Roasted Chicken and Dumplings, a flavor so deep you can feel it! This is a seriously good chicken and dumplings recipe and we develop amazing flavor by roasting our bird first! It’s the perfect meal on a chilly night or just about any night!
If you don’t have time to roast a chicken, then by all means swap it out for a rotisserie chicken from your local grocer. It will cut your time significantly and taste just as good, I promise you.
Searing meat is a cooking technique that involves quickly cooking the exterior of the meat at a high temperature. This process creates a caramelized crust on the surface of the meat, which enhances its flavor and texture in several ways:
Maillard Reaction: Searing triggers the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that occurs at high temperatures. This reaction produces new flavor compounds, resulting in a rich, complex flavor profile and appetizing aroma.
Texture: Searing helps to create a crispy, caramelized crust on the exterior of the meat, while sealing in the juices. This contrast in texture adds depth to the overall eating experience, with a satisfying crunch giving way to tender, juicy meat inside.
Appearance: The caramelization of the meat’s surface during searing also enhances its visual appeal, giving it an appetizing golden-brown color. This attractive presentation can make the dish more appealing and appetizing to diners.
Flavor Retention: Contrary to popular belief, searing meat does not “seal in” juices. However, it does help to create a flavorful crust that can enhance the overall juiciness of the meat by retaining moisture during subsequent cooking methods, such as roasting or braising.
In summary, searing meat is a crucial step in many cooking processes as it enhances flavor, creates appealing texture, and improves the visual presentation of the dish.
Chef’s Tip: If you don’t have time to roast a chicken then grab a rotisserie chicken from the deli!
Transform Leftover Roasted Chicken into Flavorful Homemade Stock
Gather Ingredients: Collect your leftover roasted chicken carcass, including any remaining meat, bones, and skin. Additionally, gather aromatic vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery, as well as herbs like thyme, parsley, and bay leaves.
Prepare Ingredients: Roughly chop the aromatic vegetables into large chunks. If desired, you can also add garlic cloves for extra flavor. Remove any excess fat from the chicken carcass.
Simmer Chicken Carcass: Place the leftover roasted chicken carcass in a large stockpot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface with a spoon.
Add Aromatics: Once the water is simmering, add the chopped aromatic vegetables and herbs to the pot. These will infuse the stock with flavor.
Simmer Slowly: Reduce the heat to low and let the stock simmer gently for several hours. The longer it cooks, the richer the flavor will become. Aim for at least 2-3 hours of simmering time, but you can simmer it for up to 6 hours for maximum flavor extraction.
Strain the Stock: Once the stock has simmered to your desired richness, remove it from the heat. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the solids, separating the liquid stock from the chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs. Discard the solids.
Cool and Store: Allow the stock to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to airtight containers. You can store the stock in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, or freeze it for longer-term storage. Be sure to leave some space at the top of the containers to allow for expansion if freezing.
Use or Freeze: Your rich homemade chicken stock is now ready to be used in soups, stews, sauces, and other recipes that call for stock. Alternatively, freeze it in convenient portions for future use.
Enjoy the rich flavor and added depth that your homemade chicken stock brings to your dishes!
This is a total comfort meal, so slide into something comfy and cozy up to a big bowl of this amazing Roasted Chicken and Dumplings.
Mastering Homemade Dumplings: Essential Tips for Perfecting Your Doughy Delights
- Incorporating Ingredients: Never over beat the dough! This is a tender batter, and when beaten too hard it becomes glutinous and produces dense dumplings. Incorporate the dough by hand, mixing gently until it comes together.
- Gentle simmer: Make sure that your stew is on a gentle simmer, once you cover the pot the temperature rises. If the temp is too high, the stew can adhere and burn to the bottom of the pot, ruining the flavor.
- Drop Dumplings: Add the dumpling dough by teaspoonfuls, dotting the top of the stew with the hand-mixed batter. Don’t worry about the shape of the dumplings as they steam, the puff up and double in size.
- Steaming: Once added to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Resist the urge to peak, set your timer, do a quick cleanup and check them once the timer buzzes. Giving them adequate time to steam ensures they puff up as large as possible and cook through. It’ worth the wait !
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How to Make Roasted Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Roasted Chicken
- 4-5 lb broiler-fryer chicken cut-up
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Roasted Chicken Stock
- pan drippings from roasted chicken
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 2 carrots roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- generous hand of Kosher sea salt
- bones from roasted chicken
- 2 quarts (8 cups) water
Chicken and Dumplings
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 4 stalks celery trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 carrots trimmed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons thyme fresh (1 tsp. if dried)
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- reserved roasted chicken meat
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- Kosher sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Dumpling Batter
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher sea salt finely ground
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 3/4 cup milk room temp
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs parsley, thyme, rosemary
Instructions
Roasted Chicken
- Pull whole cut-up chicken from the fridge and allow it to come to room temp for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C
- Pat the chicken dry and arrange on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with, garlic powder, nutmeg, smoked paprika, Kosher sea salt and a good dose of freshly cracked black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes or till you can handle it. Debone and skin the chicken and chop into 2-3 inch pieces, set the meat aside and reserve the chicken bones and chicken fat from roasting.
Roasted Chicken Stock
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over med-high heat. Once hot add the reserved pan drippings from the sheet pan and bring back to heat for 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion then sauté till fragrant and the onions become translucent about 5 minutes. Toss in the Bay leaves and crushed garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken bones and water to the pot, stir, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove from heat and carefully pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Being sure to strain completely to remove any bones.
Chicken + Dumplings
- Put the pot back on the burner and heat over med-high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil. Add the chopped celery, carrots, thyme and onions. Sauté until fragrant and onions become translucent about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir well, the flour will absorb the fat and become sticky making a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the flour and vegetable mixture for about 4 minutes, continuously being sure not to let it burn.
- Add the sherry to the pan carefully, and stir, then add the stock a ladle full at a time. It will be thick at first, continue stirring and adding the stock little by little until the broth comes together.
- Add the reserved chicken meat and peas. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and leave on a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
Make the Dumpling Batter
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the herbs if desired, add the melted butter and milk. Gently stir until just combined, being sure not to beat heavily, since it will cause the dumplings to become very dense.
- Drop the dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. Cover and simmer the dumplings until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Don‘t remove the lid while they steam! The lid keeps the steam in creating light fluffy dumplings, that easily double in size.
- Check after 15 minutes with a toothpick, insert into the center of a dumpling and if it comes out clean, then they‘re ready. If there are traces of raw dough then, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and cream. Season to taste with Kosher sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Ladle portions into warmed bowls, garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- Prep time is approx.
- The stew will continue to thicken as it sits.
- Reheat over medium-low heat, adding a little water as it warms until it’s the desired consistency.
Creative Recipe Inspiration
Indulge in comfort food bliss with our Double Crust Chicken Pot Pies. Savory chicken and vegetables enveloped in a flaky pastry crust, topped with another layer of golden goodness, creating a hearty and satisfying meal that will warm your soul.
Indulge in the exquisite flavors of our Chicken Pierre recipe. Tender chicken breasts sautéed to perfection and bathed in a luscious sauce of mushrooms, garlic, and herbs, creating a dish that’s both elegant and comforting.
Step Into My Kitchen!
Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! Welcome to Mean Green Chef, where every dish tells a story and every recipe is a labor of love. I’m thrilled to share a bit about myself and the journey that led me here, stirring pots and sprinkling spices for over three decades!
I have never seen a recipe like this. A must try at home and it sounds delicious
Glad to share something new with you, Anindya! 🙂
It is still summer weather here but I am already dreaming about making this. I can make a few adjustments and use my gluten-free flour and have this all winter. Oh baby, cannot wait as I am sure this makes the house smell amazing too!
Awesome, Angela be sure to let us know how your GF version turns out!
This sounds like the ultimate comfort food. I love chicken and dumplings!
Thanks, Erika! it’s definitely ultimate comfort food! 🙂
Yum! This looks so delicious and comforting. A perfect recipe for the cooler weather that will be here soon. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Perfect dinner on a crisp fall day, Natasha! Thanks so much for visiting 🙂
I just love these kinds of dishes on cold wet days. The smells that fill house as they cook are just as good as they taste.
Yes, perfect dinner for a cold day inside, Harriet!
Is it crazy that I’ve never had chicken and dumplings? I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know any restaurants that serve it where I live, and my parents have never made it for me, so I feel like I’m living under a rock haha. Guess I’ll have to try out your recipe 😉
Not crazy at all Ai, that’s the fun of finding a new recipe! Please be sure to share your results with us when you make it 🙂
I love this idea of roasting the chicken first. I can only image what flavor it adds.
Roasting always adds tremendous flavor, Shari! Thank you for stopping by to check out our recipe 🙂
This looks and sounds so good! I usually slow-cook my whole chickens in order to produce some broth, but one of my current houseguests loves chicken skin and I think he’d like for me to try roasting the bird. Love the nutmeg and paprika! And I’m thinking my GF cobbler biscuit recipe (sans sugar) would work for dumplings – it’s worth a try. Thanks for the inspiration as always.
Trust me, Beth, roasting is where it’s at plus your houseguest will love you for it too! Please let me know how your GF dumplings turn out, I would love to have a tested option to send our readers to. Thank you 🙂
This looks like a wonderful recipe for the fall — warm and filling. My mom used to make something like this a lot when I was a child so it brings back good memories!
My Nan used to make this in the fall, Patrice. It really does ring back fond memories and is comfort food at its best! Thank you, so glad that you like it 🙂
This looks amazing Angela! Gotta get me some rotisserie chicken to make this recipe!
Thank you, Nart! Please share your results with us too 🙂
I make roasted chicken quite often, but now I have to add this roasted chicken and dumplings to my list of family dinners:)). What an amazing meal. Thanks for sharing the recipe:)
Thank you, Sonila! If you roast chicken all the time you’ll find this is super easy to make too, looking forward to seeing your results 🙂
This dish looks really interesting and something new to me. Will try this for our weekend dinner as all love chicken.
Glad that we could share a new recipe with you, Lathiya! 🙂