Southern Chicken and Dumplings (Old-Fashioned Rolled Dumplings from Scratch)
Old-fashioned Southern chicken and dumplings with tender, thin rolled dumplings simmered in a rich, creamy chicken broth. Made from scratch in one pot with simple pantry ingredients, it's the cozy, Cracker Barrel-style comfort food you want on a cold November night, with a rotisserie chicken shortcut for busy weeknights.
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Ingredients
Serves 6
- 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighsabout 6 thighs; or 1 1/2 lb boneless thighs or a mix with breasts
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onionpeeled and halved
- 2 ribs celerycut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thymeor 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp kosher saltfor the broth, plus more to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flourplus about 1/4 cup more for rolling and dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher saltfor the dumplings
- 3 tbsp cold unsalted buttercut into small cubes, for the dumplings
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilkor whole milk, plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed
- 2 tbsp unsalted butterfor finishing
- 1/2 cup heavy creamor half-and-half
- 1/2 tsp black pepperfreshly ground, plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp fresh parsleychopped, for garnish (optional)
The method
Put the chicken thighs, broth, onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook until the chicken is very tender and registers at least 175°F, 35 to 40 minutes. Skim off any foam in the first few minutes.
40 minWhile the chicken simmers, make the dumplings. Whisk the flour, baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Rub or cut in the cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces. Stir in the cold buttermilk with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, adding 1 to 2 tbsp more if dry flour remains. Knead 4 or 5 times on a floured counter until just smooth, cover with the bowl and rest 10 minutes.
15 minRoll the dough on a well-floured surface to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long with a knife or pizza cutter. Dust the strips with a little more flour and spread them out on a sheet pan so they don't stick. The clinging flour is what thickens the broth later.
10 minLift the chicken onto a cutting board. Pour the broth through a strainer and return it to the pot, discarding the onion, celery and herbs. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
10 minBring the strained broth back to a steady simmer over medium heat and stir in the 2 tbsp butter. Drop the dumpling strips in a few at a time, stirring gently between additions so they don't clump together.
5 minSimmer, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes, gently stirring and nudging the dumplings every few minutes so they don't stick to the bottom. They're done when they are tender all the way through with no raw, doughy center, and the broth has thickened to a light gravy.
18 minStir in the shredded chicken, cream and 1/2 tsp black pepper and simmer 3 minutes, until hot. Taste and add salt as needed. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest 5 minutes to thicken a bit more, then ladle into bowls and top with parsley and more black pepper.
8 min
Timings are a guide. Use the instruction and your own judgment as you cook.
Why rolled dumplings
Southern-style chicken and dumplings use thin, rolled strips instead of fluffy drop biscuits. They cook up silky and slightly chewy, like tender homemade noodles, and the flour on them turns the broth into a creamy, spoon-coating gravy without a separate roux.
Shortcuts
- Rotisserie chicken: Skip step 1. Simmer 8 cups broth with the onion, celery, herbs and peppercorns for 15 minutes, strain, then stir in 3 to 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken at the end. Dinner is ready in about 50 minutes.
- Make the dumplings ahead: Cut the strips, dust with flour, and refrigerate in a single layer on a floured sheet pan, covered, up to 1 day, or freeze on the pan and then bag them for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
Tips
- Keep the broth at a steady simmer, not a hard boil. A rolling boil tears the dumplings apart.
- Roll them thin. Dumplings thicker than 1/8 inch stay gummy in the middle.
- Too thick? Thin the pot with a splash of broth or milk. Too thin? Simmer a few minutes longer, or stir in 1 tbsp flour whisked into 2 tbsp cold water.
- Add vegetables if you like: cook 1 cup diced carrots and 1 cup diced celery in the strained broth for 8 minutes before adding the dumplings, and stir in 1 cup frozen peas with the chicken.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers, covered, up to 3 days. The dumplings soak up broth as they sit, so reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or water. Freezing the finished dish isn’t recommended because the dumplings turn soft.
Photo credit
Photo: jeffreyw, “Mmm… chicken dumplings,” via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0. Shown as a serving example of the dish.
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