Perfect Chicken and Dumplings for Christmas Eve Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)olive oil
• 907 g (2 lb)bone-in, skinless chicken breast or thighs
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 70 g (5 tablespoons)butter
• 1 smallyellow onion, diced
• 120 g (1 cup)carrots, diced
• 2 stickscelery, diced
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)Worcestershire sauce
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)hot sauce, such as Frank’s
• 40 g (⅓ cup)flour
• 1.08 litres (4½ cups)chicken broth
• 1chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• 360 ml (1½ cups)half-and-half
• 110 g (¾ cup)frozen peas
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)onion powder
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)dried basil
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)dried parsley
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)dried thyme
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)dried rosemary
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)mustard powder
• 1.25 ml (¼ teaspoon)ground sage
• 0.6 ml (⅛ teaspoon)black pepper
• 240 g (2 cups)cake flour or plain flour
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)baking powder
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)bicarbonate of soda
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)salt
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)garlic powder
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons)sugar
• 180 g (¾ cup)cold sour cream
• 60 ml (¼ cup)cold milk
• 56 g (4 tablespoons)butter, melted

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear it for about 4–5 minutes per side until browned. Remove it from the pot and set aside.

2. 2

   Soften the vegetables

   Melt the 70 g butter in the same pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for about 5–7 minutes until softened and fragrant.

3. 3

   Make the roux

   Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Sprinkle over the 40 g flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes to form a roux and cook out the raw flour taste.

4. 4

   Simmer the chicken

   Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and optional bouillon cube, then return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the onion powder, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mustard powder, sage and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

5. 5

   Shred the chicken

   Lift the chicken out of the pot and shred it into bite-sized pieces with two forks, discarding any bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot.

6. 6

   Finish the soup

   Stir in the half-and-half and frozen peas. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then keep the soup at a gentle simmer while you prepare the dumplings.

7. 7

   Mix the dough

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, garlic powder and sugar. Add the cold sour cream, cold milk and melted butter, stirring just until combined; the dough will be slightly sticky.

8. 8

   Cook the dumplings

   Drop spoonfuls of dough, about 2 tablespoons each, evenly over the simmering soup. Cover and cook for 12–15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through.

9. 9

   Serve the dish

   When the dumplings are cooked, gently stir the soup to distribute them, then serve hot.

What are chicken and dumplings?

Chicken and dumplings is a familiar American comfort dish: chicken simmers with vegetables in broth, while dumplings cook on top and soak up some of the savoury steam. It has roots in home-style cooking, where a pot of broth and a simple dough make a substantial meal.

This version builds flavour by browning the chicken and softening the vegetables before adding herbs, cream and peas. Its sour-cream dumplings are enriched with butter and cooked covered until tender.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 760 calories, 43g protein, 62g carbs, 37g fat.

The dumplings, flour and vegetables provide most of the carbohydrates, while the chicken contributes much of the protein. Butter, sour cream and half-and-half account for much of the fat. Serve a bowl with a green salad or extra green vegetables to balance the rich broth and dumplings.

Build flavour in the pot

Browning the chicken first leaves savoury residue in the pot, which becomes part of the soup base. The onion, carrots, celery and garlic soften in butter before the flour goes in.

Roux: Cook the flour with the vegetables for the full 2–3 minutes, stirring so it does not catch. Whisking in the broth gradually helps make a smooth base.

Keep the simmer gentle

The chicken needs 30–40 minutes at a simmer to become tender. A steady, gentle bubble is preferable to a hard boil, which can make the meat tougher and disturb the thickened broth.

Cream and peas: Stir these in after shredding the chicken, then keep the pot gently simmering while you mix the dumpling dough.

Get fluffy dumplings

Mix the dumpling dough only until the ingredients come together. A slightly sticky dough is expected; extra mixing can make the dumplings dense.

Covered cooking: Space the spoonfuls over the simmering soup and keep the lid on for 12–15 minutes. The trapped steam cooks the dumplings through, so lifting the lid can interrupt the process.

Check the texture

The chicken is ready to shred when it is tender enough to pull apart with two forks. Remove any bones as you shred, then return the meat to the broth.

Dumplings: They should look puffed and feel cooked through rather than wet in the centre. Follow the recipe’s cooking window, keeping the lid closed until it has elapsed.

Serve it as a meal

The chicken, vegetables, creamy broth and dumplings make this a filling one-pot dish. Serve it hot in deep bowls so each portion gets broth, chicken and dumplings.

A crisp green salad or simply cooked green vegetables make a fresh contrast to the rich, soft textures. For a festive table, serve them alongside rather than adding more ingredients to the pot.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a large pot with enough room for the chicken and dumplings to cook without crowding.
• Let the chicken brown before turning it so it develops colour on both sides.
• Whisk the broth in gradually to help prevent lumps in the roux.
• Keep the sour cream and milk cold until you mix the dumpling dough.
• Use a light hand when mixing the dough; stop as soon as it comes together.
• Resist lifting the lid during the dumplings’ 12–15-minute cooking time.

Variations

• Use chicken thighs: Choose the listed bone-in thighs for a richer-tasting broth.
• Choose plain flour: Use all-purpose flour in place of cake flour for the dumplings.
• Adjust the heat: Add more or less hot sauce to suit your preferred level of spice.
• Skip the bouillon: Leave out the optional cube for a less concentrated broth.
• Change the herbs: Use the listed dried herbs in the amounts given, or leave out one you do not enjoy.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding the chicken: Brown it in batches if the pieces do not fit with space around them.
• Under-cooking the roux: Stir the flour with the vegetables for the full 2–3 minutes to cook off its raw taste.
• Adding broth too quickly: Whisk it in gradually to keep the soup base smooth.
• Overworking the dough: Stir only until combined so the dumplings stay tender.
• Lifting the lid: Keep the pot covered for the full 12–15 minutes so steam can cook the dumplings.
• Boiling hard: Reduce the heat after bringing the soup to the boil and maintain a gentle simmer.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until hot throughout; the dumplings may absorb broth as they stand, so add a little broth or water if needed.

Frequently asked questions