Homemade Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Homemade Southern Chicken and Dumplings give us all of the warm fuzzy feelings of my Mamaw’s kitchen! We take cooked chicken and boil it with scratch made dumplings in chicken broth for a delicious supper.
This recipe is so easy, we show you that scratch cooking doesn’t have to be complicated.
Homemade Southern Chicken and Dumplings
*Updated January 2021
I love scratch made cooking. I know that a lot of folks think that making things from scratch is hard and very time consuming.
Today, I am here to show you that it is not. One of the easiest recipes that squelch that myth is Homemade Chicken and Dumplings.
Now, truthfully, how many of y’all are a singin “Oh Susanna” in your head right now? #sorrynotsorry Whatever gives you the hankering for some good comfort food!
I cannot stress enough the importance of handing down cooking implements and recipes to younger generations. Just like our HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS, this is an heirloom recipe you will want to share.
Creating memories in the kitchen and around the dinner table will last in your children’s hearts forever. Trust me, this recipe is one of my fondest memories of my Mamaw.
I was fortunate enough to have had my Great Grandmother in my life until I was 12 years old. This recipe gives me a taste of her home, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. So this is for you Mamaw. You will live in my heart forever.
How to make Chicken and Dumplings from scratch – two ways
~Ingredients~
- 1 whole chicken cooked and meat pulled from the bone
- 4 cups of water
- 4 cups of lightly salted chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE DUMPLINGS *
- 2 cups of self rising flour
- 1/3 cup of Crisco shortening
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
~Stove top method~
- To begin, heat your 4 cups water, 4 cups broth, salt and pepper to boil on the stove top.
- Prepare your dumplings by cutting shortening in your flour. Lightly mix in the 1/2 cup of chicken broth forming a coarse mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Pour dumpling mixture on a floured surface and sort of mash together, careful not to over work your dough. Once a soft ball is formed roll out to 1/8 inch or less thickness. Cut into desired size squares with a pizza cutter.
- Let dough rest on counter until broth comes to a boil.
- Once the broth comes to a boil, I use a bench scraper to scoop up the dumplings and drop them in the boiling broth.Be sure to do it quickly so I can get them in and stir. I also feel its important to note that I roll and cut mine pretty thin so they don’t have a tendency to clump or stick.
- I stir them well and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. i then add in the chicken, lower the heat to simmer and cover to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes. Until dumplings reach your desired consistency.
~Electric Pressure Cooker Method~
- Prepare 4 cups water, 4 cups broth, salt and pepper in inner lining of pressure cooker. Set to Saute function and allow it to come to a boil.
- Prepare dumplings the same as the traditional method. Cut and allow to rest while liquid comes to a boil.
- Drop dumplings in boiling broth/water and stir once. Allow to return to a boil and add chicken. Stir to combine. Turn off saute function.
- Carefully put lid on, seal the vent and set to manual or pressure cook for 10 minutes. When cooking time is done. Turn unit off and allow for pressure to naturally release for 5-10 minutes. Using a long spoon or tongs, release vent to let out any remaining pressure. Carefully open lid. Stir and serve!
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Cook your whole chicken, cool and shred it to your desired texture. Bring water and chicken broth to a boil.
In a large bowl, add self rising flour.
Add in the crisco and cut in with a pastry cutter, two forks or your hands.
Just until it resembles peas.
Add in broth a bit at a time and mix until a loose dough forms.
Put dough on a floured board and form a smooth dough without over mixing. Roll out to desired thickness.
Cut dumplings with a knife or pizza cutter to desired size. Allow to rest a bit while broth comes to a boil.
Carefully place dumplings in boiling broth and water. Stir in once.
Add in cooked chicken and kind of just push it down into pot. Here, for the stove you bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally until thick and enjoy!
For the Instant pot, place the lid on, seal and set for 10 minutes. Once time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 min. Release the vent, stir and enjoy!
Why Brooke loves this recipe!
Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!
Food=memory. This one takes me right back to days with my Mamaw. If food can bring you to tears, this one will do it every time! I think it’s a great thing to make recipes like this even now for my grandkids so they can have the memories that I have of the people I love.
How to make Chicken and Dumplings in the Instant Pot
I love making these in my Electric Pressure cooker! The method is the same, you just whip them up in the EPC and let it do its thing. It takes about a third of the time! See the recipe card for full details!
If you make this recipe, be sure and post it to Facebook or Instagram and tag us. We love pictures of food. Also, if you pin this recipe, we would appreciate that when you make it, you use the Made It function in Pinterest too.
Check out this recipe along with many of our others as a WEB STORY!
And as always, we would love it if you shared this recipe with your family and friends. Over to the side on this post and all of the others are handy dandy share buttons. We would sure be grateful if you shared the love!
ENJOY!!
Homemade Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 chicken cooked and pulled from the bone and shredded
- 4 cups water
- 4.5 cups chicken broth divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups self rising flour
- 1/3 cup shortening
Want to save this recipe?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- To begin, cook and shred your chicken.Heat your 4 cups water, 4 cups broth, salt and pepper to boil on the stove top.1 chicken, 4 cups water, 4.5 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper
- Prepare your dumplings by cutting shortening in your flour. Lightly mix in the additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth forming a coarse mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX!2 cups self rising flour, 1/3 cup shortening
- Pour dumpling mixture on a floured surface and sort of mash together, careful not to over work your dough. Once a soft ball is formed roll out to 1/8 inch or less thickness. Cut into desired size squares with a pizza cutter.
- Let dough rest on counter until broth comes to a boil.
- Once the broth comes to a boil, I use a bench scraper to scoop up the dumplings and drop them in the boiling broth.Be sure to do it quickly so I can get them in and stir. I also feel its important to note that I roll and cut mine pretty thin so they don't have a tendency to clump or stick.
- I stir them well and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. i then add in the chicken, lower the heat to simmer and cover to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes. Until dumplings reach your desired consistency.
~Electric Pressure Cooker Method~
- 1. Prepare water, broth, salt and pepper in inner lining of pressure cooker. Set to Saute function and allow it to come to a boil.
2. Prepare dumplings the same as the traditional method. Cut and allow to rest while liquid comes to a boil.
3. Drop dumplings in boiling broth/water and stir once. Allow to return to a boil and add chicken. Stir to combine. Turn off saute function.
4. Carefully put lid on, seal the vent and set to manual or pressure cook for 10 minutes. When cooking time is done. Turn unit off and allow for pressure to naturally release for 5-10 minutes. Using a long spoon or tongs, release vent to let out any remaining pressure. Carefully open lid. Stir and serve!
I just found your blog, and I wanted to say thank you for a recipe thats as close as I can remember to my grandmothers. In Eastern North Carolina, we refer to this as “chicken pastry” and Sunday’s at my Grandmothers would not be the same without it. I can remember her sweet hands kneading this dough and rolling it as thin as possible, cutting into squares and dropping them one by one into the simmering (luscious) broth, made with her own chickens…. It’s beautiful, and I thank you so very much for putting this recipe together and for sharing it. I KNOW how much this recipe must mean to them too, and hopefully, stays with them forever, as it has for me. Many blessing to you and your family.
Thank you! That is very possibly the highest compliment I could ever receive! Your kind words have touched my heart. May the memories that food invoke in us live on forever. Blessings!
Made the recipe for lunch today. Simply delicious! Easy to follow instructions and definitely a belly filler. The family loved them.
This makes me so happy! Thank you! So glad y’all enjoyed it!