Southern Chicken and Dumplings are made with flour and butter, chicken, and broth, and that’s it! This is a classic, simple dish and it’s the ultimate comfort food!
My Mama has always made the best chicken and dumplings, so when it came time to post this recipe, I had to make sure I could duplicate hers.
The only difference is the she uses shortening and I like to use butter. You can use either one. Shortening produces a slightly more tender dumpling, but I love the flavor from butter.
I also use butter in my homemade biscuits, but my Mama uses shortening and Granny did as well. Just a matter of personal preference!
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How to Make Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Step 1. Add a whole chicken to a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 45 minutes until chicken is done and tender.
Cook’s Tip: If you want to skip this step, you can use rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth.
Step 2. While chicken is cooking, make your dumplings. Place flour in a bowl and cut in butter until well-mixed. Stir in ice water. Add more flour until consistency of dough, usually about 1/2 cup additional flour.
Step 3. Knead on a floured surface until dough is smooth, then roll out to about 1/8″ thick. Cut into 2-inch strips. Add extra flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Cook’s Tip: You can use canned biscuits to make dumplings! Follow the instructions in the tip section below.
Step 4. Remove chicken from pot, allow to cool a little, then pull it apart from the bones and shred or chop. Set aside.
Step 5. Drop dumplings one by one into simmering broth and cook until plump and tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently to keep dumplings from sticking.
Step 6. Add chicken back to pot along with butter and cook about 20 minutes until heated and broth is thickened.
Cook’s Tip: You can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth more if you need to. Usually the flour on the dumplings is sufficient.
Tips
- Use a rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth.
- Use canned biscuits to make dumplings: on floured surface, roll out each biscuit until thin, dredge through flour and cut into strips. Follow directions above.
- To freeze chicken and dumplings, allow to rest until cool, then spoon into a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 4 months.
Note: My mother always serves her homemade Plum Sauce with these Southern Chicken and Dumplings. This recipe is the closest I could find for Homemade Plum Sauce.
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4.75 from 4 votes
Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (Southern)
Southern Chicken and Dumplings are made with flour and butter, chicken, and broth, and that's it! This is a classic, simple dish and it's the ultimate comfort food!
Prep: 1 hour hr
Cook: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Servings: 10
Save this Recipe
Ingredients
Quick and easy version using canned biscuits:
- 1 can large canned biscuits, such as Grand's use regular buttermilk flavor
- 1 cup self-rising or plain flour
- 3 quarts chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1-2 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (optional)
- 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken (1 rotisserie chicken)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
From scratch version:
- 1 whole chicken or 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
- 3 quarts water or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
- 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (optional)
- 2 ½ cups self-rising flour, divided
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup ice water
- additional flour for sprinkling
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Quick and easy using canned biscuits:
On a lightly floured surface, roll each biscuit to about 1/8″ thick. Cut into 2-inch strips. Drop the strips into a bowl of flour in layers, sprinkling each layer with a little flour so each strip is lightly coated.
Add stock to a large pot and heat on medium-high. Stir in the cream of chicken soup. If you like a thicker broth, go ahead and add a cornstarch slurry (use two tablespoons of cornstarch and three tablespoons of cold water) and bring the stock to a boil to activate the cornstarch. You can also add some chicken bouillon at this point. Turn down to simmer before adding the dumplings.
Drop in the floured biscuit strips, one at a time. Press the strips down into the liquid gently, but don’t stir, as this may dissolve the dumplings. You do periodically need to stir just to make sure your dumplings aren’t sticking to the pot, but do so gently and infrequently.
Gently stir in cooked chicken and 1/2 stick butter. Cook at a simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Salt and pepper to taste.
From scratch version:
Fill a large stockpot 3/4 full with water (about 3 quarts of water). Stir in the cream of chicken soup. If you like a thicker broth, go ahead and add a cornstarch slurry (use two tablespoons of cornstarch and three tablespoons of cold water). You can also add some chicken bouillon at this point. Place the whole chicken in the pot and bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes until chicken is done and tender.
While chicken is cooking, make dumplings. Place 2 cups flour in a bowl and cut in 1 stick butter until well-mixed. Stir in ice water. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix until dough is not sticky.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth, then roll out to about 1/8" thick. Sprinkle more flour over dough. Cut into 2-inch strips. Add extra flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Remove chicken from pot, allow to cool a little, then pull it apart from the bones and shred or chop. Set aside.
Dredge dumplings in flour and drop dumplings one by one into simmering broth. Press dumplings down lightly with a wooden spoon but try not to stir much as that can cause the dumplings to dissolve. Cook until dumplings are plump and tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently every few minutes to keep the dumplings from sticking.
Add chicken back to pot along with 1/2 stick butter and cook 20 minutes until heated and broth is thickened.
Notes
Alternatives and Tips
- Use a rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth.
- To freeze chicken and dumplings, allow to rest until cool, then spoon into a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 523IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Soups
Cuisine: American
Calories: 335
Keyword: chicken and dumplings, Southern Chicken and Dumplings
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Posted in:
Chicken, Recipes, Soups, Southern
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