Authentic Southern Chicken And Dumplings (Just Like Grandma’s!)

There is something undeniably magical that happens in the kitchen when the weather starts to turn chilly. The windows fog up, the house fills with the savory aroma of simmering broth, and suddenly, whatever stress you were carrying just melts away. For me, that ultimate comfort comes in a steaming, fragrant bowl of homemade Southern Chicken And Dumplings. Growing up, this was the meal that signaled everything was going to be alright. My grandmother would stand by the stove, carefully dropping squares of fresh dough into a rich, bubbling pot, and we would all wait impatiently at the table with spoons in hand.

If you have been searching for a recipe that tastes like a warm hug, you have finally found it. We are not taking any shortcuts with canned biscuits today. We are making true, from-scratch, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. It might take a little extra time and a whole lot of love, but I promise you, the moment you take that first bite of tender chicken and pillowy dough, you will know it was worth every single minute.

What Is Southern Chicken And Dumplings?

If you travel across the country asking for chicken and dumplings, you are going to get a few different variations. Up north, you will typically find fluffy, biscuit-like “drop” dumplings that steam on top of the broth. But traditional Southern Chicken And Dumplings? That is an entirely different, incredibly delicious story.

In the South, we make what are affectionately known as “flat dumplings” or “slick dumplings.” Instead of a wet batter, we mix up a simple, rich pastry dough using cold buttermilk and shortening. We roll that dough out on a floured counter and cut it into thick strips or squares. When these pastry squares are dropped into a boiling pot of seasoned chicken stew, they transform. They become oversized, thick, doughy noodles that are incredibly tender on the outside but wonderfully dense and bready on the inside. As they simmer, the flour from the dumplings thickens the broth, creating a rich, savory gravy that coats every single bite. It is pure, old-fashioned magic.

How to Make Southern Chicken And Dumplings

Quick Overview

I know making dough from scratch can sound intimidating, but please do not let it scare you away! This process is surprisingly straightforward and incredibly forgiving. We start by tossing our chicken, veggies, and seasonings into a pot to simmer and create a gorgeous, golden broth. While the stove does the heavy lifting, we quickly mix our flour, shortening, and buttermilk into a shaggy dough. After a quick roll and slice, we shred the cooked chicken, bring the broth back to a bubble, and drop our dumplings in to cook. It is a beautiful, rhythmic process that will make you feel like a true home chef.

Ingredients

Before we get our hands floury, let’s gather our cast of characters. You will need:

• Chicken: About 3 pounds. I highly recommend using bone-in chicken thighs or breasts because the bones add incredible richness to the broth.
• The Aromatics: Fresh carrots, celery, onion, and garlic cloves.
• Broth Builders: Water (or chicken broth for an extra punch), a splash of white vinegar (my secret for brightening the soup!), chicken bouillon, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper.
• Dumpling Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Dumpling Wet Ingredients: Cold shortening (or butter) and cold buttermilk. The cold temperature is the secret to perfect texture!
• Cornstarch: Just a touch, optional, if you like an extra thick gravy-like soup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Build the Savory Broth

Grab your largest, heaviest pot—a Dutch oven is perfect here. Toss in your chicken, chopped carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs, water, vinegar, bouillon, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring the whole beautiful mess to a simmer over medium-high heat. Let it bubble away happily for about 30 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through and falling off the bone.

Step 2: Mix the Dumpling Dough

While your soup is simmering and making your kitchen smell like heaven, grab a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Take your cold shortening and cut it into the flour using a fork or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with little pea-sized pieces. Pour in that glorious cold buttermilk and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn it out and gently knead it for just about 30 seconds until it comes together.

Step 3: Roll and Cut the Dumplings

Dust your clean countertop with a generous handful of flour. Plop your dough down and roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 1/4-inch thick. If it sticks, just sprinkle a little more flour on top. Now for the fun part—grab a pizza cutter (it makes this so easy!) and slice the dough into strips, then across to make little 1×2 inch rectangles. Don’t worry about making them perfect; rustic is exactly what we want! Let them sit and air-dry while you finish the soup.

Step 4: Shred the Chicken

Carefully fish the cooked chicken out of the pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Using two forks, shred the chicken meat, tossing away any bones or skin. Slide that tender, shredded chicken right back into the bubbling broth.

Step 5: Simmer the Dumplings

Bring your soup back to a gentle, low boil. Pick up your resting dumplings and drop them into the pot a few at a time. Give the pot a gentle stir as you add them so they don’t clump together. Let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes. You will see them puff up slightly and then sink a bit as they soak up all that wonderful flavor. If you want a thicker broth, mix a little cornstarch and water, stir it in, and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, and you are ready to serve!

What to Serve It With

Honestly, a big bowl of this is a complete, filling meal all on its own! You have your protein, your veggies, and your carbs all swimming together in perfect harmony. However, if you want to stretch the meal or add a little color to the table, I love serving this with a crisp, acidic side salad to cut through the richness of the broth. Freshly steamed green beans tossed in a little garlic butter also make a fantastic companion. And, of course, no Southern meal is complete without a tall glass of ice-cold sweet tea!

Top Tips for Perfecting Your Southern Chicken And Dumplings

Measure Your Flour Correctly: This is the number one reason dumplings turn out heavy like lead! Always fluff your flour in the container first, then gently spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife. Never scoop directly with the measuring cup!

Keep the Fat Cold: Whether you are using shortening (my favorite for this recipe) or butter, make sure it is ice cold. Cold fat creates little pockets of steam as the dumplings cook, giving you that perfect dense-yet-tender texture.

Let the Dough Rest: Rolling the dumplings out as soon as you get the soup on the stove allows them to air-dry for about 20-30 minutes. This drying time helps them hold their shape when they hit the boiling broth instead of dissolving into mush.

Don’t Be Afraid to Overcook: With flat dumplings, it is actually much better to slightly overcook them than to undercook them. If you bite into one and it tastes like raw flour or feels excessively chewy, let them simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Storing and Reheating Tips

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you are in for a treat. This is one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to mingle in the fridge! Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When you are ready to reheat, keep in mind that the dumplings will have soaked up a lot of the broth overnight, turning it into a thick stew. I recommend reheating it gently on the stove over medium-low heat. Add a generous splash of chicken broth, water, or even a little milk to loosen it back up to your desired consistency. Stir gently so you don’t break up the tender dumplings!

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

There is a reason why classic recipes like this Southern Chicken And Dumplings stand the test of time. In a world full of fast food and instant dinners, taking an hour to slow down, roll out some dough, and simmer a pot of homemade soup feels incredibly grounding. It is the kind of meal that brings everyone running to the dinner table and leaves everyone with a full belly and a happy heart.

I really hope you give this old-fashioned recipe a try the next time you need a little extra comfort in your life. Don’t worry about making the dumplings look perfect—the rustic, mismatched shapes are exactly what make it special. Pour yourself something to drink, turn on some good music, and enjoy the beautiful process of cooking from scratch. If you make this for your family, please come back and let me know how much they loved it!

Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

This Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings recipe is made completely from scratch for the ultimate comfort food dinner! Made with tender chicken and rolled (flat) dumplings in a rich, savory broth, it will warm you up on a chilly night!

Prep : 10 Total : 25 minutes

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Ingredients

  

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Soup Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken any chicken pieces you want
• 3 medium carrots cut into half moons
• 3 ribs celery sliced
• 1 large white or yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic halved
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme optional
• 6 cups water or chicken broth for more flavor
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon like better than bouillon
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper plus more for garnish
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch optional for thickening

Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting counter
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.33 cup shortening cold, or butter
• 0.75 cup buttermilk cold

Instructions

 

Preparation Steps

• In a large deep heavy bottom pot, like a dutch oven, add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, water, vinegar, bouillon, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 30 minutes.
• While the soup is cooking, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Use a fork and cut in the shortening until small pea sizes remain, then stir in the buttermilk. Mix it all together and knead for 30 seconds.
• Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough to about 0.25 inch thickness. (Add extra flour if your dough is sticking while rolling it out.)
• Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into 1” by 2” rectangle pieces (does not need to be exact in size). Let the dough dry while the soup continues to cook.
• When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the soup and shred it. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard. Stir the chicken back into the soup.
• Bring soup back to a low boil (over medium heat) and drop the dumpling pieces into the soup a few at a time, stirring often so they don’t all stick together. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender and cooked through. Dumplings may start to sink a little to the bottom as they finish cooking as they soak up the broth.
• Thicken If Needed: The soup will have thickened while adding the dumplings, however if the broth is too thin for your tastes, combine 3 tablespoons of water and the cornstarch and pour into the broth, gently stirring to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
• Remove from the heat, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed and serve immediately!