This Southern homemade chicken and dumpling recipe is made completely from scratch with flat dumplings for a warm bowl of true comfort food! With tender chicken and pillowy soft dumplings, all wrapped up in a rich and savory broth, it is worth all the extra effort.
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Why You’ll Love These Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Growing up, this old fashioned chicken and dumplings was a staple in our household. My grandma would make it from scratch, and the aroma of simmering chicken filled the house, signaling that comfort was on its way. Usually I go for my homemade chicken and dumplings recipe with fluffy drop dumplings as it’s ready in an hour… But every time I make this version instead, it feels like a little piece of home. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe for southern chicken and dumplings:
- Soul-Warming: There’s something incredibly comforting about a steaming bowl of this Southern homemade chicken and dumplings that makes everything feel right.
- Family Favorite: This nostalgic dish is perfect for a family dinner that will have everyone going back for seconds. Its tried-and-true flavor can’t be beat.
- Simple Ingredients: This soup turns simple, wholesome ingredients like chicken, carrots, celery and a few pantry staples into a true masterpiece!
- One-Pot Wonder: Everything cooks together all in one pot, making the cleanup after dinner easy!
If you are in a rush, try my easy chicken and dumplings made with canned biscuits or easy instant pot chicken and dumplings instead!
What Are Flat Dumplings?
Flat dumplings (also known as rolled dumplings or slick dumplings) are different from the fluffy, drop-biscuit-like dumplings you might have seen in other recipes. Flat dumplings are rolled out pastry that is cut into big, pie-crust-like strips or squares and simmered in the chicken soup broth.
The finished result is somewhat like an oversized thick noodle that’s tender and bready on the inside. Some people only like fluffy dumplings, while others will only eat flat dumplings. We love them all!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this southern chicken and dumplings recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Chicken: Any chicken pieces you want are fine. I often make chicken and dumplings with bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or both.
- Veggies: We’ll be using carrots, celery, onion, and fresh garlic. I also like to add a little fresh thyme, but you can feel free to skip it!
- Vinegar: A little acid brings out the best in chicken soup. I used plain white vinegar, but you could easily substitute lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
- Bouillon: Use a bit of your favorite chicken bouillon or base (I like Better than Bouillon) to add some extra umami flavor.
- Shortening: Chill your shortening until cold before starting to ensure fluffy dumplings. You can use cold butter instead, but shortening will give your dumplings the best texture!
- Buttermilk: Cold buttermilk is the key to light, fluffy, yet dense dumplings. You can use whole milk whisked together with 1 tablespoon white vinegar instead, but the texture will be a little different.
How to Make This Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Southern style homemade chicken and dumplings takes some time and patience, but at least everything cooks together in one pot for an easy clean-up! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Simmer: Combine all of the soup ingredients in a large heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Dough: While the soup cooks, combine your dry dumpling ingredients, and cut in the shortening to make a crumbly mixture. Stir in the buttermilk, and knead for 30 seconds.
- Roll: Place the dough on a floured countertop and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut the dough into strips, and then into rectangles. Let them air-dry while the soup continues to cook. My kids always love helping with this part!
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it, discarding any bones if you used bone-in chicken. Add the chicken back to the soup.
- Add Dumplings: Drop the dumplings in a few at a time, stirring as you add them. Cook the dumplings until tender, about 15 minutes. Make sure to give the soup a stir every few minutes so the dumplings cook evenly and don’t stick together.
- Thicken and Serve: Adjust the seasonings to taste and thicken your soup with cornstarch, if you like. Then serve and enjoy hot!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Shortening: If you do not want to use shortening, you can use cold butter. Shortening is what my family used years ago, so I still use it as that is the comforting taste and texture I am looking for!
- Measuring Flour: To ensure your dumplings are not overly dense, properly measure your flour! First, fluff the flour in the bag or canister with a fork. Spoon into the measuring cup and scrape a knife across the top to level the flour. If you scoop directly into a packed bag of flour, you can get too much flour, creating overly dense dumplings.
- Making the Dumplings: It is best to make your dumplings as soon as you begin cooking the soup. Once they are rolled out, they can dry until ready to cook. For cutting the dumplings, I highly recommend using a pizza cutter.
- How do you know when flat dumplings are done? What should a flat dumpling taste and feel like when done? It should be warm, tender, and tasty all the way through. If you bite into one and it feels tough or doughy, then they probably need to simmer a bit more. It’s better to overcook, than undercook, this type of dumplings!
- Save Time: Need dinner ready sooner? Skip cooking the chicken and use a shredded, store bought rotisserie chicken instead. Sauté the veggies till softened, then add the chicken and broth to the pot while you prepare the dumplings.
Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
This recipe for southern style chicken and dumplings is a better version of Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings! We add more flavor to the broth with fresh herbs and a few vegetables. However, if you would prefer to make these exactly like Cracker Barrel, make the following changes:
- Whole vegetables: To add the flavor without the small pieces of vegetables, add a few large celery sticks and a whole peeled onion cut in half. Then remove them before serving.
- Use less broth: As their version is thicker and less broth-y, use 4.5 to 5 cups of broth. I recommend starting with 4.5 cups and adding the last half cup if needed later.
Yield: 10 servings
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!
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 3 pounds chicken, any chicken pieces you want
- 3 medium carrots, cut into half moons
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 large white or yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, 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
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, optional for thickening
For the Dumplings:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting counter
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup shortening, cold, or butter
- ¾ cup buttermilk, cold
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Instructions
- 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 1/4 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!
Notes
Store: While best served fresh as the dumplings will soak up more of the broth over time, you can save the leftovers! Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Reheat: Reheat soup on the stove over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in 30 second bursts, until warmed through. Add a little broth or milk before or while reheating to loosen the soup up again.
Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings: The diced carrots, onion and onion are optional. To add the flavor without the small pieces of vegetables in your finished soup, add a few large celery sticks and a whole peeled onion cut in half. Then remove them before serving. I also recommend cutting the broth to 4.5 to 5 cups total for a thicker soup to be more similar to their version!
Shortening: If you do not want to use shortening, you can use cold butter. Shortening is what my family used years ago, so I still use it as that is the comforting taste and texture I am looking for!
Measuring Flour: To ensure your dumplings are not overly dense, properly measure your flour! First, fluff the flour in the bag or canister with a fork. Spoon into the measuring cup and scrape a knife across the top to level the flour. If you scoop directly into a packed bag of flour, you can get too much flour, creating overly dense dumplings.
Making the Dumplings: It is best to make your dumplings as soon as you begin cooking the soup. Once they are rolled out, they can dry until ready to cook. For cutting the dumplings, I highly recommend using a pizza cutter.
How To Tell When Dumplings Are Done: Dumplings should be soft, tender and not doughy. If you bite into one and it feels tough or doughy, then you need to simmer them more. It’s better to overcook, than undercook, this type of dumplings!
Save Time: Need dinner ready sooner? Skip cooking the chicken and use a shredded, store bought rotisserie chicken instead. Sauté the veggies till softened, then add the chicken and broth to the pot while you prepare the dumplings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 1412kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 144g, Saturated Fat: 43g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g, Monounsaturated Fat: 64g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 141mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3104IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1mg
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