Chicken and Drop Dumplings with Carrots and Peas
Chicken and drop dumplings is a comforting pot of tender chicken, vegetables, and a lightly creamy broth topped with soft dumplings. I spoon the dough directly onto the simmering liquid, then let it cook under the lid. The tops stay pale and soft, while the undersides absorb some of the savoury broth. This recipe makes six generous portions with two dumplings each.
A wide pot makes the dumplings easier to cook
I use a heavy 6-quart (about 6-litre) pot with a tight-fitting lid and a cooking surface approximately 10 to 11 inches (25 to 28 cm) wide. That gives twelve dumplings enough room to expand. A very narrow pot stacks them on top of one another, making it harder for steam to reach their centres evenly. Set out the lid before starting so you are ready when the dough goes into the pot.
The broth begins as a simple chicken and vegetable mixture. A small amount of flour thickens it gently, and the dumplings release a little more starch as they cook. I like enough liquid to spoon around the chicken at the table, so I avoid reducing the base to a thick gravy before adding the dough. If you enjoy this kind of meal with potatoes instead, my chicken stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas has a different structure and cooking sequence.
Ingredients for American and Canadian kitchens
Use 1 1/3 lb (600 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs, left whole for the initial simmer. Thigh meat stays tender through the second covered cooking period. The onion, carrot, and celery should be cut small enough to soften comfortably: roughly 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces work well. Minced garlic and dried thyme provide the main seasoning, with one bay leaf removed before the dumplings are added.
Reduced-sodium chicken broth lets you adjust the seasoning after the chicken and vegetables have cooked. This recipe starts with 5 US cups (1.2 litres), plus 1 US cup (240 ml) milk near the end. Whole or 2% milk is suitable. Have a little extra broth available in case the pot loses more liquid than expected. Frozen peas can go directly into the broth without thawing.
For the dumplings, use all-purpose flour, baking powder, fine salt, milk, and melted butter that has cooled slightly. The flour quantity is 2 US cups, spooned into the measure and levelled, or 240 g by weight. I prefer weighing it because a firmly packed cup can make a noticeably heavier dough. Canadian and American all-purpose flours may absorb liquid differently, so the mixing instructions include the texture to look for.
Build the broth and cook the chicken
Melt 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens. They do not need deep browning. Stir in the garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds, then sprinkle in 1/4 US cup (30 g) flour. Cook for 1 minute while stirring so the flour mixes with the butter and vegetables.
Gradually pour in the broth, stirring well after the first additions to dissolve any flour pockets. Add the chicken thighs, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for approximately 18 to 22 minutes. Check the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer; it must reach at least 165°F (74°C). Lift the chicken onto a clean plate and remove the bay leaf from the pot.
Mix a soft dough with a light hand
While the chicken rests briefly, whisk the dumpling flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl. Mix 3/4 US cup (180 ml) milk with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) melted butter. Pour the liquid into the flour and fold with a spoon just until no loose dry flour remains. A tablespoon of chopped parsley may be folded in if you want a few herbs in the dough.
The dough should be soft, sticky, and able to sit on a spoon. If it feels crumbly and refuses to come together, fold in another tablespoon of milk, then reassess. If it flows like pancake batter, it is too wet; add flour a tablespoon at a time. I don’t knead this dough or keep stirring once it comes together. Extra handling can turn a tender dumpling into a dense one, and a few small lumps are completely fine.
Cut or pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return it and its juices to the broth with the peas and 1 cup (240 ml) milk. Bring the base back to a quiet simmer. Taste the broth now and adjust its seasoning before the lid goes on. The dumpling dough should be mixed only when the base is almost ready; it does not benefit from waiting a long time in the bowl.
Leave room and keep the lid closed
Use two spoons to divide the dough into twelve portions, approximately 2 tablespoons each. Drop them onto the surface of the simmering broth, leaving a little space between them. Do not push them under the liquid. Cover immediately and cook over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes without lifting the lid during the first 18 minutes.
I want a gentle simmer throughout this stage. If the heat is too high, the broth can catch on the bottom while the dough is still cooking. If it stops simmering completely, the dumplings take longer. Listen for a quiet bubbling sound rather than moving the lid every few minutes. The trapped steam is what cooks the upper part of each dumpling.
At the end, split one of the larger dumplings through its centre with a clean spoon. It should be fluffy and set throughout, with no sticky raw dough. A thin skewer should come out without wet batter. If the middle is still pasty, replace the lid and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, then check again. Avoid tasting raw dough. The finished chicken mixture should still be thoroughly hot, at least 165°F (74°C).
Serving and choosing a side
Let the pot stand off the heat for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Spoon two dumplings into each wide bowl, then add chicken, vegetables, and broth around them. I like a small scattering of parsley at the table rather than a heavy herb topping that hides the dumplings. If the broth needs loosening, gently pour a little hot broth into an open space between the dumplings.
This is already a substantial meal. A small romaine and endive salad adds fresh crunch, while a little classic mustard vinaigrette can dress simple greens alongside. Keep the salad separate so its dressing does not soak into the soft dumplings.
Other chicken dinners and practical substitutions
If you want a baked pastry topping on another evening, classic chicken pot pie is a separate recipe built for the oven. For a soup with grains, chicken wild rice soup offers a different texture. My rotisserie chicken noodle soup is useful when cooked chicken is already available. Keeping those methods separate makes it easier to use the right liquid quantity and timing for each meal.
For this pot, cooked chicken can replace the raw thighs, but add it with the milk and peas and make sure the whole mixture reaches 165°F (74°C). Simmer the vegetable broth first until the carrots are tender. Chicken breast is possible but can become firmer during the covered dumpling stage. I prefer thighs for the amount of time they spend in this particular recipe.
Store the dumplings with care
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and use within 2 to 3 days. Dumplings absorb more broth overnight, so keep a little extra broth for reheating. Warm gently in a covered saucepan, adding liquid as needed, until the chicken and the centre of the dumplings reach 165°F (74°C). Move the dumplings carefully with a broad spoon so they stay intact. For the freshest texture, prepare the vegetables ahead and cook the dumplings close to serving time.
Chicken and Drop Dumplings with Carrots and Peas
Ingredients
- For the chicken base:
- 2 tablespoons 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion about 150 g, diced
- 2 medium carrots about 200 g, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
- 2 celery stalks about 100 g, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 US cup 30 g all-purpose flour
- 5 US cups 1.2 litres reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 1/3 lb 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 US cup 240 ml whole or 2% milk
- 1 US cup 150 g frozen peas
- For the dumplings:
- 2 US cups 240 g all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 2 1/2 teaspoons 10 g baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 US cup 180 ml whole or 2% milk, plus a tablespoon if needed
- 2 tablespoons 30 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Melt the base butter in a wide heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. Soften onion, carrots, and celery for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme for 30 seconds, then the 1/4 cup flour for 1 minute.
- Gradually stir in broth. Add chicken, bay leaf, base salt, and pepper. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 18 to 22 minutes, until chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Lift chicken onto a clean plate and remove bay leaf.
- Whisk dumpling flour, baking powder, and dumpling salt. Fold in milk and melted butter just until a soft sticky dough forms. Add optional parsley. Add a tablespoon more milk only if the dough is crumbly.
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Return it and its juices to the pot with peas and base milk. Bring back to a gentle simmer and adjust broth seasoning.
- Spoon dough onto the broth in twelve portions of about 2 tablespoons, leaving a little space. Cover immediately and simmer on low 18 to 20 minutes without lifting the lid for the first 18 minutes. Split a large dumpling to check for a fully set centre with no raw dough. If needed, cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. The chicken mixture should remain at least 165°F (74°C).
- Rest off heat 3 to 5 minutes, then serve two dumplings per portion with chicken, vegetables, and broth.
