This 1-pot homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe features a creamy chicken and vegetable stew topped with light, fluffy biscuits. It's classic winter comfort food that's perfect for warming up!
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the butter, and cut it in with a fork or work it in with your fingertips. Do not completely combine butter and flour, there should be some larger pieces about the size of peas.
Use a wooden spoon to stir the milk into flour mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
For the Chicken Stew:
Add the chicken stock, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, black pepper, and sage to a Dutch oven or 5-quart pot with a lid.
Bring up to a boil, whisk in the flour slurry, and then turn heat down to a simmer.
Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Dumpling Batter:
Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure the dumpling batter and drop it into the liquid of the simmering soup.
Cover the pot and cook until the dumplings are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do not stir while the dumplings cook, and do not uncover the pot until you check the biscuits for done-ness at the 10 minute mark.
To Finish the Chicken and Dumplings:
Add the chicken, thawed peas, and parsley, and gently stir.
Cook a couple minutes until everything is warm throughout.
Serve.
Notes
Great for Leftover Chicken or Turkey or Rotisserie Chicken: You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for this recipe. And leftover turkey works well too!
For Thinner Stew (Like Soup): If you want your stew thinner like soup, increase the chicken stock to 6 cups.
Biscuit Batter Tip: For the biscuit batter, shortening will work instead of butter. Use whatever your preference is!
Careful Not to Over-Work the Biscuit Batter: Don't over-work the biscuit batter. When you work the butter into the flour, there should be some larger pieces of butter about the size of peas.
What Size Scoop to Measure the Biscuit Batter: Use a 1.5-tablespoon ice cream scoop to scoop out the biscuit batter. This will help you do it as quickly and uniformly as possible.
Don't Stir While the Dumplings Cook: For the best biscuits, do not stir while the dumplings cook, and do not uncover the pot until you check the biscuits for done-ness at the 10 minute mark.
Test the Dumplings for Doneness With a Toothpick: Use the toothpick test to see if the biscuits are done. To do so, insert a toothpick halfway into a dumpling in the center of the stew. If it comes out clean, the biscuits are done.
To Make Chicken and Dumplings in the Instant Pot
Add the chicken stock, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, black pepper, and sage to an Instant Pot. Give it a stir.
Cover the Instant Pot and set it to "Manual, High Pressure" for 0 minutes. Once it's done, carefully vent it to release the steam.
Meanwhile, make the dumpling dough in a large bowl.
Stir the flour slurry into the soup after you release the steam and open the Instant Pot.
Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to measure the dumpling batter and carefully drop it into the liquid of the hot soup.
Cover the Instant Pot and set it to "Manual, High Pressure" for 3 minutes. Once it's done, let it naturally release its pressure for 10 minutes. After that, carefully vent it to release the remaining steam.
Add the chicken, thawed peas, and parsley, and gently stir. The heat from the stew should warm everything up, but you can turn on the "Saute" function if desired.