Cozy Chicken and Dumplings in One Pot

Some nights just ask for a big warm pot on the stove. This is the one I reach for.

Creamy broth. Soft, pillowy dumplings. Tender shredded chicken. All of it made in a single pot, which means the dishes stay easy. It’s ready in about 45 minutes, so chicken and dumplings in one pot works even when the day got away from you.

Why This One Pot Chicken and Dumplings Works

The dumplings cook right in the broth, and that’s the whole trick. The flour on the squares thickens the pot a little as they simmer, so you get that creamy, stew-like body without making a separate roux.

The cream of chicken soup goes in with the dumplings, not before. Add it early and it sits on the bottom of the pot with nothing to do. Added at the boil, it blends in fast and the dumplings cook in it.

The cornstarch slurry comes last. It’s the fix for a broth that’s still a bit thin once the chicken goes back in. Stir, wait a minute, done.

And the cold butter. Rubbed into the flour, it leaves tiny pockets that turn into soft, tender dumplings. Warm butter gives you something closer to a biscuit-flavored brick.

Ingredients

The chicken and broth

• 2 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 6 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

The creamy part

• 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

The dumplings

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

How to Make It

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Cook the onion and celery for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
2. Pour in the broth and let it come to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts and the bouillon powder. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken hits 165°F inside.
3. While that cooks, rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingers until it looks crumbly. Add the milk and mix until you have a dough.
4. Dust your counter and the dough with flour. Roll it out flat and cut it into 1 inch squares.
5. Take the chicken out and shred it into small pieces. Bring the broth to a boil, then add the dumplings and the cream of chicken soup. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dumplings float. Stir now and then so they don’t stick together.
6. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 6

My Tips

• Keep the butter cold. It makes the dumplings softer.
• Don’t roll the dough too thin, or the squares fall apart in the pot.
• Flour the counter and the dough. Sticky dough is annoying and it’s easy to fix.
• Stir while the dumplings cook. They clump if you walk away.
• Shred the chicken small. Big chunks sit on top of a dumpling and that’s not what you want in a spoonful.

Variations

Add a handful of frozen peas or sliced carrots with the onion and celery. Carrots go in at the start so they soften. Peas go in at the very end, or they turn gray.

Skip the cream of chicken soup shortcut if you want to make a scratch cream base. I’d still use the can. It’s weeknight food, and the can does the job.

Make-Ahead and Leftovers

Don’t make the dumplings ahead and drop them in later. Roll and cut them right before they go in the pot.

Leftovers keep in the fridge, but the dumplings soak up broth overnight. The pot will look a lot thicker the next day. Add a splash of broth or milk when you reheat, and warm it gently on the stove, stirring as you go.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

This pot loves a simple side. A green salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the cream, or just serve it with crusty bread for the last of the broth. Put it on the table in big bowls, hot, and let people go back for more.

Kima

Cozy Chicken and Dumplings in One Pot

Creamy broth, soft pillowy dumplings and tender shredded chicken, all made in a single pot. Ready in about 45 minutes, so it works even on a busy weeknight.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

The chicken and broth

• 2 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion diced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

The creamy part

• 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
• salt and black pepper to taste

The dumplings

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cold butter diced

Method

 

How to make it

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Cook the onion and celery for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
2. Pour in the broth and let it come to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts and the bouillon powder. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken hits 165°F inside.
3. While that cooks, rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingers until it looks crumbly. Add the milk and mix until you have a dough.
4. Dust your counter and the dough with flour. Roll it out flat and cut it into 1 inch squares.
5. Take the chicken out and shred it into small pieces. Bring the broth to a boil, then add the dumplings and the cream of chicken soup. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dumplings float. Stir now and then so they don’t stick together.
6. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot.

Notes

Keep the butter cold. It makes the dumplings softer.
The dumplings soak up broth overnight, so add a splash of broth or milk when you reheat leftovers.
Don’t roll the dough too thin, or the squares will fall apart in the pot.