Bone-in chicken thighs build a savory broth for tender buttermilk drop dumplings. Celery, peas, and plenty of cracked black pepper make this a hearty one-pot dinner.
The right flour matters
These are drop dumplings made with self-rising flour. Plain all-purpose flour alone will not give the same lift. Stir the buttermilk in gently, then stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
Keep the simmer gentle
A rolling boil can break the dumplings apart. Cover the pot for the initial cooking period and check one in the center before folding the chicken and vegetables back in.
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Peppery Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings
Bone-in chicken thighs build a savory broth for tender buttermilk drop dumplings. Celery, peas, and plenty of cracked black pepper make this a hearty one-pot dinner.
Ingredients
Broth
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil- 1 large Onion, cut into ½" pieces
- 6 Cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 4 Stalks Celery thinly sliced
- 1½ Cups Peas Shelled fresh or frozen
- 1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper freshly cracked
- 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal or 3½ tsp Morton kosher salt, divided
- 2 Lb Chicken thighs skin on, bone in (about 6)
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 7 cups Water for the broth
Dumplings & Assembly
- 2 Cups Self-rising flour not plain all-purpose flour
- ½ Tsp Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp Morton Kosher salt
- ½ Cup Shortening chilled
- 1 Cup Buttermilk preferably whole milk
- Freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, peas, black pepper, and half the broth salt (1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal or 1¾ teaspoons Morton). Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
- In the same pot, combine the chicken thighs, garlic powder, remaining broth salt, and 7 cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 35–45 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part away from bone and is tender enough to shred.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Keep the broth simmering gently; skim excess fat if desired.
- Whisk the self-rising flour and the separate dumpling salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold shortening until crumbly. Stir in the buttermilk just until a soft dough forms; do not knead or beat it.
- Drop tablespoon-size mounds of dough into the simmering broth using a spoon dipped in cold water. Cover and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes without repeatedly lifting the lid, until a dumpling cut through the center is fluffy with no wet dough.
- Fold the chicken and vegetables back into the pot gently. Heat until the chicken is hot throughout and the stew reaches 165°F, taking care not to break up the dumplings. Taste before adding more salt and serve with extra black pepper.
Notes
Use self-rising flour, which contains leavening; plain all-purpose flour is not a direct substitute. The two kosher salt brands have different volumes for the same seasoning level. This is a pepper-forward recipe; use less black pepper if preferred. Times are estimates; allow longer for a gentle simmer or larger thighs. Contains wheat and milk. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), at 40°F or below. Use within 3 days. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F. Adapted from Crystal’s Peppery Chicken and Dumplings, featured in Bon Appétit’s Cook Through Appalachia.
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