Finally! I’ve been looking for this recipe for years and I finally found it. You see, Chicken and Dumplings is my boyfriend’s favorite dish and he’s always wanted me to make it at home. And I have tried, but the problem is there are lots of different recipes for chicken and dumplings and all the recipes I’ve tried haven’t been “right”, according to him.
Here’s what the right kind aren’t: the kind with actual little round dumplings on top. Because I guess that would just be too easy? I’ve tried several recipes like that, one from Martha Stewart, and while Brandon agreed that those recipes weren’t bad, they still weren’t “right”.
The right kind of chicken and dumplings are the kind that Brandon’s grandmother makes. They are the kind you get at Cracker Barrel. They are true southern style, and they don’t actually have dumplings, it’s more like slabs of tender and delicious biscuit dough. You could think of them as really big, thick noodles. There are no silly things like vegetables in here, it’s just chicken, chicken stock and dumplings. Period. You can eat your green beans and fried okra on side like the real Southerners do. Every single time we go to Cracker Barrel, that’s what Brandon gets. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And you know that’s going to be hard to live up to because I’m sure Cracker Barrel makes those things with lard and crack cocaine like everything else they serve. (I kid, I love Cracker Barrel, lard and all!)
That’s why I was so happy to find this recipe. I showed Brandon a photo and he said it looked right and then I made it and he said it was perfect. I have bested Cracker Barrel and his grandmother! In fact, a few weeks after I made this recipe for the first time we actually went to Cracker Barrel and he did not order Chicken and Dumplings!
I, on the other hand, took a bit more convincing. Even though I grew up in Mississippi and Tennessee, I was never a fan of Chicken and Dumplings. I don’t think I’d ever eaten them before I started on this search. I’ll be the first to admit that was based entirely on looks. These aren’t the best photos I’ve ever taken, but even if I had perfect lighting, it’s just not a very pretty dish. So you’ll just have to take my word that I’m a Chicken and Dumplings convert now. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food. It will make you feel warm and fuzzy and very, very full.
This is great with Turkey as well as chicken. I made it with chicken the first time, but this last time I used my leftover Thanksgiving turkey and the stock from it. Just as good!
This is not the easiest recipe ever, but it’s not complicated either. It’s somewhat time consuming, so this may be more of a weekend dish. But a lot of that is just waiting for the chicken to cook, so you can go do other things. If do want a faster dinner, cook the chicken the day or weekend before. I like fast and easy dinners as much as the next person, but some things you just have to put in the time and effort to get right. This recipe is worth it!
Update: This has become one of the most popular recipes on my site and I’ve gotten lots of feedback from people with tips on how they make their own Chicken and Dumplings, so make sure to read through the comments if you have time!
Also, for people who are averse to using shortening, one of the tips I got was to substitute chicken fat. It’s healthier and it will give the dumplings more flavor. You’ll need to prepare the chicken at least a day ahead so you can put the broth in the fridge and let the fat harden on top. I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to the next time I make this dish!
Southern-Style Chicken and Dumplings
adapted from
Dinner | Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 1 hour 30 min | Cook time: 30 min | Total time: 2 hour
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 large fryer chicken (4-5 lbs.), neck and gizzards removed
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3 carrots, cut into large pieces
- 3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Dumplings:
- 3 cups cake flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 4 1/2 tbsp. shortening*
- 1 cup milk
*I imagine you could use butter, but I haven’t tried it. I’ve never been a fan of shortening, but I stuck to the recipe because I didn’t want to mess with its “right”-ness. You know Cracker Barrel and Southern grandmas aren’t afraid of using shortening.
Process
- Place the chicken, onions, carrots, and celery in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water maintains a gentle simmer. Cook chicken for 1 hour or until cooked through (about 165 degrees). About 30 minutes after you start cooking the chicken you can skip to Step 4 and start making the dumplings or you can wait until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Once chicken is done, remove from the broth and let cool. Remove chicken from the bone (this shouldn’t be hard, it should be falling off pretty easily at this point) and shred into medium-sized pieces, discarding bones and skin.
- Pour the chicken broth through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth (I improvised and used a coffee filter), discarding vegetables. Reserve 6 cups of the broth for the dumplings. Refrigerate or freeze the rest to use in for another recipe. It’s much more flavorful than the chicken broth you buy at the grocery store.
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles small peas.
- Add milk — 1/4 cup at a time, you may not need a full cup — and stir until a ball of dough just begins to form, being careful not to over-mix.
Roll out the dough onto floured surface that you don’t mind cutting on. Roll about ¼ inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into rectangles about 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Place strips on wax paper and allow to harden up a bit, about 30 minutes.
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, bring broth to a gentle simmer and drop in dumplings. Cover and allow to cook for 6-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add chicken. Allow to cook until thickened, approximately 15-20 minutes, or longer. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Mandi said:
My great-grandma made them like this, but she always called it “Chicken and Pastry” instead of “Chicken and Dumplings.” And I think it’s probably more accurate, but over the years it just got easier to call it all dumplings.
December 16, 2010 at 11:04 am |
Michelle said:
You are making me so hungry right now!
December 16, 2010 at 1:03 pm |
Breville said:
It really looks good, hmmmm…i think i’m mouth watering now.
December 16, 2010 at 7:45 pm |
Jen said:
I hope your boyfriend realizes what a lucky guy he is!
December 16, 2010 at 9:49 pm |
Yumm Woodall said:
My boyfriend looks for this recipe for a loooooong time… and just like what your boyfriend is looking for the ‘right-ness’ of the recipe.. Ive finally found it and I will be making this tomorrow……………..
Thanks for sharing…
Yumm
January 7, 2011 at 7:51 am |
Jade said:
I’ve tried this recipe now with both butter and shortening. Butter requires a bit more milk and yields a dumpling that is a bit chewier. With shortening, the dumpling is more supple and “correct.”
Thank you so much for sharing! We love it.
January 15, 2011 at 9:59 pm |
Emily said:
Thanks for letting us know about that. I’m glad you like the recipe!
January 17, 2011 at 10:31 am |
Say Mmm (@SayMmm) said:
Like the ones at Cracker Barrel, but better, from @Emiline220 http://fb.me/AWnXLK3M
January 27, 2011 at 11:46 am |
Amie said:
That’s what I always order at Cracker Barrel too! I have a whole chicken cut-up and in the freezer…looks like I will be thawing it out for this weekend! Yummo!
January 27, 2011 at 1:28 pm |
Amie said:
I did make this a couple of weeks ago and it was great! Thanks for sharing!
March 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm |
Mindy said:
Pretty close to my Granny’s recipe as well! I think I may have worked the dough too much because my dumplings were a little tough. I left them on for another 5 minutes and they got softer. And actually, by the time I put it away in the fridge, they were nice and soft.
My seven year old had never had “real” dumplings and declared them delicious. This one’s going in the regular rotation. Figure I can get it in at least one more time before it gets too hot out!
January 31, 2011 at 9:36 am |
Edmund Mokhtarian said:
This dish looks delicious, and I’d like to try it out. It looks somewhat rich, though. I like to limit eating really heavy foods for digestion reasons, so I was wondering how heavy it is, especially with all that flour.
Edmund Mokhtarian´s last post ..Rouge
February 11, 2011 at 2:56 pm |
Emily said:
It’s pretty heavy, Edmund! The broth gets very thick and the pieces of dough puff up and are quite big and heavy. If you wanted a lighter version, you could try adding more broth (1/2 cup or more ) and cutting the dough into much smaller pieces, more like noodles. I accidentally added extra broth one time I made this and it was more like a soup/stew, but it still tasted very good. Reducing the amount of dough and replacing with some carrots/celery/peas, etc. would probably help, too.
February 11, 2011 at 3:24 pm |
Rebecca Buckner said:
The photo looks exactly like my 91 year old Mom’s. Eat your peas and carrots on the side. They NEVER go into the chicken and dumplings.
May 11, 2011 at 8:25 pm |
Lisa said:
This is it! This is the recipe like my grandma & mom use to make. I lost the recipe and have been searching everywhere for it. I could never find it. The recipes were either runny, watery like chicken noodle soup or the dumplings were not right. Thank you!
June 17, 2011 at 11:53 am |
Nicole said:
These look EXACTLY like the dumplings I used to help drop in the cooking pot with my grandmother! I ALSO been looking everywhere for the “right” recipe just like my grandma’s. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Missing my grandma right now
and SO looking forward to making these!
July 14, 2011 at 6:40 pm |
James said:
Perfect recipe. Just like cracker barrel. Living in England now so no cracker barrel and nowhere here to enjoy southern cooking. I have been craving it for a while then found this recipe. 10 out of 10
August 14, 2011 at 10:44 am |
Mickee said:
I am heading to the kitchen to cook this up, but no shortening for me thank you. It is a trans fat. I will be making mine with homemade lard, just like grandma would.
August 14, 2011 at 6:38 pm |
Marcia said:
My grandma made chicken and dumplings-the floaty kind-but what made them so good was how she made the broth she didn’t cook a chicken-she would buy chicken backs and fat from the store and make a really rich broth before adding the thickening and dumplings. Loved them!
August 25, 2011 at 10:27 pm |
Amanda said:
I made these tonight. I used half home rendered lard and butter. It came out lovely. Just like we used to have at church pot lucks in the south.
September 5, 2011 at 7:01 pm |
morgan said:
Oh my gosh, I have been looking for a recipe that is exactly what chicken and dumplings really consists of. This is almost exactly like my mom’s recipe. I’m going to try yours
September 14, 2011 at 6:34 pm |
Chelsea Haizlip said:
could you substitute chicken breasts for the fryer chicken?
October 7, 2011 at 1:32 pm |
Dana said:
YUM! BUT – this is Chicken Pastry! Dumplings are little balls not thin strips. Just an FYI! I was raised in Eastern North Carolina where we eat Chicken Pastry – my mom is from Western North Carolina where they eat Chicken-n-dumplings – BUT I LOVE THEM BOTH!
October 10, 2011 at 9:52 am |
Linda said:
Thank you!. Finally a true Southern Chicken and Dumplings. Can’t wait to try it. And no, a true Southern Dumpling has ALWAYS been a rolled dough. No DROPPED something. glglgl
October 23, 2011 at 11:23 am |
Kelly said:
You are the only person I’ve ever seen make these just like my Grandma made! I love making them but I end up eating them all because I love them so much! I always asked her to make them for my birthday dinner and she could never figure out why I loved them so much. To her it was a meal that was cheap and from her years in Oklahoma during the depression. My daughter just asked if I would make some and now that it has cooled off its a perfect time for these! I laugh when I think back because I think my Grandpa used to eat them with bread and butter! Love the starch!
October 26, 2011 at 5:03 pm |
Errin said:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had never heard of these either (being from the Northwest) until I lived in Delaware and had them with my ex-boyfriend’s family. I LOVE noodle dumplings now, but have never been able to find a recipe for them! I was confused at first too about why they were called dumplings, but it turns out that just about any bread-type product that you cook by dropping it into hot liquid (other than oil) is a “dumpling”. So spaetzle, and biscuit-type dumplings, and gyoza, etc. are all considered dumplings.
BTW, my ex’s family didn’t rest the dough, they just held the cutting board over the boiling broth and cut strips with a knife and slid them into the broth as they cut them. Beats me how that would effect the final product with your recipe, just a general FYI. : )
October 31, 2011 at 11:38 pm |
Andrea said:
Is your cake flour “all purpose” or self rising? I was thinking if you use all purpose you don’t have to add the baking soda. Is that correct? This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
November 1, 2011 at 3:57 pm |
Emily said:
I always use King Arthur unbleached cake flour and I don’t see anything about it being self-rising on the box, so I assume that means it’s all-purpose. I’ve always followed the recipe and used baking soda as well. The dumplings don’t rise, but they do puff once you add them to the broth, so I assume that’s why you need to add the baking soda.
November 7, 2011 at 1:03 pm |
Andrea said:
Hmmm…never heard of King Arthur brand. I did use all purpose, but I did not add the baking soda. I will try it next time. I also did half butter, half shortening and half milk, half of my chicken broth. I wanted some of the flavor from my broth in the actual dumpling. They turned out really good, but I think I will just use all shortening next time because just as someone else said, they turned out just a tad bit chewy. Maybe they need to cook longer or maybe it is the butter? Nonetheless I will try this recipe again and again! It’s the closest I’ve ever came to the “rightness”.
November 7, 2011 at 1:38 pm |
allmaxedout said:
Andrea- The self rising flours have baking soda and salt added so if you use a self rising flour you can omit the salt and baking soda in the dumplings. If you use the regular all purpose flour you will want to keep the baking soda and salt as the recipe instructs. The baking soda will help make the dumplings rise.
January 10, 2012 at 9:55 pm |
Breeze said:
Awesome! Just made it tonight! However I did NOT use lard or shortening, yuck! I used butter just like my grandma & they turned out fantastic! I just can not get myself to use lard it just grosses me out and I like to eat healthy so if I can substitute any item from any recipe to cut calories I will.
Thank you for sharing!
November 5, 2011 at 9:42 pm |
Wanda said:
I order chicken and dumplings every time I go to Cracker Barrel! This is a great recipe! Just in case you are in a hurry or just don’t want to mess with making biscuit dough, you can use either Bisquick or canned biscuit dough. Just flatten the pre-shaped biscuits and cut in half or quarters, whichever you prefer. My daughter-in-law made me give her my recipe and cracked up when I told her I sometimes use canned biscuit dough.
November 10, 2011 at 6:12 pm |
susan said:
This is the way my grandmother always made them!! Now that she isn’t able, I have taken over the job! Love these!
November 20, 2011 at 8:43 pm |
Phyllis said:
For 36 years of marriage I have tried to make Chicken and Dumplings like my husband’s mother and grandmother did. I have failed miserably. When we are in a part of the country that has Cracker Barrel it is a must for my husband. THIS is the recipe! He loves them (I don’t – never been a fan) and the marriage is good for another 36 years. Thanks
November 20, 2011 at 9:02 pm |
Joetta Gudorf said:
I make it much the same, except I use the broth also to mix the dumplings instead of the milk.
November 21, 2011 at 12:12 am |
Marti said:
Thanks for this recipe. I made some C&D recently that didn’t turn out so well. You know why? Because I grew up on these old-fashioned kind of “dumpling” and always wondered if there was something better. The answer is simply NO. I can tell by looking at them, your BF is a lucky man.
One other tip: where normally you don’t want to “overwork biscuit dough,” you should work it a bit on these. Seems to give the dumplings a bit more substance.
November 22, 2011 at 11:23 pm |
Paul Michal said:
This is the best looking Chicken and Dumplings I’ve seen ever!
Being from Georgia, this is exactly what I think of when I hear ‘Chicken and Dumplings’. Unfortunately my in-laws are from Michigan and they think that a few bisquits on top of some chicken with sauce = Chicken and Dumplings.
Glad to see someone knows what Chicken and Dumplings is all about – THANKS!!!!!!!!!
November 23, 2011 at 10:23 pm |
Paul Michal said:
I don’t know why you complain about the pictures, they look marvelous! Like I’ve stated before, this is exactly what I imagine when I think of chicken and dumplings. Can’t wait to try this with left-over Thanksgiving’s Day Turkey!!!
November 23, 2011 at 11:32 pm |
Ann said:
I grew up on them (native Texan) and you definitely have it right! I usually won’t order them out because for some reason restaurants think they have to add vegetables. For the dough you can subsitute ‘canned’ biscuits rolled out and pinch bits off to put in the liquid.
November 28, 2011 at 8:01 pm |
Jennifer said:
My family recipe is very similar except instead of shortening, we use the chicken fat skimmed from the broth after it’s hardened. It adds so much more to the flavor of the dumplings and you don’t waste anything from the broth.
December 2, 2011 at 9:51 pm |
Connie said:
Just saying if you want to intensify the chicken flavor into your dumplings…which is never a bad thing….substitute the chicken fat that is taken off your homemade chicken stock instead of using shortening in your dumplings. You can’t go wrong. Way better for you and yummier too!
December 4, 2011 at 12:31 am |
Cindy O said:
Made for dinner tonight. EXCELLENT!
December 5, 2011 at 6:03 pm |
frw55 said:
Just like my Mother’s! I suppose you know that the dumplings are also fabulous in a fruit cobbler. My favorite dessert growing up was Blueberry cobbler. Mom would fill her deep Corning casserole dish with layers of fresh blueberries, butter, sugar, and dumplings until the top and then the finale would be a layer of pie pastry…also from scratch. One of the best desserts ever! Other fruit such as peach, cherry, apple, blackberries and raspberries are great for cobblers.
December 6, 2011 at 7:23 am |
Emily said:
Um, wow, that cobbler sounds like the best thing ever. Your mom rocks! I have a bunch of berries in my freezer that I need to use up, so I will definitely be attempting this soon. Thanks for the tip!
December 10, 2011 at 1:49 pm |
Lisa said:
This is how my Mom used to make chicken and dumplings – she was from West Virginia and I have never been able to find a similar recipe until now – I don’t like the puffy kind but more a noodle type dumpling person!!! Thanks for perfecting!!
December 7, 2011 at 1:22 pm |
Melissa said:
Very close to my family’s recipe, but don’t bother with that silly milk!!! Use the chicken broth in the Dumplin’s too! We’ve never used the veggies in the broth either and they are just as good if not better than Cracker Barrel’s. My late friend Jenny eschewed her own great grandma’s recipe for my family’s!
December 9, 2011 at 1:03 am |
Emily said:
Thanks for all the comments and great tips, everyone! I am definitely going to try using the chicken fat in place of the shortening.
December 10, 2011 at 1:21 pm |
Doug said:
Hi Emily,
Like many here, I grew up in the South and Chicken and Dumplings (not Pastry) were a staple in Grandma’s house. I tried a different recipe tonight, and while not bad, was not great. The dumplings were wrong and the “sauce” looked more like a soup.
Your pictures look exactly like what my Grandma made, and I’ll definitely be trying this recipe the next time. But like many others, I’ll either use chicken fat or lard (Grandma always used lard from the tin can on the back of the stove).
Thanks for sharing!!
December 10, 2011 at 7:20 pm |
Michelle said:
Awesome!!!!! so glad i found this!!! My husband will be a happy man! Thank you hun for puttin this up! =)
December 12, 2011 at 4:29 pm |
Michelle said:
BTW, We live in the sierra nevada mountians in northern california, where its now freezing! Anything I can cook thats southern n warms u up= puts smiles on the faces of my family!
December 12, 2011 at 4:32 pm |
Rebekah said:
This looks like my MILs recipe. My husband always adds a splash of vinegar on top before eating. It’s actually pretty yummy when you want a hint of sour.
December 21, 2011 at 11:34 am |
Nancy Eckler said:
I grew up on this recipe. Love it!!! You don’t want to try to substitute the shortening for butter. It’s pefect the way it is! This is comfort food at its best!!!
December 31, 2011 at 10:28 pm |
Linda said:
Hi- I’m really hoping that this is the recipe my husband has been yammering about. His grandmother used to make chicken and dumplings and was from Arkansas, she had a restaurant there back in the ’30s and she never passed the recipe on to any of the family and I to have made many chicken and dumpling recipes and they were never ‘right’ I will let you know later after making this today.
January 2, 2012 at 7:23 pm |
Karen Stockley said:
I can’t wait to try out this recipe! It looks just like my Grandma’s. One of my favorite memories of going to my Grandma’s was pulling in the driveway and finding the sun tea brewing on the porch, and chicken and dumplings. That was the special meal she always made when I visited.
I’m so excited!!!
January 3, 2012 at 1:01 pm |
Kimberli said:
Thank you SO much for this recipe! I, too, have a man who has been searching for chicken and dumplings like his grandma used to make. THIS WAS IT!!!!! I’ve tried several recipes and nothing came close. You just allowed me to bring a little bit of grandma back!
January 3, 2012 at 6:28 pm |
janice said:
This is mine and my grandmas recipe exactly, I have used canola oil in place of the shortning and it works well. Chicken and dumplings are a labor of love reserved for very special people in my life, I bet your boyfriend is one of those.
January 5, 2012 at 11:42 pm |
Linda said:
My Grandma’s recipe for dumplings is
4 cups of flour (all purpose)
1 stick margarine or butter
salt, pepper to taste
Cut through to pea size as stated in recipe
pour 2 cups of boiling water over mixture
Mix and let cool before rolling out (eliminates stickiness) on floured board.
Cut in desired shapes (I like diagnal strips)
Bring broth to a rolling boil add dumplings and stir gently reducing boil – cook for 15-20 minutes
January 14, 2012 at 7:58 am |
Natalie said:
This recipe sounds delicious. The only thing I don’t agree with us that you use a whole chicken. Chicken and dumplings should be made with breasts only. Cracker Barrel uses “the best of the breast” which is that big hunk of juicy chicken right in the middle of the breast. I will try this recipe but I will use chicken breasts. Thanks!
January 14, 2012 at 10:02 am |
Kris said:
In Texas we always called this “chicken and slicks”
January 15, 2012 at 1:48 am |
Randi said:
I made this last night….quite delicious. I noticed, though, that by the time I let it cool and placed in the fridge a lot of the dumplings had turned to mush. There are still some good ones in there, but mainly it’s dough mush. I followed the recipe to a T…except I didn’t set aside any of the broth. I kept it all. Was that my error? (Still delicious, though!)
January 16, 2012 at 12:41 pm |
Emily said:
Yeah, if you used extra broth then I think that could be the problem, at least partly. The longer the dumplings sit in the liquid, the more they’re going to absorb and if you used extra broth they will have even more to absorb so I can imagine they’d get extra mushy after awhile.
But aside from that, I think this recipe is just one of those things that’s best eaten immediately. In my experience it doesn’t translate well into leftovers, even using the correct amount of broth the dumplings still keep absorbing liquid as they sit. We love this dish so much that we rarely have leftovers! But you may want to try halving the recipe next time so all of it gets eaten the same night.
Glad you like the recipe, though. I messed up once and boiled the dumplings and they turned mushy, too. You’re right that it still tastes good despite that!
January 17, 2012 at 12:48 am |
Monica Harrison said:
I am sooooo happy you posted this!!! I have been in quest for this type of recipe for years!! You know the one you ask your relatives how to make over and over and NO ONE has a recipe they just “make it”. I hope it’s good it looks like what I grew up eating and I too love Crackel Barrels!!! Thanks again!
January 19, 2012 at 11:12 am |
Shane said:
This sounds a lot like my grandmother and mother used to make them. We have a couple of variations on ingredients though. We just boil the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. I add cubed bullion to the water. I also add crushed bullion to the flour for the dumplins. Extra flavor. My/our dumplins are made simply from all purpose flour and we use the broth from the boiled chicken to mix with it to make the dumplins. No lard or shortening, no milk. It works out the same and you don’t have any extra added fat. Just a lot of sodium with the bullion. We have to make sure our chicken stock (from boiling the chicken) is at a rolling boil when you drop in the dumplins. Keeps them from sticking together. I also have noticed that if you cover and simmer that they cook fluffier. I made my mother teach me how to make these because they were always my favorite meal besides her fried chicken.
January 20, 2012 at 1:23 pm |
cookin with toddler said:
I’m from VA and my mom made Chicken & Dumplings pretty often. So good! Now in N Carolina we make Chicken Pastry. Anne’s Pastry (Company who makes them in a red box in the frozen section of the grocery store)is just around the corner from my house. It’s a beautiful place in the country of Ayden, NC. Our Walmart ran out a few weeks ago and I’ve been waiting. FYI: My mom use to home make her dumplings until later when she started using cut up biscuts. I’m making chix pastry for our church womens group Sun. I’m going to use a rotissary chix from Sams, already cooked. It will be both white and dark meat, but it WILL be delicious.
January 23, 2012 at 9:58 am |
barbara sampson said:
your boyfriend sounds like my husband of 43years- he just LOVES the Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings too. thanks for the recipe. we are kentucky folks so maybe that makes us southern- I think so.
thanks, barb
January 26, 2012 at 5:53 am |
suwanee said:
Thank you thank you thank you!
January 30, 2012 at 3:43 pm |
Gloria Aberg said:
Change ‘Fryer’ to HEN.
Let the dumplings ‘hang’ on either your arm or a dumpling rack for about 15 to 20 mins before settling them into the bubbling broth/fat.
Chicken FAT is indeed the tasty way to go.
Enhancing ‘tip’ for each serving? Black pepper to taste…really brings out the flavors.
\
non
February 1, 2012 at 2:15 pm |
Jordan said:
This is my MIL’s recipe that she has not been willing to share with me… I am REALLY excited to make these for my husband’s birthday, thank you!!
February 3, 2012 at 8:24 pm |
Jennifer Overstreet said:
I understand your boyfriend! This is the exact recipe my great-grandmother, Mam Maw Ritter used. We are from Texas and there is no other way to make chicken and dumplings!!!! I am so glad you put this in the blog, as I don’t have a recipe written down. My grandmother taught me, by sight how to make the dumplings. Shortening the size of the egg, etc…
February 4, 2012 at 7:14 pm |
Paula said:
I’ve been trying to find a recipe like my grandmother used to make. This one is so close and tastes great! Thank you so much!
February 6, 2012 at 10:20 pm |
Anita said:
This is exactly the way my Grandmother in southern Alabama
made her dumplings. I still make them that way. But, we
always leave the veggies in.
February 8, 2012 at 4:41 pm |
Penny said:
Very good!! I made this tonight and the only thing I would change would be to make the dumplings thinner. Will make again!!
February 12, 2012 at 7:00 pm |
Old South said:
The trick here is in the flour. All flours are not the same!! My old Southern Grandma would have used a soft flour like White Lily or Martha White. Soft flour is primarily milled in the south. Northern flours are primarily “hard” flours. Soft flours have less gluten and protein (10%) than hard flours (12 -14%). Cake flour (8-9%), like in the recipe is, actually softer than “soft” flour. It’s about having the right balance of protein and gluten to make the dumplin’s tender, but not too tender. Same goes for southern biscuits. Hard flour is good for things like crusty french bread.
February 15, 2012 at 8:07 am |
Stargazer said:
Needs vegetables.
February 16, 2012 at 2:41 pm |
Nicole said:
I tried this recipe tonight and my “Southern Born” husband said I knocked it out of the park. It was perfect…just like his mama used to make(God rest her soul) It was a little more time consuming than I thought but i think thats because I hadnt made it before. Im not a huge dumpling fan and I enjoyed it as well. Great recipe!!
February 26, 2012 at 9:57 pm |
Chrissy said:
I thought I’d compare southern chicken & dumpling recipes to what, in our family, we call chicken & sliders. For us it’s a French Canadian dish. It’s the same, and wondeful no matter where the recipe comes from. Do ahead tip because it is time consuming. If you make up an extra batch of dough and cut it on a sheet of wax paper then slip it onto a cookie sheet and freeze you’ll have a ready batch. After they’re well frozen just break them apart and save in individual portions in the freezer. Take out what you need when you want that comfort food. Drop them into your hot broth and you’re all set. Can use prepared low salt chicken stock or pre-made that you’ve frozen as well.
February 26, 2012 at 10:25 pm |
Mark Fowlkes said:
I loved reading all this, as my sister just made me chicken and dumplings for my birthday, and she used our Moms and Grandmothers recipe. Theirs is a Louisville Ky version, and is not quite the same as some on here. We all live in Atlanta now, but still make it the old family way. Gramma simmered, not boiled a whole chicken till it almost fell apart, cooled and separated it, added a lot of celery and onion, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, and simmered that for about 30 more minutes. Her dumplings were definitely giant chewy egg noodles, and were utterly wonderful. Simple formula; one whole egg and one half eggshell milk for every cup of all purpose flour. That’s right no fat, no salt, no baking soda, because a puffy, ball type dumpling wasn’t what she wanted. She made a volcano of flour on the counter, made a well on top, put in the eggs and milk, and mixed it all into a stiff dough ball, and kneaded it till well mixed, and rested it 30 minutes. She rolled it out and cut it just like in this recipe under review. She then simmered them till tender, no hard boiling. They never stick together, are moist and chewy, not hard, and they keep over very well, without turning to mush.They end up about 1/4 inch thick. They absorb salt, pepper, herbs and fat flavor from the broth, hence none needed in the dough.All these recipes are correct, and most are good tasting, but each family has its preference. If you are a homemade noodle lover, you will love my Grammas style. Gramma would make these with thick broth in cold weather, like on here, but made a thin, chicken-soup like broth for warm times. That way, the family got to eat this all year, and both are equally good.
Mark, in Atlanta, Georgia
February 28, 2012 at 9:20 pm |
Lisa said:
I love the way the elders use to measure things…I have way too many measuring devices in my kitchen, and they just eye balled, or used something as simple as a half an egg shell…how cool!! I gave up on making my own dumplings, after I found these in my grocer’s frozen area. Sorry, but they are so consistent. http://www.homadefoods.com/product1.aspx?parents=111
February 29, 2012 at 5:43 pm |
Lisa said:
Mark how cool, love the descriptions used here! Would love to try some of your Gram’s cooking.
February 29, 2012 at 5:44 pm |
Cynthia thomas said:
Thank you so much. Finally, I have found the chicken and dumplings that I had as a kid. The picture looks exactly like what we had on our table. Unfortunately my great grandmother and my grandmother died before I could get the recipe, and now my mother has dementia and cannot tell me how to make it. Based on the recipe this looks like what I have been wanting for years. I will try it soon.
March 4, 2012 at 11:08 am |
rita taylor said:
I am from Georgia and use to make dumplings like that. I found that flour tortillas are just as good. So if you don’t have alot of time try them.
March 11, 2012 at 9:13 pm |
Christie said:
So I was very excited to try this recipe since I am a HUGE fan of Cracker Barell Chicken and Dumplings. I followed the recipe exactly (except used all purpose flour) and when I put the dough in the pot it turned a grayish color. What did I do wrong? The taste was really good, it just didn’t look very appetizing. Any suggestions?
March 15, 2012 at 9:36 am |
Emily said:
Hmm, well since the only difference was that you used AP flour maybe that’s the cause? I always use cake flour in mine and I’m pretty sure cake flour is bleached, so I wonder if you used unbleached AP flour and that gave it the greyish color when it was added to the liquid? Even using cake flour, the dumplings get darker once they’re added to the stock, so maybe AP flour makes them a lot darker? I would try cake flour next time, if I were you.
The only other thing I can think that might affect the color of the dumplings would be something in the stock. Straining it with a finer strainer might help that.
March 15, 2012 at 1:06 pm |
Lisa said:
To make it quicker you can use pie crust. It is best to use the red box of unroll & bake pie crust. Use it the same way as the dough you make from scratch. It is wonderful!!
April 14, 2012 at 9:19 pm |
Kelly said:
I have been searching and searching for this kind of chicken and dumplings…my boyfriend’s mother made me her version (which she called “southern style”) but it was Bisquick biscuits in chicken soup! This sounds exactly like my grandma’s recipe…can’t wait to try!!
April 19, 2012 at 1:41 pm |
Samantha said:
this is very similar to what my family has called Chicken and Sliders, my great grandma’s recipe! Very good YUMMY!!! This is good comfort food!
April 19, 2012 at 7:28 pm |
Liz said:
This reciepe is so yummy and perfect!!!! I have been craving chicken and dumplings and this is so perfect!
April 23, 2012 at 3:32 pm |
DEBORAH HADDY said:
I posted this on my face book and it had the recipe but the picture was a cake!!! ….lol!!!
May 4, 2012 at 12:25 am |
Melissa said:
My 22 year old son loves Chicken & Dumplings. It is a must on the menu everytime he visits now. I have found a great little tip that helps with time management on making them. I cook my whole chicken with the vegetables in the crockpot. I put it in right before I go to bed at night and let it cook on low all night; it is perfect in the morning. Or I put it on right before I leave for work and it is ready when I get home. I let it cool while I roll out and cut the dumplings; and then take the chicken off the bone while the dumplings cook. YUM!
May 25, 2012 at 8:36 pm |