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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Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken or 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
- Water or 3 quarts chicken broth
- 2 ½ cups self-rising flour, divided
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup ice water
- Additional flour for sprinkling
Instructions
- Add a whole chicken to a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, 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 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. Cook until plump and tender, about 20 minutes. Stir gently to keep 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.
- Use canned biscuits: 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.
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!