt in the dumplings in half, as they are quite salty. I like them that way, but some readers have recommended taking the amount of salt down. Also, if you are using fine grain salt instead of kosher, use 3/4 teaspoon, as 1 teaspoon will be too much.
Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Baking powder often isn't good after a year of opening it. If you find your dumplings are dense and not fluffy, this may likely be the culprit.
Readers have commented that this recipe doesn't make as much as they would like. Please double it if you and your family have a big appetite!
You can freeze the leftovers, or double the batch and freeze one for later in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
If you prefer a really thick base, you can add 1-2 more tablespoons of flour to the veggies before adding the broth and milk.
If you don't like thyme, you can use other herbs- parsley, oregano, or even dill- or leave them out entirely.
Feel free to add more veggies toward the end of cooking, such as frozen peas or corn, or a few handfuls of baby spinach.
I love making this in a Dutch Oven, because it stays hot for a while if dinner is ready early. The one in the photos is a Cuisinart 5.5 qt. Oval Dutch Oven but lately I've been recommending the Lodge Dutch Oven.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.