Southern Chicken and Dumplings (From Scratch)

What Makes It “Southern” (and Not the Yankee Version)

Two things separate a Southern pot from the drop-biscuit Northern one. First, the dumplings are rolled flat and cut into narrow strips or squares — the texture lands somewhere between egg noodle and pot pie crust, not fluffy. Second, the broth is built from a whole chicken, not a boxed carton, so the fat that renders during the simmer goes right back into the dough. That’s what gives the dumplings their savory chew. Southern Living traces the dish’s Appalachian roots back to lean-year cooking, when a single hen had to feed a whole table.

If you grew up eating Cracker Barrel’s version, this is the closer cousin. Rolled, thin, slippery, and thick enough to eat with a fork. For a full one-pot chicken supper on a different night, our one-pot chicken and rice works the same weeknight slot.

Ingredients

How to Make Southern Chicken and Dumplings, Step by Step

1. Simmer the chicken (45 minutes). Put the chicken quarters, water, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and thyme into a heavy 6-quart pot. Bring to a boil, then drop to a bare simmer with the lid cracked. Skim the gray foam off the top during the first 10 minutes. Cook 40–45 minutes until the meat pulls off the bone — the USDA safe internal temperature for poultry is 165°F (74°C).
2. Pull the chicken, strain the broth. Lift the chicken out onto a sheet pan and let it cool enough to handle. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables to squeeze out the last of the flavor. Discard the solids. You should have about 8 cups of gold-colored stock. Skim about 3 tablespoons of the fat off the top and chill it — that’s going in the dumplings.
3. Shred the meat. Pull the skin off, discard the bones, and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces with your fingers or two forks. Cover and set aside.
4. Make the dumpling dough. In a bowl, whisk the self-rising flour with 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in the cold butter (or chilled chicken fat) with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy dough forms — do not overwork it. If it’s crumbly, add buttermilk one teaspoon at a time. Serious Eats’ biscuit science explains why cold fat + minimal mixing keeps the crumb tender.
5. Roll and cut the dumplings. Turn the dough onto a heavily floured counter. Pat it into a rectangle, then roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick (3 mm). Cut into strips 1-inch wide, then across into 2-inch rectangles. Dust with a little extra flour so they don’t stick — that flour will thicken the broth later.
6. Drop the dumplings into simmering broth. Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer in the pot (not a hard boil, or the dumplings will fall apart). Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring gently after every 6–8 pieces so they don’t stick together. Cover and simmer 15 minutes without lifting the lid. They’ll swell up and go from pale to translucent-edged.
7. Finish the pot. Stir in the shredded chicken and the heavy cream. Taste for salt — most pots need another teaspoon at this point. If you want a thicker, gravy-like consistency, whisk 2 tbsp all-purpose flour into 1/4 cup cold broth and stir it in; simmer 3 more minutes. Kill the heat, let it sit 5 minutes so the dumplings drink up the broth, then ladle into bowls with a heavy grind of pepper and a pinch of parsley.

How Long Does Each Step Take?

Watch It Made From Scratch

The Three Mistakes That Ruin the Pot

Common Questions

Can I use store-bought chicken broth to speed this up?

You can — use 8 cups of low-sodium broth and 3 lb of boneless thighs simmered in it for 25 minutes. But you’ll lose the rendered chicken fat, so use butter in the dumplings. The finished pot won’t have the same body; it’s still good, just thinner and less rich. For a proper homemade base, walk through our homemade chicken stock recipe first.

What’s the difference between rolled and drop dumplings?

Rolled is the Southern flat style — thin, chewy, noodle-like. Drop dumplings are Bisquick-style spoonfuls that puff up on top of the broth like biscuits. Both are valid, but if a recipe says “Southern from scratch,” it almost always means rolled. The Kitchn breaks down the two textures side by side.

Why are my dumplings gummy in the middle?

They were rolled too thick or the broth wasn’t hot enough when they went in. Roll to 1/8 inch — you should be able to almost see the counter through the dough — and make sure the pot is at a steady simmer before dropping the first strip.

Can I make this ahead?

Make the broth and shredded chicken up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate them separately. Mix, roll, and cook the dumplings the day you serve. Fully cooked leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge — reheat gently with a splash of broth, since the dumplings keep drinking it up.

Can I freeze chicken and dumplings?

Freeze the broth-and-chicken base for up to 3 months. Freezing cooked dumplings makes them mushy on thaw — they turn to paste. Better to freeze the base and make fresh dumplings when you reheat.

Serve It With

Southern chicken and dumplings is a full meal on its own, but a plate of buttered green beans, quick skillet cornbread, or a simple vinegar coleslaw balances the richness. Sweet tea is the traditional drink; a dry Riesling works if you want wine. Looking for more comfort food in the same lane? Our Southern comfort recipes collection is where to go next.