American · Soups & stews

Chicken and fluffy drop dumplings

Name: Chicken and fluffy drop dumplings
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 1 large yellow onion, diced; 3 medium carrots, sliced; 3 celery ribs, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups for dumplings; 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup frozen peas; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 cup cold buttermilk; 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

Tender chicken and vegetables in a rich herb broth topped with light, steamed buttermilk drop dumplings.

About 1 hr 15 minTotal

About 1 hr 15 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups for dumplings
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

Instructions

Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat olive oil in a over medium-high and brown chicken 4 minutes per side; transfer. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the pot, add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook 6 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over the vegetables and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, then add thyme, bay leaf, and chicken with its juices. Simmer gently 15 to 18 minutes until chicken reaches 175°F. Transfer chicken, shred it, and return it with peas; discard bay leaf.
For dumplings, whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir it with cold buttermilk into the dry ingredients just until no dry pockets remain.
Keep the stew at a gentle simmer. Drop 12 loosely rounded 2-tablespoon portions over the surface with space between them. Cover tightly and cook without lifting the lid for 14 minutes; steam, not a hard boil, cooks the centers.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the largest dumpling; it should emerge without wet batter. If needed, cover and cook 2 minutes more. Rest uncovered 5 minutes, finish with remaining parsley, and serve without stirring the dumplings into the gravy.

Southern United StatesSouthern American household and holiday cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Chicken and drop dumplings is a Southern and American comfort dish descended from practical broth-and-dough cookery, with covered steam producing tender biscuits directly over thickened chicken gravy.

Chicken and dumplings is a long-standing American comfort dish with regional disagreement over flat noodle-like dumplings versus fluffy drops. This recipe plainly chooses the fluffy style. The dumplings are mixed minimally, portioned loosely, and steamed under an untouched lid—the small disciplines that create tenderness without requiring biscuit mix or a separate oven. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Choose the familiar fluffy-drop branch, use accessible boneless thighs and boxed broth while browning both for depth, and preserve the repeated buttermilk, minimal-mixing, spaced-portion, covered-steam success pattern.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe