Southern Chicken and Dumplings (2024)

Nothing says comfort food like a bowl of southern chicken and dumplings. A creamy soup base is lightly seasoned and filled with shredded chicken and homemade drop-style dumplings.

Chicken and dumplings is a classic comfort soup made with a creamy, thick soup base, shredded chicken, and fluffy dumplings. It's made from scratch and filled with cozy, soothing flavor.

While there are several styles of dumplings, such as flat and drop, I like to make mine drop-style. The dumplings are made of a biscuit-type dough that's dropped into the soup base and steamed until cooked through and fluffy.

Serve chicken and dumplings any time of year - it's the perfect comfort food when you're in need of a warm, hearty meal.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Butter - Necessary to make a roux along with the flour, which is used to thicken the soup. You'll also need some very cold butter (I like to grate mine with a box grater) for the dumplings. If using salted butter, reduce the listed salt by ¼ teaspoon.
• Onion & celery - Add flavor to the soup base. I don't recommend omitting either ingredient. If desired, add a diced carrot along with the onion and celery.
• Garlic - Adds flavor to the soup base. I recommend using fresh minced garlic or garlic powder (½ teaspoon) rather than garlic in a jar, which often has a harsh flavor.
• Flour - Necessary to make a roux along with the butter, which thickens the soup base. You'll also need flour to make the dumplings. I haven't tested this recipe with anything other than all-purpose flour.
• Chicken - Today we're using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs would also work just fine in this recipe.
• Chicken broth - Adds flavor to the soup base. If using low or no sodium broth, you may want to add additional poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to make up for the lost flavor.
• Milk - Makes the soup creamy and used as the liquid in the dumplings. I recommend whole milk for best flavor and a creamy texture. Lower fat milks will work, but soup will turn out thinner.
• Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning add a mild, savory flavor to the soup. Poultry seasoning can be substituted with an equal amount of thyme and/or sage.
• Baking powder - Necessary to help your dumplings puff up while cooking.

Tips and tricks

• Use a meat thermometer - To prevent overcooked, dry chicken, use a meat thermometer. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center.
• Work on the next step while your soup cooks - While the chicken is cooking in the soup base, the dumpling mixture can be prepared. While your dumplings are cooking, the chicken can be shredded. This helps reduce your overall time in the kitchen.
• Don't overwork the dumpling dough - Stir the dough until it's just combined and a bit sticky. There's no need to keep mixing - this can make your dumplings turn out tough.
• Don't stir the dumplings - Once the dumplings have been added to the soup, try not to move them around too much. Otherwise, they can crumble apart before cooking.

Frequently asked questions

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