Easy Southern Chicken and Dumplings
This easy Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe features all-natural homemade broth and “no make” dumplings. Rich and creamy, full of flavor and there’s no rolling out dough!
It makes about 8 cups and takes around 40-minutes and you’ll be amazed at how easy the “no make” dumplings are:)
About this recipe
This is one of those Southern favorites – old-fashioned chicken and dumplings recipe that is delicious but doesn’t require rolling out dumpling dough to form dumplings!
- No-Make Dumplings: No rolling-out dough- easy ‘dumplings’ that taste like you’ve been cooking all day! Use flour tortillas or raw biscuit dough- how easy is that?
- Simple ingredients – creamy homemade broth – low-sodium, no additives, preservatives or fillers, and no canned soups!
- Easy to make – ready in about 50 minutes
- Easy, healthy and filling-serve a bowl with a slice of Southern skillet cornbread and a green salad and call it dinner!
Soup ingredients
The ingredients for this Southern classic are simple – no condensed cream of chicken soup, no cream cheese and no cream of celery soup – in fact, you probably already have the ingredients you need for this easy recipe in your kitchen.
This family favorite doesn’t require a lot of processed or condensed soups which makes it the ultimate comfort food!
- Chicken – you can use a whole chicken (which gives the best flavor), or use chicken breasts and chicken thighs; for a really rich homemade chicken broth, use chicken thighs with the skin on, or chicken breasts with the skin on. WHY? The fat from the skin gives the broth extra flavor!
- Chicken broth – this recipe makes homemade chicken broth, but if time isn’t on your side, you can use a high-quality canned chicken stock or chicken broth
- Onion-I use sweet yellow onion, but you can use plain yellow onion or white onions (white onions are stronger)
- Garlic– about 2 cloves of fresh garlic
- Celery stalk– chopped
- Carrots– 1-2 large carrots, chopped; this gives a mild sweetness to the chicken and dumplings
- Heavy cream– adds a hint of sweetness, creaminess and helps thicken the chicken soup
- Bay leaf– 1-2 large dried bay leaves
- Bouquet Garni – If you don’t have Bouquet Garni, don’t worry! Substitutions are listed in the recipe card below! Bouquet Garni is a handful of aromatics you add to the water when making homemade chicken broth.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
Dumpling ingredients
Now before you scoff at the notion of not making homemade dumplings from rolled out dough, let me offer this school of thought. Dumplings are flour and water, right? Well, so are flour tortillas and biscuit dough.
No floured surface required for these Southern dumplings!
That’s the beauty and secret of this easy Southern chicken and dumplings recipe…my Grandmother taught me this hack years ago and it works great, making a rich and delicious chicken. Bring the soup to a rolling boil and add sliced flour tortillas, or biscuit dough for the “dumplings!”
Yep! Usually 6 flour tortillas, cut into strips is enough. Allow the “dumplings” to cook at a rolling boil for about 3-5 minutes, then turn the stovetop off and let simmer for 10-15 minutes uncovered.
You can also use biscuit dough in this creamy broth.
I like flat dumplings, so I use flour tortillas; if you want fluffy dumplings (or drop dumplings) you can use biscuit dough
How to make it
This Southern chicken and dumplings recipe is really all about the savory chicken broth and those delicious chewy dumplings! This recipe is based on homemade chicken stock which doesn’t require a lot of prep time or ingredients. A few fresh vegetables, seasonings and aromatics are all you need!
Rough-chop the celery, onion and carrots; slice two garlic cloves in half
Put chicken, carrots, celery, onion and seasonings in a big pot…cover with water or chicken broth and cook on medium to medium-high heat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
Place a large colander in a big bowl and drain the chicken broth; remove the cooked chicken and set aside.
For smooth and creamy chicken and dumplings, strain the seasoned chicken broth again by pouring it through a fine strainer.
Shred the chicken. Add the double strained broth and shredded, cooked chicken back to the big stock pot or Dutch oven.
On medium heat, add in room temperature heavy cream or milk. This is what gives this homemade chicken and dumpling recipe that creamy texture!
While the tender chicken is cooking, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and cut the flour tortillas into 1″inch strips or cut the biscuit dough into 8 small pieces.
Bring soup to a rolling boil and add in the strips of flour tortillas or small pieces of raw biscuit dough to the boiling broth. For best results, don’t stir them! Let them boil for 3-5 minutes, and when they float to the top, gently stir.
Turn off the heat on the stovetop and allow the chicken and dumplings to rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings and consistency. If you want a thicker consistency, add a flour slurry in one tablespoon increments. See details in the recipe notes below
Recipe tips
Here’s a few tips for your homemade Southern chicken and dumplings!
Whatever type of chicken you use (white, dark or a whole chicken), leave a little of the chicken fat on – this adds a little depth of flavor to the homemade chicken broth;A combination of white and dark meat tastes best, but you can use all white or all dark — your call
If you elect to add milk or heavy cream, let it come to almost room temperature before adding to the broth; cold dairy curdles when added to hot liquid
Bring the soup back up to a rolling boil before you add the flour tortillas or biscuit dough
Add the thickening slurry last
To thicken it: the first round of this recipe is a little thin, but keep in mind, it thickens when a) it cools a bit and b) after it’s been refrigerated
If you want a thick soup right now, make a flour slurry and add it to the pot:
Put 1/2 cup warm water + 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a measuring cup; stir it together with a fork and add it to the chicken and dumplings in one tablespoon increments until the desired consistency is achieved (you can add a second slurry if you like, but keep in mind, the chicken and dumplings thicken upon cooling and refrigeration)
If you over thickened it, or need to thin it a little, add a little milk, water or chicken broth upon reheating
Always adjust your seasonings after you add a slurry. A slurry weakens the existing seasonings a little.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in a secure airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. You may need to add more water or broth, as it thickens upon storage.
For best results, I recommend reheating on the stovetop
- Place leftovers in a big pot and heat on medium low.
- This recipe thickens when stored in the fridge. Add water/chicken broth/milk if the consistency is too thick for you.
Slow cooker method
This delicious bowl of Southern Comfort can be made in a slow cooker.
- Add thawed uncooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, broth, vegetables, seasonings and enough water to cover the chicken by 2″ inches to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours
- When ready to serve, transfer about 4-5 cups of the broth from the slow cooker to a pan on the stove
- Add in cream (optional) and combine well
- Bring the broth to a rolling boil on the stove, add sliced tortillas and allow them to cook for 3-5 minutes; DO NOT STIR
- Add the broth and “dumplings” back into the crock pot, stir and serve!
Chicken and Dumplings is a Southern classic! Creamy chicken soup with the right amount of flavor, tender bites of chicken and a doughy-dumpling!
Serve a big bowl of these easy chicken and dumplings as your main course! If you want a side dish, consider a crisp green salad, green beans and new potatoes, homemade cornbread or a side of collard greens!
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Easy Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Equipment
- colander
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1½ lb. chicken , white or dark, boneless
- ½ large sweet yellow onion ,cut in half
- 2 carrots , peeled and cut into 2" inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery , cut into 2" inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons Bouquet Garni (see recipe notes for substitution)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic , sliced in half
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- water or chicken broth (see recipe notes) (enough to cover chicken; this will be different for everyone)
- ½ cup heavy cream or milk; room temperature
- 6 flour tortillas (or 5 rounds of raw biscuit dough) cut into strips or small pieces
- ½ cup flour, all-purpose (for thickening slurry) optional
- ½ cup water (for thickening slurry) optional
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Remove milk or heavy cream from fridge½ cup heavy cream, 6 flour tortillas (or 5 rounds of raw biscuit dough)
- Cut 6 flour tortillas into strips (or cut 5 biscuit dough into small pieces)
- Rough chop onion, celery and carrots; slice garlic cloves in half; set aside½ large sweet yellow onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic
Cook the Chicken and Broth
- Add thawed raw chicken, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, Bouquet Garni, bay leaves, salt and pepper to a large stockpot; add enough water or broth to cover the ingredients; cook on medium high until chicken is no longer pink and reaches 165°FIf you're using a deli/rotisserie chicken and/or canned broth, SEE RECIPE NOTES BELOW1½ lb. chicken, 2 tablespoons Bouquet Garni, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, water or chicken broth (see recipe notes), 2 dried bay leaves
- Strain chicken and broth: Place colander in large bowl and pour stock pot ingredients into it; set chicken aside; save vegetables for something else or discard
- Strain the reserved broth again through a fine mesh strainer; return the liquid to the pot
Make the Chicken and Dumplings
- Shred chicken and add to stockpot with broth
- Add milk or heavy cream to semi-warm chicken and broth; combine well½ cup heavy cream
- Bring creamy broth to a rolling boil and add flour tortilla strips or biscuit dough; allow to boil for 3-5 minutes: DO NOT STIR (see recipe notes: dumplings)6 flour tortillas (or 5 rounds of raw biscuit dough)
- Turn off the heat and let rest on the stove for 10 minutes, covered
- At this point, taste and adjust seasonings; if you want it thicker, add the thickening slurry: In a one-cup measuring cup, add flour and warm water; stir together with a fork and add to the chicken and dumplings in one-tablespoon increments; turn the heat up to medium or medium-high and gently stir it until it thickens to you liking. (See Recipe Notes)½ cup flour, all-purpose (for thickening slurry), ½ cup water (for thickening slurry), salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Notes
- If you elect to use canned broth, you can either bake the poultry in the oven, boil it on the stove top in canned chicken broth or use a deli or rotisserie chicken
- Add thawed raw or cooked chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and Bouquet Garni to stock pot; pour in enough broth to cover chicken; boil till chicken is done; strain broth and resume recipe; if you use a deli chicken, no need to “boil” it, just let the cooked chicken simmer in the broth about 10-15 minutes to develop more flavor
- Bring soup to a rolling boil; place sliced tortillas or pieces of biscuit dough in a single lay on top of the soup
- Boil for 3-5 minutes; do not stir yet!
- When you see the dumplings begin to puff up, you can stir gently
- If you want a thicker version right now, make a thickening slurry and add it after the soup has sat off-heat on the stove for awhile
- How to make a slurry: Combine 1/2 cup flour + 1/2 cup warm water; combine well with a fork and add to warm chicken and dumplings
- After you add the slurry, taste again; you may need to adjust your seasonings a little
- If you find you’ve thickened it too much, add in a little water, chicken broth or milk and re-adjust seasonings again
- Add thawed raw chicken, broth, vegetables and seasonings to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours
- When ready to serve, transfer about 4-5 cups of the broth from the slow cooker to a pan on the stove
- Add milk or cream
- Bring the broth to boil on the stove, add sliced tortillas and allow them to cook for 4-6 minutes
- Add the broth and “dumplings” back into the crock pot, stir and serve!
- Add thickening slurry and allow to cook until it’s thickened to your liking
Nutrition Estimate
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♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
Delicious! I should have salted and peppered the tortillas first!! Second time I’ve made this, using this recipe!!
The chit and dumplings is amazing!!! Who knew? Tortillas sliced as dumplings! Genius!!! Makes a time- consuming dish super easy and fast!!! I love it!
Thank you! I’ve been substituting flour tortillas for “dumplings” for years!