Chicken and dumplings will always have a place at my table. I discovered this recipe years ago after my grandmother stopped writing hers down and I had to piece it together from memory and a lot of trial runs.
The chicken is tender and falls apart in the broth. Buttermilk dumplings sit on top, soft and puffy, soaking up all that creamy soup underneath.
My kids ask for this scratch made dumpling soup at least twice a month when the weather turns cold. It’s the kind of meal where everyone goes quiet for a few minutes because they’re too busy eating.
This is my go-to when someone in the house has a cold or just needs something warm. Way better than canned soup. Garlic and thyme do all the work on flavor.
Scratch cooking doesn’t have to be hard. This creamy soup is proof that simple ingredients can turn into something your whole family fights over at the dinner table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of those southern comfort food recipes that makes your whole kitchen smell like someone’s grandmother lives there.
- Homemade dumplings that are pillowy soft: The buttermilk makes them light and fluffy without any fuss.
- One pot meal: Everything cooks in a single Dutch oven, so cleanup is quick.
- Budget-friendly comfort: You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch and stash portions away for busy nights.
- Picky eater approved: My neighbor’s kid won’t eat anything green, but he’ll demolish a bowl of this chicken and dumplings without blinking.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You’ve got room to play around depending on what’s in your fridge.
- Chicken thighs or breasts: Thighs give you more flavor and stay juicier. Breasts work fine if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
- Heavy cream: This is what makes the creamy soup base so rich. Half-and-half will work in a pinch, but the texture won’t be quite as thick.
- Buttermilk for the dumplings: Don’t skip this. It’s what gives your homemade dumplings that tangy, tender bite. No buttermilk? Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit for five minutes.
- Vegetables: Carrots and celery are classic, but you can swap in zucchini, mushrooms, or sweet potatoes if you want to mix things up.
- Dried thyme: Fresh thyme works too. Just use about three times as much since fresh herbs are less concentrated.
Tips for Success
A few things I’ve learned from making this more times than I can count.
- Don’t lift the lid while the dumplings cook: They need that trapped steam to puff up properly. Peeking lets the heat out and you’ll end up with flat, dense dumplings.
- Sear the chicken well: That golden crust adds a ton of flavor to the broth. Don’t rush this part.
- Use cold buttermilk: Cold buttermilk keeps your dumplings lighter. Room temperature buttermilk can make them a little heavier than you want.
- Don’t overmix the dumpling batter: Lumpy batter is actually what you want here. Overmixing makes them tough and chewy.
Storage and Reheating
Keep your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to 4 days.
Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of chicken broth to thin the creamy soup back out. The microwave works too for single servings.
You can freeze this chicken and dumplings for up to 3 months. Portion it out into individual containers before freezing so you can grab one at a time. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hot right out the pot with a chunk of crusty bread on the side. My sister swears by cornbread with hers.
A simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette cuts through the richness really well. Some folks in my family like to crumble crackers right on top.
FAQs
Can you make chicken and dumplings ahead of time?
You can make the chicken stew part a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, reheat it on the stove and then make fresh dumplings and drop them in. The dumplings are best when they’re made fresh because they can get a little soggy if they sit overnight.
Can I use store-bought biscuit dough instead of homemade dumplings?
You can, but the texture won’t be the same. Homemade dumplings made with buttermilk have a lighter, more tender chew. Canned biscuit dough tends to be denser and a little doughy in the middle.
Why are my dumplings falling apart in the soup?
You might be stirring too much after you drop them in. Once the dumplings go into the pot, put the lid on and leave them alone. Stirring breaks them apart before they’ve set. Also make sure your creamy soup is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
The chicken stew portion works fine in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. But add the dumplings during the last 45 minutes on high with the lid on. They won’t cook right on low.
What’s the best chicken to use for scratch cooking this recipe?
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs give you the most flavor for this southern comfort food. Boneless skinless breasts or thighs work too if you want to save time.
Notes
My grandmother used to make a version of this every Sunday after church during winter. She never measured a thing. Just eyeballed the flour and tossed dumplings in with her hands. I spent years trying to get my scratch cooking to taste like hers.
This recipe is as close as I’ve gotten. Every time I make it, my oldest says it smells like Grandma’s house. That’s about the best compliment a bowl of chicken and dumplings can get.
Scratch Made Dumpling Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Chicken pieces bone-in and skin-on
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 1 Large yellow onion finely diced
- 3 Medium carrots peeled and sliced into ½-inch coins
- 2 Ribs celery sliced into uniform pieces
- 3 Cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp. Poultry seasoning
- 2 dried Bay leaves
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. Baking powder
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- ¾ cup Whole buttermilk room temperature
- 4 tbsp. Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Use paper towels to thoroughly pat the chicken pieces completely dry on all sides. Season the meat generously with salt and black pepper.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a beautiful golden-brown crust forms; flip and color the other side for 3 minutes, then transfer the meat to a clean plate.
- Drop the diced yellow onion, sliced carrots, and celery straight into the hot pan fats remaining in the pot. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables soften. Stir in the minced garlic and cook continuously for exactly 60 seconds until intensely fragrant.
- Pour the chicken broth and poultry seasoning directly into the pot, stirring firmly with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the savory, dark caramelized bits anchored to the bottom of the vessel. Drop in the bay leaves and return the seared chicken pieces along with any collected plate juices to the liquid baseline.
- Bring the pot up to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately drop the flame to low, clamp a tight lid over the top, and let it simmer gently for 45 minutes until the chicken muscle fibers are exceptionally tender.
- While the soup simmers, prepare the pillowy dumpling dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. In a separate small bowl, stir the buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of melted butter together until unified, then pour the wet mixture straight into the dry flour bowl.
- Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients together just until the white pockets disappear and a soft, sticky dough forms; do not over-mix, as over-handling develops tough gluten strands that make the dumplings dense and rubbery.
- Lift the lid of your Dutch oven and transfer the tender chicken pieces to a clean platter, leaving the broth simmering gently over low heat. Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones, shred the chicken meat into thick chunks, and slide it straight back into the bubbling stock. Discard the bay leaves.
- Use a small cookie dough scoop or two tablespoons to drop rounded mounds of the sticky dough directly onto the surface of the simmering chicken broth, leaving a small space between each scoop so they have room to expand.
- Clamp the lid securely back onto the Dutch oven and simmer undisturbed over low heat for exactly 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this window; keeping the pan tightly sealed traps the steam required to puff the dumpling starch blocks into an incredibly light, airy finish. Lift the lid, check that a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean, and ladle hot into deep bowls.
