Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 lbbone-in chicken thighs$8.79
• 4 cupchicken broth$2.19
• 2 eachcarrots, sliced$0.91
• 2 eachcelery stalks, sliced$0.37
• 1 eachyellow onion, diced$1.03
• 1 tspfresh thyme$0.14
• 1.25 tspkosher salt$0.01
• 0.5 tspblack pepper$0.07
• 1 cupall-purpose flour$0.30
• 1 tspbaking powder$0.03
• 3 tbspunsalted butter$0.40
• 0.5 cupwhole milk$0.21
• Total for 4 servings$14.45

Most of the cost is bone-in chicken thighs ($8.79) and chicken broth ($2.19). With oil, spices and staples already at home, the shop drops to about $11.92. Prices are estimated for the amount used, at average US grocery prices (November 2026).

Steps

1. Trim any excess skin or fat from the bone-in chicken thighs, and dice the yellow onion, slice the carrots, and slice the celery stalks into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat, combine the chicken broth, chicken thighs, carrots, celery, onion, fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and the black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken reaches at least 165°F (74°C) and the vegetables are tender.
3. Lift the chicken thighs onto a board with tongs and let them cool for a few minutes. Discard the skin and bones, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and stir it back into the simmering pot.
4. While the chicken cools, whisk the flour, baking powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs, then stir in the milk just until a soft, sticky dough forms.
5. Ensure the soup is at a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then drop heaping tablespoons of the dumpling dough directly onto the surface of the simmering liquid, spacing them evenly.
6. Cover the pot tightly with a well-fitting lid and cook without opening for 15 minutes, allowing the dumplings to steam until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean.
7. Ladle the stew and dumplings gently into warm bowls, spooning the savory broth and vegetables over top, and serve immediately.