Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings
This Classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings features tender chicken breasts, homemade buttermilk dumplings, and a rich, creamy broth for the ultimate Southern comfort food dinner.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 894kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Soup
- ½ Cup Salted Butter divided
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 3 Celery Stalks diced
- 5 Carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Bouillon Powder
- 4 Cups Heavy Cream
- 2 lbs Chicken Breast
For the Dumplings
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¾ Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoon Salted Butter Melted
Instructions
- Dice the onion and celery, then slice the carrots, combine them in a mixing bowl and set them aside.
- Add a quarter cup of butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat and allow it to melt.
- Once the butter has melted, add the prepared vegetables and cook them until the onions begin turning translucent and the celery starts to soften.
- Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir.
- Stir in the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute or two, just until it becomes fragrant.
- Once the garlic is fragrant, add the remaining quarter cup of butter.
- After the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir until it’s evenly incorporated throughout the vegetables.
- Cook this mixture for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock while stirring and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Stir in the chicken bouillon powder and bring everything up to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Once the soup begins to boil, carefully add the chicken breasts ensuring they are fully submerged.
- Place the lid slightly offset so a little steam can escape and let the chicken gently poach for about 25 minutes.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest while while finishing the soup.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly stir in the heavy cream.
- While the soup comes back up to a low simmer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and black pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Fold in the buttermilk and egg.
- Once the dough begins coming together, fold in the melted butter. Stop mixing once all of the dry flour disappears and dough ball has formed.
- Cube the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and return it to the soup.
- Pinch off pieces of the dumpling dough, gently roll them into balls, and drop them directly into the simmering soup.
- Give everything a gentle stir, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let the dumplings cook for about five minutes.
- Once they’ve started puffing up and floating, give them one more gentle stir, cover the pot completely, and continue cooking for another twenty minutes.
- Serve your chicken and dumplings hot, topped with a little freshly chopped basil for a fresh pop of color and flavor.
Notes
- Don't overmix the dumpling dough or the dumplings may become dense.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
- Avoid lifting the lid while the dumplings cook.
- Cube the chicken into evenly sized pieces for the best texture.
- Taste the broth before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- I made 10 large dumplings but you can size them to your preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 894kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 275mg | Sodium: 1120mg | Potassium: 901mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 8719IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 3mg