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A Southern farmhouse favorite, this Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Soup is classic comfort food! The scratch-made broth is full of tender chicken, flavorful vegetables, and plump, soft dumplings. Serve Grandma’s chicken and dumplings with a crisp green salad and a loaf of crusty bread or a pan of cornbread for a cozy family dinner!
We all love a quick weeknight shortcut recipe like Chicken and Bisquick Dumplings, but when you have a little bit more time, there’s something really special about a made-from-scratch dish. A pot of old-fashioned chicken and dumpling soup simmers on the stovetop for a couple of hours, building flavor and filling your house with the aromas that remind you of Grandma. It’s the perfect Sunday supper to bring your family together at the table!
Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup
These old-fashioned chicken and dumplings are a nice cross between a soup and a stew. The base is essentially the same as a made-from-scratch chicken noodle soup, but instead of noodles you’ll add soft, plump, biscuit-like dumplings. The dumplings cook in the broth, thickening the liquid as they simmer together.
While some folks might think of “chicken and dumplings” as wide, flat strips of noodles rolled from a simple flour dough, we know that dish as “Chicken and Pastry.” By contrast, “Chicken and Dumplings” or “Chicken and Dumpling Soup” includes small balls of biscuit-like dough, rather than flat strips.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a simple chicken and dumpling soup recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Whole chicken: cut into 8 pieces. You can substitute with 3-4 lbs. of your favorite bone-in, skin-on chicken parts.
- Carrots, celery and onion: classic ingredients that flavor the broth.
- Salt, thyme, rosemary and black pepper: savory herbs and simple seasonings give the dish a classic taste.
- Self-rising flour: do not substitute with all-purpose flour, since self-rising flour includes baking powder and salt. To make your own self-rising flour at home, follow these instructions.
- Butter: for a rich flavor in your dumplings. Keep the butter nice and cold so that it helps the dumplings expand and have a light texture when cooked.
- Buttermilk: use thick, whole buttermilk for the best dumpling texture.
- Fresh parsley or chives: a bright addition to the dumplings and a nice garnish.
How to Make Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Southern homemade chicken and dumplings are easier than you might think! They require a few hours of time, but most of that is hands-off while the broth simmers. The end result is a richly-flavored pot of old-fashioned comfort food that’s well worth the wait!
- Cook the chicken, vegetables and seasonings in water for 1 hour.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat.
- Bring the broth to a boil.
- Prepare the dumpling dough.
- Add the dumplings to the broth, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs.
How to Know When the Dumplings are Done
If your dumplings are not cooked all of the way through, they will taste (and feel) doughy. To tell when your dumplings are done, press with your finger — they should be firm to the touch. You can also stick a toothpick in the center of a dumpling. The dumplings are ready when the toothpick comes out clean (with no wet dough on it).
How to Make Chicken and Dumpling Soup Thicker
The flour and starches from the dumplings thicken the broth slightly as the dumplings cook. If you prefer an even thicker base to the soup, you can simmer the broth uncovered to cook it down (before adding the dumplings).
How to Make the Dish Creamier
If you prefer a creamy broth, you can stir in some heavy cream at the end. This recipe is also a nice creamy option with a thicker gravy (rather than a soup broth).
What to Serve with Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup
It’s nice to add a couple of sides with a bowl of Grandma’s chicken and dumpling soup, so here are some easy options that go well with the dish:
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Skillet Cornbread or Honey Cornbread
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- A loaf of crusty Dutch Oven Bread
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- A crisp green salad dressed in Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette or a Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Ranch
- House Salad with Candied Pecans, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, or a Classic Caesar Salad
- Sauteed Asparagus
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Fried Apples
- Southern Collard Greens
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Sauteed Zucchini
- Southern Succotash
Storage
Leftover chicken and dumplings will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat the mixture in a saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat, just until warmed through. You can also microwave individual bowls for about 1 minute.
Can you freeze old-fashioned chicken and dumpling soup?
Yes! Store the chicken and dumpling soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to a Dutch oven or saucepan and warm over low heat.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of cutting up a whole chicken, you can substitute with 3-4 lbs. of your favorite bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. For instance, use only chicken breasts, only chicken thighs, or a combination of the two.
- Add extra herbs and seasoning to the broth, as desired. Fresh herbs are a great option when they’re in season, too!
- For a shortcut, use Bisquick to make dumplings (or cut up store-bought biscuit dough as shown here).
- Don’t have time to simmer chicken and make a homemade broth? Substitute with a high-quality store-bought chicken broth and 3-4 cups of meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Tips for the Best Chicken and Dumpling Soup Recipe
- If you’re using chicken parts instead of a whole cut-up chicken, use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the richest flavor in your broth.
- To help the dumplings cook evenly, I like to use a fork or spoon to gently turn them over about halfway through the cooking time.
- To keep the dumplings from falling apart, give them time to cook for a few minutes before you stir the pot. Also, do not let the simmer go too fast. If you bring the broth to a rolling boil or a fast simmer, the dumplings may break.
More Old-Fashioned Southern Chicken Recipes to Try
- Chicken and Pastry
- Creamy Chicken and Dumplings (a shortcut version with Bisquick)
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with Rice
- Chicken Bog
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Fried Chicken Cutlets and Country Gravy
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Classic Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 lb.) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 3-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts of your choice, such as breasts and/or thighs)
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
For the Dumplings:
- 2 cups (226 grams) self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons very cold butter
- ¾ cup very cold whole buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley or chives, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in a large Dutch oven; add enough cold water to cover the chicken. Add carrots, celery, onion, salt, thyme, rosemary and pepper. Bring to boil; then reduce the heat to medium-low or low, so that the liquid is at a simmer.
- Cover the pot and simmer gently for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the broth. When the meat is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
- Taste the broth and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Bring the broth to a boil over high heat.
- While the broth comes to a boil, prepare the dumplings. Place self-rising flour in a large bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry blender (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and parsley; stir with a fork until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead 4-5 times, then pat to ½ inch thickness. Pinch off dough in 1 ½ inch pieces, dropping the dough pieces into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to medium-low so that the broth is at a gently simmer. Let the dumplings cook for a few minutes undisturbed, then gently turn them with a fork or spoon so that they cook evenly. Continue simmering until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes total.
- Stir in the chicken.
- Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with additional fresh parsley.
Notes
- Instead of cutting up a whole chicken, you can substitute with 3-4 lbs. of your favorite bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. For instance, use only chicken breasts, only chicken thighs, or a combination of the two.
- Add extra herbs and seasoning to the broth, as desired. Fresh herbs are a great option when they’re in season, too!
- For a shortcut, use Bisquick to make dumplings (or cut up store-bought biscuit dough as shown here).
- Don’t have time to simmer chicken and make a homemade broth? Substitute with a high-quality store-bought chicken broth and 3-4 cups of meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- If you’re using chicken parts instead of a whole cut-up chicken, use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the richest flavor in your broth.
- To help the dumplings cook evenly, I like to use a fork or spoon to gently turn them over about halfway through the cooking time.
- To keep the dumplings from falling apart, give them time to cook for a few minutes before you stir the pot. Also, do not let the simmer go too fast. If you bring the broth to a rolling boil or a fast simmer, the dumplings may break.
Great will try!