Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings
This Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings recipe is the ultimate comfort food—tender chicken, a creamy stew base, and soft, fluffy dumplings made completely from scratch (with shortcut options if you need them!). Cozy, hearty, and packed with flavor.
Servings: 6 servings (about 1.5 cups each)
Calories: 538kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken stew:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR chicken thighs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth more if sauce gets too thick; plus a little chicken bouillon if you want extra flavor!
- 1½ cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon EACH dried thyme, dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon EACH dried rosemary, ground sage
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅔ cup cold sour cream
- ⅓ cup cold milk
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Optional/shortcuts:
- 1 (16.3-oz) can refrigerated biscuit dough cut into 1-inch pieces, in place of homemade dumplings (OR make your favorite Bisquick dumplings for a semi-homemade variation!)
- chopped parsley to serve
Instructions
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then sear for 3–4 minutes per side until golden.Don’t worry about cooking it through—it finishes in the stew. Transfer to a plate and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt & pepper
- Build the flavor base: Lower the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same pot, then stir in the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and smells amazing.Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds—don’t let it burn.Sprinkle flour evenly over the veggies.4 tablespoons butter, 1 small yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 ribs celery, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Simmer: Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook off that raw flour taste and create the thickener for your stew. It'll look a little pasty at first—totally normal. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping up all the golden bits from the bottom (flavor central!).Stir in the half and half, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and all the seasonings. If you're using bouillon, this is the time. Bring it to a gentle simmer.4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1½ cups half and half, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon EACH dried thyme, dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon EACH dried rosemary, ground sage, salt and black pepper
- Shred the chicken: While the stew simmers, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add it (and any juices!) back into the pot, along with the peas. Stir everything together. If your stew looks too thick, add a splash more broth.¾ cup frozen peas
- Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sugar. Add the sour cream, cold milk, and melted butter. Stir gently with a fork until just combined. The dough will be thick and sticky—don’t overmix!Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to drop 1½-inch mounds of dough onto the surface of the simmering stew. Space them out a bit—they’ll puff up!2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, ⅔ cup cold sour cream, ⅓ cup cold milk, 3 tablespoons butter
- Cook the dumplings: Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and do not lift it for 15 minutes. The steam is doing all the work.
- Check + finish: After 15 minutes, check a dumpling with a toothpick—it should come out clean. If they need more time, re-cover and simmer for 2–3 more minutes. Gently stir the stew once to combine everything (don’t break up the dumplings!). Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, with chopped parsley if you’re feeling fancy.
Notes
- Stew thickness: If it thickens too much as it simmers, just add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.
- Make-ahead tip: Prep the stew base in advance, then reheat and drop in dumplings just before serving.
- Dumpling shortcut: No time? Use biscuit dough from a can or make quick Bisquick drop dumplings. They totally work.
- Freezer tip: The stew (without dumplings) freezes beautifully. Make a fresh batch of dumplings when reheating!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 28.7g