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Crowd-Pleasing Southern Chicken and Dumplings from Scratch

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This crowd-pleasing Southern chicken and dumplings from scratch features a rich, silky broth and pillowy dumplings, made with simple ingredients. It’s the perfect comfort food for potlucks, family gatherings, or any occasion where you want to feed people’s bodies and souls.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or a mix of thighs and drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Season and sear the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in your Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it’s foaming. Working in batches if needed, add the chicken skin-side down and cook without moving for 5 to 6 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown. Flip and cook another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  2. Sauté the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom as you stir. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
  3. Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and water, then add the bay leaves, thyme, and crushed rosemary. Return the chicken to the pot, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The chicken should be fall-apart tender when it’s done.
  4. Shred the chicken. Using tongs, carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes until you can handle it. Discard the skin and bones. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set the shredded chicken aside.
  5. Make the dumpling dough. While the chicken cools, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. It will be sticky and shaggy. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes while you bring the br…
  6. Drop the dumplings. Remove the bay leaves from the broth and discard. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Using two spoons, drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dumpling dough directly into the simmering broth. Don’t overcrowd. You should get about 20 to 24 dumplings.
  7. Cook the dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and let the dumplings simmer for 15 to 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the lid. The dumplings should be puffed up and cooked through. To test, insert a toothpick into the center of a dumpling; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If they’re not done, cover and cook for 3 to 5 more minutes.
  8. Finish and serve. If using heavy cream, stir it in gently after the dumplings are cooked. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls, making sure each serving gets a good mix of broth, chicken, and dumplings. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Don’t rush the sear; a proper golden-brown sear creates a crust that adds incredible depth to the broth. Keep the dumpling dough cold for flaky dumplings. Do not lift the lid while dumplings are cooking; the steam is essential for light, fluffy dumplings. Taste as you go and season in layers. This dish tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: chicken and dumplings, Southern chicken and dumplings, from scratch, comfort food, potluck, crowd-pleasing, chicken thighs, dumplings from scratch

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