The Coziest Chicken & Dumplings You’ll Ever Make

This is some serious comfort food. I’m talking tender chicken thighs cooked in a rich gravy, a medley of colorful vegetables, topped with tender, fluffy, and flavorful dumplings.

This recipe is so cozy that eating a bowl of these homemade chicken and dumplings feels like being wrapped up in a big warm hug. And the best part?

It’s made 100% from scratch. 🙌 Ugh, brb, I need to go make another batch because my mouth is WATERING. All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.

“This is the best chicken and dumplings I have ever had. I will absolutely be making this again!

I doubled the broth, increased the spice amounts, and melted into a happy puddle.”

Lindsey

Chicken and dumplings can take on many forms depending on where you live, but they’re always super cozy, filling, and comforting.

While they usually always have tender chicken smothered in a savory gravy as their base, the dumplings can either be a thick noodle, or a pillowy biscuit steamed on top of the gravy. I love both versions, but today I’m making the pillowy cloud dumplings!

Tips for Fluffy Dumplings

• Make sure the dumpling batter is moist enough. It should be a soft, sticky, scoopable dough. If it’s too dry, the dumplings won’t be able to puff up as much.
• Make sure the gravy is simmering before adding the dumplings. The dumplings need the steam action from the simmering gravy to cook and fluff up. Avoid overcooking the dumplings by simmering them until they’ve doubled in size (about 15 minutes). Any longer and they can become gummy or disintegrate into the gravy instead of staying light and fluffy.
• Keep the lid on the pot the entire time the dumplings are cooking (this holds in the steam and ensures they cook from all sides.
• Don’t make the dumplings too big. They’ll double in size as they cook and larger dumplings will take much longer to cook.
• This recipe uses homemade drop dumplings (where the dough is simply dropped into the simmering gravy) because they’re quick, easy, can be seasoned to taste, and I just love how fluffy they turn out. For other dumpling styles, like using pre-made biscuits, see the Variations section below the step-by-step photos!

Chicken and Gravy

• 2 ribs celery (diced, $0.20)

Chicken and Gravy

• Add the diced carrot and celery to the skillet with the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes more.
• Add the butter and flour to the skillet and stir until the butter has melted and created a paste with the flour that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook and stir this mixture for about 2 minutes.

Dumplings

• Make sure the gravy is still simmering, then place the lid back on the skillet and allow the dumplings to simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure they're simmering the entire time. After 15 minutes the dumplings should have doubled in size and will be fluffy and cooked in the center. Also, check that the thickest chicken pieces have reached 165°F. Serve hot and enjoy!

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings step-by-step photos

Brown the chicken: Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add four boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the pan and allow them to brown very well on each side.

The chicken doesn’t need to cook through at this point, just make sure it gets very brown. Remove the browned chicken to a clean cutting board and set aside. Sauté the veggies: Add two minced cloves of garlic and one diced yellow onion to the skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened.

Add two diced carrots and two diced celery stalks and continue to sauté over medium for 2-3 minutes more. Make the gravy: Add four Tbsp of butter and ¼ cup of all-purpose flour to the skillet. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat.

The butter will melt and combine with the flour to create a sort of paste that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook this mixture for about two minutes more. Add 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried sage, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup milk to the skillet.

Whisk the ingredients together, making sure to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow this mixture to come back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken into a gravy.

Once the mixture has thickened to a gravy, dice the chicken thighs and stir them back into the skillet. Cover with a lid and allow the chicken to simmer in the gravy while you prepare the dumplings.

Make the dumplings: Stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 1½ tsp baking powder, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried parsley, and ½ tsp sugar in a bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and combine it with ½ cup milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture.

Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms a soft, sticky dough. It should be soft enough that you can easily scoop it with a spoon.

Make sure the gravy is fully simmering, then drop the dumpling dough into the gravy in 2 Tbsp portions. The dumplings will expand quite a bit as they steam, so don’t worry that they don’t fully cover the surface. Simmer: Place the lid on the skillet and allow the dumplings to steam in the simmering gravy for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Make sure the gravy is simmering the whole time. After 15 minutes they should be about double in size.

Cut one open to make sure it’s fluffy all the way through. Serve the chicken and dumplings hot and enjoy! (shown garnished with parsley for color)

Dumpling Variations

I use a “drop biscuit” style dumpling for this chicken and dumplings recipe, but there are several other variations you can try. Here are some popular options for chicken and dumplings:

• Pre-Made Biscuits: If you want a shortcut, buy a can of ready-to-bake biscuits and simply place them on top of the simmering gravy, then steam until cooked through.
• Biscuit Mix: Skip the from-scratch biscuits listed below and use a pre-made biscuit mix, like Bisquick, to make your biscuit/dumpling topping.
• Thick Noodles: Either make your own homemade thick noodles or “sliders” to simmer in the gravy or buy a pre-made dried “dumpling noodle”. If using a dried noodle, you may want to add an additional cup of broth to allow for the noodle’s absorption.

How to Store the Leftovers

Leftover chicken and dumplings are SO delicious, so make sure to save some for lunch the next day! Simply divide the leftovers into single-serving containers and refrigerate.

The gravy will get quite thick when refrigerated, but they’re still delicious! Chicken and dumplings will stay good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.

You can also freeze the chicken and dumplings. Once chilled in the refrigerator, transfer the chicken and dumplings to the freezer and store for 2-3 months. To reheat the frozen chicken and dumplings either thaw in the refrigerator overnight before microwaving until hot or use the defrost function on the microwave.