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Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings

A white bowl filled with rich broth, fluffy dumplings, and shredded chicken, representing classic chicken and dumpling.
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Make this classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe for a hearty, comforting one-pot meal featuring tender chicken and fluffy drop dumplings.

Ingredients

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  • 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and breasts)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup reserved chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional, for richer broth)

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, water, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
  2. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, discarding the solids. You should have about 6 cups of broth. Return 5 cups of broth to the pot.
  3. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, discarding bones and skin. Set the shredded chicken aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt for the dumplings. Cut in the cold butter using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  5. Stir in the milk until just combined to form a shaggy dough. Do not overmix.
  6. Bring the 5 cups of broth in the pot to a gentle simmer. If using, stir in the heavy cream.
  7. Drop the dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons directly onto the simmering broth, leaving space between them. Do not crowd the pot; work in batches if necessary.
  8. Cover the pot tightly and cook the dumplings without lifting the lid for exactly 15 minutes. Do not peek.
  9. Gently stir in the shredded chicken. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes to heat through. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • For the fluffiest dumplings, make sure your butter is very cold when mixing the dough.
  • Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming for the first 15 minutes; this traps the steam needed for them to rise properly.
  • If you prefer a thicker broth, mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup of the reserved cold broth to create a slurry, then stir it into the simmering soup before adding the dumplings.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipesfleet.com/classic-chicken-and-dumpling-recipe/