Did you know you can have a pot of Southern chicken and dumplings ready for dinner in less than one hour? Yep! Use my shortcut tips, and you’ll be making this Southern comfort food every week for dinner.
We’ll teach you how to make delicious, from-scratch dumplings as well as a secret, easier way to make dumplings.
You will love these Southern homemade chicken and dumplings
My Mama has always made the best chicken and dumplings, so this recipe is as close to hers as I can get. And I’ve made it easy for you to follow along and learn how to make real, homemade dumplings—or cheat a little with my secret, time-saving shortcut!
For easy homemade dumplings, you’ll start with self-rising flour and work in a little butter, then some ice water. That’s it! You’ll knead the dough, then roll and cut.
And the SECRET – for a real timesaver, use canned biscuits! All you have to do is roll the biscuits out flat on a floured surface and cut into strips. Easy peasy!
Southern chicken and dumplings ingredients
From scratch version:
- Whole chicken – you can cheat here and use rotisserie chicken
- Water – or use a high-quality, low-sodium chicken stock
- Cream of chicken soup (optional) – this adds additional flavor
- Chicken bouillon cube or chicken base (optional) – deepens the flavor
- Corn starch (optional) – thickens your broth
- Self-rising or plain flour – I usually use self-rising
- Butter – use unsalted butter
- Ice water
Quick and easy version:
- Chopped rotisserie chicken – using rotisserie chicken adds so much flavor and saves TIME
- Canned biscuits – the dough is already made for you!
- Flour – either self-rising or plain is fine
- Chicken stock – use a high-quality, low-sodium stock
- Cream of chicken soup (optional) – this adds additional flavor
- Chicken bouillon cube or chicken base (optional) – deepens the flavor
- Corn starch (optional) – thickens your broth
- Butter – don’t we always need more butter?!!
You may also like…
Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie – a classic pot pie with a creamy chicken and vegetable filling.
How to make Southern-style chicken and dumplings
Quick and easy version:
- 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 the cooked chicken and butter. Cook at a simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Salt and pepper to taste.
From scratch version:
- Add a whole chicken to a large stockpot and cover with water. 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. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes until the chicken is done and tender.
- While the 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.
- Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth, then roll out to about 1/8″ thick. 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.
- Drop dumplings one by one into simmering broth and cook until plump and tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently to keep the dumplings from sticking.
- Add chicken back to the pot along with butter and cook about 20 minutes until heated and broth is thickened.
Southern chicken and dumplings recipe tips
How to thicken chicken and dumplings
You can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth more if you need to. Usually, the flour on the dumplings is sufficient.
To make a cornstarch slurry, add cornstarch to cold water. I would start with two tablespoons of corn starch and three tablespoons of cold water, mix together until cornstarch is dissolved, then stir into the pot. You must bring the liquid to a boil to activate the cornstarch, but then turn it down and don’t let it boil again.
What to serve with the best Southern chicken and dumplings recipe ever
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.
Since a bowl of chicken and dumplings is a meal all by itself, we don’t usually add anything else to the menu. Except dessert. Don’t you always need dessert?
You’ll never go wrong with Granny’s Chocolate Sheet Cake or a classic Lemon Icebox Pie. Or brownies. Or chocolate chip cookies!
How to store Southern-style chicken and dumplings
Store the chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I always have a stack of these containers on hand—they are perfect for refrigerator or freezer storage!
Can you freeze chicken and dumplings?
To freeze chicken and dumplings, allow to rest until cool, then spoon into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Southern chicken and dumplings recipe FAQs
Why are my chicken and dumplings not fluffy?
You may be looking for drop biscuit dumplings instead of rolled dumplings. Drop biscuit dumplings are fluffier and thicker and use a different technique than this recipe.
Are dumplings supposed to float in chicken and dumplings?
The dumplings will float a bit when you first add them. Be sure you don’t stir too much!
Why are my chicken and dumplings gummy?
Just like biscuits, if you overwork the dough, then your dumplings may turn out tough and/or gummy.
Why do my dumplings in chicken and dumplings fall apart?
If you place the dumplings in boiling water or broth, or if you stir too much, the dumplings will likely dissolve and fall apart. Keep the broth to a simmer.
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Chicken and Dumplings 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
Update Notes: This post was originally published on March 26, 2020, and on February 26, 2024, was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, and new tips.
I’m eating this apple crisp right now, warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream and I have to say it’s exactly the recipe my daughter and I have been looking for! Baked it for 40 minutes in a glass baking dish and it turned out perfectly!
This will be our go to apple crisp recipe!
Thank you!