Chicken With Fluffy Drop Dumplings

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/15/21
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 80 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This chicken stew recipe is topped with easy fluffy drop dumplings for a hearty, satisfying comfort-food offering. The dumplings, cooked on the top of the stewed chicken, become soft and fluffy with a biscuit-like texture. Ground poultry seasoning and some chopped parsley add flavor and color to the dumplings.

Serve this easy and delicious chicken stew with a tossed salad for a satisfying dinner.

For vegans and others who don't consume eggs, an egg-free dumpling recipe with the addition of poultry seasoning and parsley is equally delicious.

Chicken with fluffy drop dumplings

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Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 5 pounds chicken fryer parts, bone-in breast, thighs, legs, and wings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 4 cups water

  • 1 stalk celery, diced

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Dumplings:

  • 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon shortening

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

  • 1 large egg

  • 3 tablespoons milk

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Chicken Soup

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for soup
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  2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.

    Melt butter
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  3. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel.

    Pat chicken
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  4. Sear chicken pieces in the butter and olive oil mixture until they are just brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes.

    Sear chicken
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  5. Add the water, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, seasoned salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and tender.

    Add celery
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  6. Remove the chicken meat from the bones, chop meat, and return to the pot.

    Remove chicken
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  7. Stir the flour in a small bowl with just enough cold water to make a smooth paste.

    Stir flour
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  8. Add the flour paste to the hot stew, stirring until thickened over medium heat.

    Add flour paste
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Make the Dumplings

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for dumplings
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  2. In a bowl, whisk together the 1 cup of flour, baking powder, poultry seasoning and salt; blend well.

    Whisk flour
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  3. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a fork, and add the fresh parsley.

    Cut shortening
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  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

    Whisk egg
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  5. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a fork until well blended into a sticky, shaggy dough.

    Add to mixture
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  6. Drop dumplings by teaspoonfuls onto chicken soup. Cover, and steam for 10 minutes, or until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through inside.

    Dumplings
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Recipe Variations

  • Add 1 teaspoon of fresh snipped chives to the dumplings along with the parsley.
  • Try 1/4 teaspoon ground garlic in the dumpling mixture for added flavor.
  • Add 1/4 cup finely minced onion to the dumpling mixture.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1567 Calories
92g Fat
34g Carbs
142g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1567
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 92g 118%
Saturated Fat 27g 136%
Cholesterol 597mg 199%
Sodium 1259mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 142g
Vitamin C 6mg 31%
Calcium 201mg 15%
Iron 12mg 66%
Potassium 1327mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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