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Nona’s Old Fashioned Southern Chicken and Dumplings

Close-up of fluffy, golden-topped dumplings served in creamy gravy with shredded chicken for Southern chicken and dumplings.
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Make authentic Southern comfort food with this recipe for creamy chicken stew topped with light, fluffy, homemade dumplings from scratch. This is a heritage dinner idea that brings family together.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and breasts work well)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • For the Dumplings:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken, 8 cups of water, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and bay leaf in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, discarding the solids. You should have about 6 cups of rich broth.
  3. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. Set the shredded chicken aside.
  4. In the empty pot, melt the 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the 1 cup of flour to create a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
  5. Slowly whisk in 5 cups of the reserved chicken broth until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the stew thickens slightly.
  6. Stir in the heavy cream and the shredded chicken. Keep the stew at a gentle simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
  7. To make the dumplings, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  8. Pour in the milk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
  9. Drop the dumpling dough by rounded tablespoons directly onto the simmering stew. Do not crowd them; leave space between each one.
  10. Cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low. Let the dumplings steam without lifting the lid for exactly 15 minutes. The dumplings will puff up and cook through.
  11. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving immediately.

Notes

  • For the fluffiest dumplings, do not lift the lid while they are steaming. This traps the steam needed for them to rise.
  • If your stew seems too thick after adding the dumplings, add a splash more of the reserved broth.
  • You can use store-bought chicken broth, but simmering the chicken first creates a superior base for this creamy chicken stew.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://onedishuniverse.com/southern-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/