This EASY chicken and dumplings recipe is straight from a Southern gramma's kitchen. Come have a taste of the most delicious bowl of comfort!
Click here to PIN this Easy Chicken and Dumplings recipe!
Homemade chicken and dumplings is a dinner favorite, especially here in the South. Years ago, a friend shared with me her grandmother's recipe from the Mississippi delta and I've been making it for my family ever since. Our recipe is very easy, with homemade dumplings and the tastiest broth! If you're looking for that truly southern chicken and dumplings recipe, you've come to the right place!
I have this friend. Before she was even 30 years old, she had three (almost four!) kids and a husband to feed. That was no problem for her because she is an amazing southern cook. She grew up in the Mississippi Delta. Have you seen or read The Help?
Years ago she invited us over for some good ol' southern cooking, as an introduction to our move to the South. She served us homemade chicken and dumplings along with a few southern sides. I remember the sides were also delicious, but the chicken and dumplings blew me out of the water and stole the show.
Right then I knew I had to add this recipe to my new southern collection.
This is a slight adaptation from her grandmother's recipe. I'm sure her grandmother boiled an entire chicken and made her own homemade stock. You can very easily do that, too, if you want! Since I boil chicken breasts at least once a month, I did use homemade stock and the shredded chicken in my recipe. You can use store-bought broth and a rotisserie chicken instead. Either way, this recipe for homemade dumplings is really very simple.
🧾 Grocery List
For this recipe, you're making the soup and the dumplings in just one pot. Don't shy away from the rolled dumplings, it is super simple! Here's what you need:
Ingredients for the homemade chicken soup:
- Chicken stock (or broth) -- Use your favorite store-bought brand or make it homemade. This is the base of the soup, so you want it tasty!
- Shredded chicken -- I make shredded chicken once a month and store it portioned out in my freezer so it's ready for recipes like this. You can boil chicken breasts or use the crock pot method. Super easy and you have shredded chicken for the month! Didn't plan ahead? Use a rotisserie chicken from the store instead. One rotisserie is perfect for this chicken and dumplings recipe.
- Lemon pepper -- It's optional, but it adds a depth of flavor like none other. Find it in the spice aisle and use it to sprinkle on other chicken dishes.
- Other dried spices -- We're using basil leaves, bay leaves, garlic powder, salt and pepper. All of these can easily be adjusted to your taste.
Ingredients for the homemade rolled dumplings:
- Flour -- Just the regular all-purpose kind.
- Salt -- Because salt makes everything better.
- Baking soda -- To puff them just a little. These are flat rolled dumplings, not fluffy and poofy like biscuits.
- Butter -- Some use shortening, but I like the taste of butter better.
- Buttermilk -- If you don't have buttermilk on hand, combine a splash of vinegar with regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
You can also thicken chicken and dumplings by combining a little more buttermilk with some cornstarch and stir it in at the end. I sometimes do, sometimes don't.
👩🏽🍳 How To Make Dumplings
Let's talk about the rolled dumplings. These are very similar to Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings. A quick floury mixture rolled out flat and cut up into squares or rectangles or whatever shape you want, really. Maybe you want to take some cookie cutters and cut them into fun shapes for your kids? 🙂
The easiest way to make dumplings:
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Stir in the melted butter and buttermilk until a dough forms.
- Transfer dough to work surface and roll out to about 1/8-inch thick.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice dough into 2-inch pieces. Doesn't need to be pretty!
- Drop into hot pot of soup and boil for 15 minutes.
This is the real deal, friends. Good ol' southern comfort food right in your bowl.
🍽 Other Favorite Southern Recipes:
Print the recipe or PIN it for later. Leave me a comment or star rating to let me know what you think! Enjoy!
This recipe was originally published on February 19, 2014 and updated on February 7, 2020 with improved instructions and tips.
⭐Recipe Card
Easy Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 10 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
For the dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
For the thickener:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
For the soup:
- Combine the chicken stock with the rest of the soup ingredients (minus the shredded chicken) in a large pot. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. (Meanwhile prepare dumplings dough as instructed below.)
For the dumplings:
- Prepare the dumplings dough while waiting for the stock to come to a boil. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter and buttermilk until a dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface generously dusted with flour. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thick, then cut into 2-inch pieces. Drop dumplings into the boiling stock and allow to boil, while stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
- Once the dumplings are cooked, add the shredded chicken to the soup and heat through while stirring. Discard the bay leaves and serve immediately.
For the thickener:
- If the soup needs to be thickened, mix together the 1/4 cup buttermilk and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly stir into the soup until desired consistency is reached.
Video
Nutrition
