Description
A comforting weeknight dish featuring tender chicken simmered in savory broth with fluffy dumplings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (plus 1/2 cup to deglaze)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
- Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup whole milk
- Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil or butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add chicken skin-side down, sear undisturbed for 5–6 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic for the last 30 seconds to avoid burning.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the stock into the hot pot to deglaze, scraping up browned bits (fond).
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add remaining stock, bay leaf, and thyme.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 30–40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and nearly falling off the bone.
- While the chicken simmers, make the dumpling dough: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in milk just until combined—don’t overwork.
- When chicken is cooked, remove it to a cutting board to cool slightly.
- Increase heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough onto the surface, spacing them slightly.
- Cover the pot and cook for 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove lid, add frozen peas if using, and shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces; discard bones and skin.
- Return shredded chicken to the pot, warm through for 2–3 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
For lighter dumplings, substitute 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup plain yogurt. Use boneless thighs if preferred—reduce simmer time and skip shredding step.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American