Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings

This Southern-style chicken and dumplings is the ultimate comfort food—rich, creamy, and packed with homemade flavor. Perfect for Sunday dinners, cozy nights, or whenever you need a warm hug in a bowl!

No ratings yet

Print Pin

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cold weather recipe, Comfort Food, family favorite, holiday meals, winter dinner

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 45

Servings:

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Jennifer Locklin

Equipment

Shop the exact tools and ingredients I use for this recipe

View My Amazon Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Homemade Chicken Broth:

6 split chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken
4 quarts water
1 onion quartered
2 carrots cut into large chunks
1 head garlic halved
2 celery stalks washed and cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Dumplings:

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cold butter cubed
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup reserved chicken broth cooled
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Finished Soup:

10 to 12 cups chicken broth reserve 1 cup for dumplings
1 cup onion diced
1 cup celery diced
1 clove garlic minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 to 6 cups cooked chicken coarsely chopped
2 cups half-and-half

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Make the Chicken Broth

Place the chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water.
6 split chicken breasts, 4 quarts water
Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 head garlic, 2 celery stalks, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.
Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean stockpot, discarding the solids.
Bring the strained broth to a boil, then lower the heat and reduce it until about 10 cups remain.

Prepare the Dumplings

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper.
2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2 tablespoons cold butter
Stir in the reserved 1 cup of cooled chicken broth and mix until the dough forms a ball.
1 cup reserved chicken broth
On a heavily floured work surface, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thickness.
Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 1½ to 2-inch squares.
Place the dumplings on a floured plate, dusting the tops generously with flour to prevent sticking.

Cook the Soup and Dumplings

Bring the finished broth to a rolling boil.
Add the diced onion, celery, and garlic. Reduce to a low boil and cook for 10 minutes.
1 cup onion, 1 cup celery, 1 clove garlic
Return the broth to a rolling boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, allowing them to sink before adding more.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let the dumplings cook at a medium boil for about 20 minutes. The soup should begin to thicken into a light gravy-like consistency.
Stir in the half-and-half and bring to a low boil. Cook for another 5 minutes.
2 cups half-and-half
If the soup is too thin, make a slurry by whisking together 4 tablespoons flour with 4 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir it into the soup a little at a time until the desired thickness is reached. Let cook for 1-2 minutes after adding.
Stir in the chopped cooked chicken and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
½ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 to 6 cups cooked chicken, ½ teaspoon black pepper

Serve

Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions:

Chicken Breasts: Swap with bone-in, skin-on thighs for extra richness.
Half-and-Half: Substitute with whole milk for a lighter version or heavy cream for a richer texture.
Nutmeg: Omit if you prefer a more traditional Southern flavor.
Flour Dumplings: If you like a softer texture, use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour and baking powder.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Place chicken, water, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken, strain broth, and return broth to the slow cooker.
Prepare dumplings as instructed and drop them into the simmering broth. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then stir in half-and-half and cooked chicken before serving.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Add chicken, water, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the Instant Pot.
Seal the lid and set to Manual (High Pressure) for 20 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
Remove the chicken and strain the broth.
Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode, bring broth to a boil, and add dumplings. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in half-and-half and cooked chicken. Let simmer for 5 more minutes before serving.

Nutrition

*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.