Southern Chicken and Pastry

5 from 9 votes

Sometimes called "Chicken and Dumplings," this homemade Chicken and Pastry is classic Southern comfort food at its best!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword braided chicken pastry, chicken and dumplings, chicken and pastry

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings people

Calories 414kcal

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together water and melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture just until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 1 minute, adding additional flour to the counter and to your hands, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Return the dough to the large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside while you prepare the chicken.

Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven. Add enough chicken broth to cover the meat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken simmers, roll out the pastry on a floured surface so that it’s ⅛-inch thick. Using a sharp knife, a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter, slice the pastry into ½-inch wide and 3-inch long strips.

Remove the chicken to a plate or large bowl. Set aside.
Return broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pastry strips, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pastry is tender, about 15 minutes. While the pastry cooks, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
Add the chicken to the pot and cook, uncovered, for about 5-10 more minutes, or until the broth is thick. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with parsley or thyme and serve.

If you have the time, make homemade chicken broth to use in this recipe. You can also use the meat from the broth in this dish.

Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the most flavor. I used white meat chicken breasts here, but chicken thighs also work great. The dark meat tends to stay more moist and juicy when it's cooked.

Stir the pot as you're adding the pastry to the broth, and continue to stir occasionally as the pastry simmers. This will prevent the strips of dough from sticking to each other.

The total amount of salt necessary will vary depending on your personal taste preference and on the broth that you use. Taste and season as you go!

For a thicker broth, simmer the chicken and pastry uncovered for a little bit longer.