Southern Chicken and Dumplings

My Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe is full of seasoned creamy deliciousness and topped with a black pepper dumpling. Bringing joy to everyone who takes a bite of this Southern staple.

Here are a few great drinks you can make to wash it down: Southern Sweet Tea, Meyers Lemon Sweet Tea, Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, or Strawberry Ginger Lemonade. 

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Southern-style chicken and dumplings are the ultimate comfort food, and growing up in New Orleans wasn't any different. We made fluffy dumplings similar to biscuits, instead of rolling them out, using a pizza cutter to create the thin dumpling strips.

I put a little Cajun twist to mines by using the classic holy trinity (onion, celery, and bell pepper) instead of using the French mirepoix (onion, carrots, and celery); I did use an orange bell pepper to make sure it had a similar sweetness to carrots.

The dumplings are seasoned with love because every layer of a dish should be layered with flavor. This dish took no testing because I've been making homemade chicken stock for 15 years and homemade biscuits since I was a kid. So you can use those canned biscuits for something else.

Although making it from scratch takes longer, the tempting aroma that fills your home will make the wait worthwhile until dinner is finally served.  

Key Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for homemade southern chicken and dumplings.

Whole Chicken

Although you can use chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination. The best flavor comes from using whole chicken and giblets. Make sure you buy nothing larger than 4 ½ pounds. 

Aromatics

You'll need yellow onion, orange bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.

Seasonings

I kept the seasonings simple: Savory Cajun Seasoning, salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne.

All-Purpose Flour

You'll need some to make the roux for the chicken base and more for the dumplings. I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour.

Heavy Cream

Old Fashioned chicken and dumplings call for whole milk, but using heavy cream gives more flavor and a better thickness to the final texture.

Buttermilk

The buttermilk makes the dumplings tender, flavorful and fluffy.

Baking Powder

A little will go a long way to make the dumplings puff doing cooking.

How To Make Southern Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

The key to cooking chicken and dumplings is making flavorful chicken stock. I always prefer to make it from scratch; however, the technique is similar to making chicken soup.

Chicken Broth

In a large pot, add chicken, giblets, half an onion, half of the chopped celery, a bay leaf, and a pinch of black pepper, and cover with water.

Bring to a soft boil, reduce heat to medium-low, skim off, and discard any foam.

Cook until a fork can easily pierce the thigh or the juices run clear, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove the chicken and place it in an ice bath. Strain the broth into another large pot or bowl. Discard scraps and reserve broth. Once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and bones and, chop it into medium pieces, season with Cajun seasoning.

Heat a large pot over medium heat, oil and butter; once the butter has melted, add onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. 

Add garlic, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne. Sprinkle flour over vegetables until evenly covered; pour chicken broth in thirds and stir to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. 

Homemade Dumplings

While the broth is simmering, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.

Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter until a thick batter forms. 

Stir in chicken and heavy cream. Drop dumplings with a 1 oz. ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, cover, and let the dumplings cook for 20-22 minutes until they are fluffy and cooked through.

Serve hot chicken and dumplings and garnish with chopped parsley.

How To Store Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings are best eaten immediately, but they will remain fresh in an airtight container for 7 days in the fridge.

To reheat, add to a pot over medium heat and warm up for 3-5 minutes until hot.

Freeze cooled chicken and dumplings in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating. 

Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks

Here are a few notes on the best flavor builders, techniques, and substitutes for homemade chicken and dumplings.

• Wash your chicken with a 3:1 white distilled vinegar to water.
• Fight the urge to add salt when making the chicken broth. Salt will pull out the blood from the chicken bones and make your broth cloudy. Always salt homemade broth after it's finished.
• Add cooked chicken to a bowl with ice and cover with water to cool down for about 5 minutes.
• Feel free to use a rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken, then shredded chicken for a convenient shortcut.
• You can use any piece of boneless skinless chicken you'd like for a faster meal. Dark meat (chicken thighs) has the best flavor. 
• You can use 6 cups of chicken broth/ chicken stock instead of making your own.
• You can use carrots instead of bell peppers.
• You can add frozen peas to beef up the amount of vegetables.
• Check the date on your baking powder; if it's old and expired, buy a new one so your dumplings puff correctly.
• Use your favorite all-purpose seasoning instead of Savory Cajun seasoning.
• You can use self-rising flour or gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour. Using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt from the dumpling recipe.
• Cut a dumpling from the pot in half to check if it's thoroughly cooked. There should not be any dry or uncooked areas inside, and everything should be moist and cooked.
• If you like flat dumplings, you can roll out the dumpling dough and cut it into strips.
• You can use evaporated milk instead of buttermilk in the dumplings recipe.

FAQ

Here are the top questions readers have about southern homemade chicken and dumplings.

What do they call chicken and dumplings in the South?

In the South, we call it chicken and dumplings; sometimes, we emphasize the region by calling it "Southern chicken and dumplings."

What is the difference between Southern and Northern chicken and dumplings? 

Old-fashioned Southern chicken dumplings are made with shortening or butter and dropped into a simmering broth. Northern dumplings are made with eggs and served with a thinner broth.

What are the three types of dumplings? 

There are flat noodle dumplings, Chinese dumplings, and drop biscuit dumplings.

Is chicken and dumplings supposed to be thick or soupy?

It's a personal preference, Southern-style chicken and dumplings are thicker and creamier. Northern dumplings are known as Glissants, a French drop dumpling made similar to the southern dumpling but with eggs and served with a thinner broth.

Is chicken and dumplings a Southern meal?

Chicken and dumplings are one of the top 10 Southern comfort food.

What goes with chicken and dumplings as a side?

You can serve several sides with your chicken and dumplings, like southern green beans, potato salad, and garlic asparagus.

How do you make chicken and dumplings thicker?

You can make a roux by adding flour to vegetables to make it thicker. If you want to wait until the end to make it thicker, use a slurry of equal parts of cornstarch and water (If you only have flour, use a 2:1 ratio). Bring it to a rolling boil to check if it has thickened enough.

What's in a dumpling?

Dumplings are usually made with flour, water, and sometimes eggs, shortening, or butter. They're found in several cuisines and cultures and are made in various ways.

What's the difference between a dumpling and a biscuit?

Dumpling dough is made similar to biscuits. The difference is the dumplings are added to boiling broth to cook until light and fluffy, and the biscuits are baked in an oven until golden brown.

Why do dumplings fall apart when cooked?

Let your dumpling dough rest for a minimum of 10 minutes before adding them to the hot broth. This will allow the flour to fully absorb the liquid, giving you the right consistency. Also, do not overcook your dumplings, which can make them too soft.

What kind of flour do you use in dumplings?

Dumplings can be made using regular all-purpose flour, but self-rising flour is an excellent alternative because it already has salt and baking soda included in it.

Is chicken and dumplings considered a pasta dish?

No, it cannot be considered a pasta dish as it does not contain pasta. Instead, it is made using a homemade, noodle-like dumpling from biscuit dough or canned biscuits.

How long do I boil chicken leg quarters for chicken and dumplings?

Boiling leg quarters fully will take 30 to 45 minutes or until the meat can be easily pierced with a fork.

More Southern Recipes

You need more Southern deliciousness in your life! Try these amazing soul food classics.

• Cabbage, Sausage, and Potatoes
• Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
• Vanilla Wafers Banana Pudding
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Crispy Fried Chicken

Before You Begin

Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.

Step 1: Wash and dry your chicken before pulling the ingredients out.

Step 2: Measure everything out.

Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for incredible homemade Southern chicken and dumplings with a New Orleans twist.

Making Southern chicken and dumplings from scratch is a delicious and comforting meal to bring the family together. I'm sure you'll impress your loved ones with the recipe. After you make it, I'd love to hear from you! Drop a comment and leave a star rating, letting me know how it turned out.

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📖 Recipe

Southern Chicken and Dumplings

Kenneth Temple

My Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe is full of seasoned creamy deliciousness and topped with a black pepper dumpling.

3.20 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun, Soul Food, Southern

Servings 8 persons

Calories 434 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chicken Broth:

• 1 whole chicken and giblets washed, (no larger than 4 lbs.)
• 1 ½ medium onions 1 chopped medium, and ½ whole
• 5 celery stalks chopped
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 orange bell pepper chopped medium
• 2 garlic cloves chopped fine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Savory Cajun Seasoning
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Dumplings:

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Instructions

 

Chicken Broth:

• In a large pot, add chicken, giblets, ½ onion, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and cover with water (10-12 cups), bring to a soft boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until a fork can easily pierce the thigh about 30-40 minutes.
• Remove chicken, and drain the broth into another large pot or bowl. Discard scraps and reserve broth. Once chicken has cooled, remove the skin, and bones and chop into medium pieces, season with Cajun seasoning.
• Heat a large pot over medium heat, add oil and butter; once butter has melted add onion, celery, and bell pepper, cook for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne. Sprinkle flour over vegetables until evenly covered; pour in chicken broth in thirds and stir to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

Dumplings:

• While broth is simmering, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter until a thick batter forms.
• Stir in shredded chicken and heavy cream. Scoop dumplings in top with a 1 oz. ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, cover and cook for 20-22 minutes until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through. Serve hot chicken and dumplings and garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks

Here are a few notes on the best flavor builders, techniques, and substitutes for homemade chicken and dumplings.

• Wash your chicken with a 3:1 white distilled vinegar to water.
• Fight the urge to add salt when making the chicken broth. Salt will pull out the blood from the chicken bones and make your broth cloudy. Always salt homemade broth after it's finished.
• Add cooked chicken to a bowl with ice and cover with water to cool down for about 5 minutes.
• Feel free to use a rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken, then shredded chicken for a convenient shortcut.
• You can use any piece of boneless skinless chicken you'd like for a faster meal. Dark meat (chicken thighs) has the best flavor. 
• You can use 6 cups of chicken broth/ chicken stock instead of making your own.
• You can use carrots instead of bell peppers.
• You can add frozen peas to beef up the amount of vegetables.
• Check the date on your baking powder; if it's old and expired, buy a new one so your dumplings puff correctly.
• Use your favorite all-purpose seasoning instead of Savory Cajun seasoning.
• You can use self-rising flour or gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour. Using self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt from the dumpling recipe.
• Cut a dumpling from the pot in half to check if it's thoroughly cooked. There should not be any dry or uncooked areas inside, and everything should be moist and cooked.
• If you like flat dumplings, you can roll out the dumpling dough and cut it into strips.
• You can use evaporated milk instead of buttermilk in the dumplings recipe.

Storage:

Chicken and dumplings are best eaten immediately, but they will remain fresh in an airtight container for 7 days in the fridge.

To reheat, add to a pot over medium heat and warm up for 3-5 minutes until hot.

Freeze cooled chicken and dumplings in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 22gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1533mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1513IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 3mg

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