Chicken Stew & Dumplings - Budget Dinner

Chicken Stew and Dumplings

This budget dinner is a proper hearty hug in a bowl: a warming chicken stew with fluffy dumplings, made with just a third of a cooked chicken. It's comfort food at its best — without wasting a single scrap.

Stretching every dollar, using what’s already in your kitchen, and turning humble ingredients into big, satisfying meals.

Serves: 2–3
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Special Equipment: One large pan or pot with a lid

Let’s learn how to make it.

This chicken stew with dumplings proves budget meals don’t have to be boring — just smart. The flavours come from chorizo, herbs, and homemade stock, and the dumplings? Simple, fluffy, and made with pantry staples. It’s a one-pot wonder that feeds your belly and your budget.

Ingredients

For the stew

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• 5 mushrooms, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 chorizo sticks, chopped

• ⅓ of a cooked chicken, shredded

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp dried herbs

• 2–3 cups chicken stock (see tip below)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Oil for cooking

For the dumplings

• 1 cup plain flour

• 1 heaped tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp butter (or use animal fat like chicken, lamb, or beef)

• ½ cup water

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Method

1. Build the base:
In a large pot, heat a little oil and add your onion. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and a pinch of salt. Once softened, add chorizo, paprika, fennel, and herbs. Sauté for another 3 minutes.

2. Add the veg:
Toss in the mushrooms and stir to coat in the spice mix. After a couple of minutes, add the carrot and chicken stock. Let it gently simmer while you make the dumplings.

3. Make the dumplings:
Warm the water and butter together in a small pan until melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Pour in the warm water mixture and bring together into a dough. Divide into small dumplings (or bigger ones, up to you!).

4. Simmer it all together:
Add the shredded chicken and dumplings to the pot. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes — longer if your dumplings are larger — until everything is cooked through and fluffy.

Chef’s Tip:
Make the most of your kitchen scraps: I made my chicken stock by simmering the vegetable peelings and chicken bones in water for an hour, then seasoning with salt. It costs next to nothing and adds deep flavour to your stew.

Enjoy – Del x

Here are the other 2 dishes I made with the other 2/3s of the chicken.

Chicken Noodles and Mexican Chicken Pie