Textual Chef Textual Chef

Chicken and Cornmeal Dumpling Stew

A hearty one-pot stew of braised chicken thighs in a savory vegetable broth, topped with fluffy cornmeal dumplings that steam right on top. A comforting, gluten-free twist on the classic American chicken and dumplings.

70 minMediumServes 4460 cal/serving

AmericanDinnerStovetopStandardHigh ProteinLow CarbGluten-FreeAlcohol-Free

Ingredients

  • 4 thighs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 onion yellow onion, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, sliced
  • 4 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot)
  • 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt (for dumplings)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. 1

    Pat 4 thighs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry and season all over with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

  2. 2

    Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 onion diced yellow onion, 4 medium sliced carrots, and 4 sliced celery stalks to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute.

  3. 3

    Return chicken to the pot skin-side up. Pour in 6 cups chicken stock - it should come halfway up the chicken. Add 4 fresh thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes.

  4. 4

    While the stew simmers, make the dumpling batter: whisk together 1 1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal, 1/4 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot), 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt (for dumplings) in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk 1 cup buttermilk, 2 beaten large egg, and 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.

  5. 5

    Remove chicken from the pot. Discard skin, pull meat from bones into large pieces, and return the meat to the pot. Remove and discard thyme and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.

  6. 6

    Return stew to a gentle simmer. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling batter over the surface, spacing them slightly apart. Cover tightly and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes until dumplings are cooked through.

  7. 7

    Check that chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C). Serve stew in bowls, garnished with 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Questions

Can I make Chicken and Cornmeal Dumpling Stew dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1 cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted. Swap the buttermilk for plant milk soured with a teaspoon of vinegar per cup; the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

How long does Chicken and Cornmeal Dumpling Stew keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop. It also freezes well for up to three months.

Can I halve or double Chicken and Cornmeal Dumpling Stew?

Yes. As written it serves 4. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More American entries

All American recipes · All Dinner recipes · All Chicken Thighs recipes