Southern homemade chicken and dumplings is a classic comfort food dish made with chicken and vegetables cooked in a creamy broth topped with fluffy biscuit dumplings. This flavorful and comforting dish is the perfect recipe for those cozy, chilly days!
When I first made this chicken and dumplings recipe for my husband, his words were "Why haven't I been eating this all my life?!". He couldn't believe how much flavor was packed into this dish and was obsessed with the tender, fluffy dumplings.
Chicken and dumplings is something I ate quite often growing up, and I must say that this recipe blows anything I've had out of the water! For more comforting Southern recipes, check out our Southern Smothered Chicken and Louisiana Red Beans and Rice recipes next!
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What Is Chicken and Dumplings?
Chicken and dumplings is a savory soup with chicken and vegetables cooked in broth with either noodle-like or fluffy biscuit dumplings. The Southern-style chicken and dumplings I grew up eating was made with fluffy biscuit dumplings cooked in the soup's broth.
Hearty and filling, chicken and dumplings is typically served during the cooler months but my family loves it year-round.
Important Ingredient Notes
A complete ingredient list with measurements along with detailed recipe instructions can be found in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
- Vegetables. This recipe calls for onion, celery, and carrots. I recommend using fresh vegetables and chopping them small.
- Spices. We use onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper to add flavor and depth to this soup. Feel free to add other spices or herbs to suit your taste.
- Chicken. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is a favorite shortcut of mine for chicken and dumplings, but feel free to cook your own or used leftover chicken if you prefer.
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe and not self-rising. If self-rising is all you have on hand, omit the baking powder in the dumplings.
- Chicken stock. I recommend using good-quality chicken stock with lots of flavor for this recipe. If you are cooking your own chicken, you may also make your own broth.
How to Make Southern Chicken and Dumplings
- Cook the vegetables. Cook the veggies in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes then add the spices.
- Make the roux. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and the flour and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make the soup. Add the broth, cream, and chicken and simmer.
- Make the dumplings. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and buttermilk in a bowl to create the biscuit dumpling dough.
- Cook the dumplings. Use a cookie scoop to place dumplings on top of the soup. Cover the pot and simmer the soup until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Garnish and enjoy! Allow the soup to cool slightly, top with freshly chopped parsley, and ladle into bowls.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, we cook flour in butter to make a roux which thickens the broth in this chicken and dumplings. If you would like an even thicker consistency, add a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch combined with 1 tablespoon of water to the broth.
The key to preventing dumplings from falling apart is being careful not to overcook them. Lower the heat to medium-low so that the soup is barely simmering then drop the dumplings on top one at a time. Cook the soup with the lid on for 10 minutes then cut a dumpling open to see if they are cooked through.
If the dumpling is still raw in the middle add 2-3 more minutes of cooking time then check again. Immediately remove the pan from the heat once the dumplings are done.
Chicken and dumplings is typically made with plenty of butter, salt, cream or milk, and flour so I would not consider it a healthy dish. While chicken and vegetables do add protein, vitamins, and minerals, there is also a substantial amount of fat, sodium, and cholesterol in chicken and dumplings.
What To Serve with Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is a hearty meal that can be served on its own but also tastes great served with other side dishes and desserts. Try serving southern homemade chicken and dumplings with some of the following to create a comforting spread!
- Southern Squash Casserole
- Maple Glazed Carrots
- Southern Green Beans
- Southern Collard Greens
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Soul Food Candied Yams
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Skillet Peach Cobbler
- Moist Lemon Bundt Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Soft and Chewy Chai Cookies
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Variations and Substitutions
- Add different veggies like bell pepper, peas, broccoli, or potatoes to switch things up.
- Feel free to bake, grill, or boil your own chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe instead of using rotisserie chicken.
- If you prefer flat, noodle-like dumplings, check out this recipe from Southern Bite!
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
You can make the soup and biscuit dough a day or two in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Bring the soup to a simmer on the stovetop then scoop out the dumplings and cook them on top of the soup until cooked through.
Leftover chicken and dumplings can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Chicken and dumplings can also be frozen and will keep for up to two months in the freezer.
More Southern Recipes You Will Love!
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Southern Chicken Salad
- Cajun Shrimp and Grits
- Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Southern Salmon Croquettes
- Cajun Potato Salad
- Southern Baked Beans
- Southern Deviled Eggs
- Southern Fried Okra
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
- Fluffy Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
- Hot Water Cornbread
- Southern Pecan Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Cobbler
- Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
- Old Fashioned Tea Cakes
📖 Recipe
Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken soup
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 medium carrots chopped small
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1, 3 pound rotisserie chicken bones and skin removed, shredded, about 4 cups of chicken
Dumplings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, sliced into squares
- ⅔ - 1 cup buttermilk cold
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a 7-quart Dutch oven or large stockpot. Add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Season the vegetables with garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the pot with the vegetables and add the flour. Cook the flour with the butter, while stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches a light golden brown color.
- Slowly add the chicken stock and heavy cream while stirring so that lumps do not form. Stir the shredded chicken into the soup, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup while you make the dumplings.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl until combined. Add the sliced butter and rub it into the flour between your thumb and index fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add â…” cup of buttermilk and mix the dough with a wooden spoon. Add up to â…“ cup more buttermilk until all of the flour is moistened and the dough starts to stick together.
- Shape the dough into a ball using your hands. Use a 1 ½ to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out balls of dough and place them on top of the simmering soup, one at a time spaced evenly apart. Once all of the dumplings have been added, cover the soup and simmer it for 10 minutes to cook the dumplings.
- Remove the lid and check a dumpling by cutting it in half to see if it is cooked through. If you see raw dough in the middle, cover the pot and continue to cook the soup for another two minutes until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the heat, allow the soup to cool slightly, and ladle into bowls. Garnish the soup with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to bake, grill, or boil your own chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe instead of using rotisserie chicken.
- Leftover chicken and dumplings can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Chicken and dumplings can also be frozen and will keep for up to two months in the freezer.
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