Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits (Print version)

Tender chicken in a rich, creamy broth with fluffy biscuit dumplings

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken and Broth Base

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
02 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 bay leaf
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
12 - ½ cup heavy cream
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ Biscuit Dumplings

14 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
15 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
16 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
17 - 1 teaspoon salt
18 - ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - ¾ cup cold buttermilk

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
02 - Add chicken, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
03 - Remove chicken from pot and shred using two forks. Discard bay leaf. Return shredded chicken to pot. Stir in heavy cream and parsley. Maintain gentle simmer.
04 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold buttermilk, stirring just until dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto simmering soup, spacing them apart. Cover pot tightly and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes without lifting lid until dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
06 - Uncover pot, taste broth, and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with additional parsley if desired.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • The dumplings cook right in the broth, soaking up all that savory flavor while staying impossibly light inside
  • Its one of those rare meals that tastes even better the next day, if theres any left
  • The whole house fills with such incredible aromas that people start drifting into the kitchen before its even done
02 -
  • Resist every impulse to lift that lid while the dumplings cook, or they'll turn dense and gummy instead of light and fluffy
  • The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky, not smooth and perfect, so dont keep mixing once it holds together
  • Cold butter and cold buttermilk are non-negotiable for achieving that tender, biscuit like texture
03 -
  • If your dumplings are cooking unevenly, rotate the pot halfway through but do not remove the lid completely
  • Leftovers keep beautifully for 3 days and the dumplings actually hold their texture well

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