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