Southern Chicken and Dumplings: The Ultimate Comfort Food Classic

My grandmother’s steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings on a winter evening taught me what comfort food truly means. This Southern classic, dating back to the Great Depression, takes a lighter approach than traditional versions, letting fluffy drop dumplings and tender chicken shine. The secret lies in combining chicken thighs for flavor and wings for natural thickening. In just over an hour, you’ll create a meal that becomes a memorable bowl of home-cooked comfort.

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Why You Should Try This Recipe 

The science behind this perfect chicken and dumplings lies in technique and temperature control. Rendering the fat from chicken thighs in a cold-start pan allows the chicken flavor to concentrate rather than dilute. Vegetables sautéed in this flavorful foundation absorb the rich essence, and deglazing with sherry adds subtle acidity that balances the richness.

The dumplings achieve their exceptional fluffiness through the chemical reaction between baking soda and half-and-half – the acid in the dairy activates the baking soda, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that expand when heated. Dropping the dough directly into the simmering broth without handling maintains these pockets of air. Meanwhile, collagen from the wings slowly converts to gelatin during cooking, creating a silky mouthfeel without flour or cornstarch thickeners. Every element works together for a perfectly balanced bowl of comfort.

Ingredients

For the Broth

• Chicken thighs – Provide rich flavor and tender meat as the foundation
• Chicken wings – Release collagen for natural thickening and depth
• White onion – Creates aromatic sweetness when sautéed
• Carrots – Add natural sweetness and bright color
• Celery – Contributes subtle herbal notes and texture
• Dry sherry – Deglazes the pan and adds complex acidity
• Chicken broth – Forms the flavorful liquid base
• Salt and pepper – Enhance all other flavors

For the Dumplings

• All-purpose flour – Creates structure for the dumplings
• Sugar – Balances flavors and aids in browning
• Baking soda – Provides leavening for fluffy texture
• Half & half – Activates baking soda and creates richness
• Butter – Adds flavor and tenderness to the dumplings

How To Make Chicken and Dumplings Soup From Scratch

To make the broth for this easy recipe for Chicken and Dumplings:

1. Peel onions and carrots.
2. Slice the carrots and celery. Chop the white onions. Set the prepped vegetables to the side.
3. Place a medium stock pot or Dutch oven over low heat.
4. While the stock pot is heating, season both sides of the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper.
5. Place the chicken thighs skin-side-down in the stock pot.
6. Once the skin is crispy, and the fat is rendered, turn up the heat to medium and cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. At this stage, the chicken thighs will not be fully cooked. 

7. Remove the chicken from the stock pot and set aside.
8. Add the prepped onions, carrots, and celery. Lightly salt the vegetables and saute the vegetable mixture until the onions are translucent. 

9. Deglaze the stock pot with the dry sherry. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the stock pot with a wooden spoon or spatula.
10. Add the par-cooked chicken thighs and the uncooked chicken wings to the stock pot. Pour in the chicken stock.

11. Bring the broth to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 

To make the dumplings and finish the dish:

While the broth is cooking, you have time to prepare the drop dumplings. 

1. Stir the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl with a fork. 
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into the mixing bowl along with the half & half slowly while stirring. 

3. Mix the dumpling dough just enough for everything to come together. Avoid over-mixing because it can cause prevent the dumplings from getting fluffy.
4. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dumpling dough.

5. Drop each dumpling directly into the simmering stock. Do not use your hands to form the dumpling balls, or they will be too dense.
6. While the dumplings are cooking, remove the meat from the chicken thighs and wings. Add the meat to the stock pot.

7. Cover the stock pot and cook until the dumplings are fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove the stock pot from the heat.
8. Taste and add salt if desired.
9. Serve Southern homemade Chicken and Dumplings in a bowl with a garnish of chopped parsley or freshly ground black pepper. 

Add a 1/2 cup of heavy cream in the last 5 minutes of cooking for creamy chicken and dumplings.

What To Serve With Chicken and Dumplings? 

Chicken and Dumplings is a nostalgic dish that deserves great classic sides like biscuits, cornbread, fried apples, and green beans.

Storage and Reheating

• Avoiding Soggy Dumplings: If stored together, dumplings will absorb the broth and become dense
• Refrigeration: For best results, store broth separate from dumplings for up to 3 days
• Freezing: Freeze broth and chicken separately from dumplings for up to 3 months
• Reheating Method: Warm broth with chicken over medium-low heat, then add thawed dumplings for final 5 minutes

Southern Chicken and Dumplings

A lighter version of the classic Southern comfort food featuring tender chicken in flavorful broth with fluffy drop dumplings.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• salt divided use
• ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped white onions
• 3 ribs celery sliced
• 3 medium carrots sliced
• 1/2 cup dry Sherry
• 1 pound chicken wings
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 8 tablespoons butter melted
• chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

• Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them in a skillet over low heat. When the fat from the chicken begins to render out, raise the heat to medium. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs from the skillet and set aside. The thighs will be only partially cooked.
• Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the skillet. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the vegetables and sauté until the onions are translucent.
• Add the dry Sherry to deglaze the skillet, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Transfer the vegetables and liquid from the skillet into a stockpot. Add the chicken wings, chicken broth, and the partially cooked chicken thighs and cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat.
• Remove the chicken wings and thighs from the stockpot and allow them to cool. Leave the stockpot on the stove over medium heat.
• While the chicken is cooling, prepare the dumplings: In a medium-sized bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add the half and half and melted butter and stir until the dough forms a ball. Shape the dough into golf ball–sized pieces and drop them into the stockpot.
• Debone the chicken and return the meat to the stockpot. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the dumplings are fully cooked and have increased in size.
• If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Video

Notes

The key to exceptional chicken and dumplings lies in temperature control. Start with a cold pan to render the fat slowly and completely when cooking the chicken thighs. For the dumplings, ensure your broth is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil – too vigorous a boil will cause dumplings to fall apart, while too low a temperature prevents proper rising. Use the freshest baking soda possible for maximum leavening power. If you prefer an even lighter dumpling, separate an egg and fold in the beaten white just before cooking. Add ½ cup of half and half to the broth in the final 5 minutes of cooking for a creamier version that remains true to the recipe’s lighter spirit.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 816mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3540IU | Vitamin C: 10.5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Favorite Chicken Dinner Recipes

• Baked Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Croquettes
• Chicken Dijon
• Chicken Fried Chicken
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Chili’s Chicken Crispers
• Grilled Chicken Tenders
• KFC Chicken Pot Pie
• Poppy Seed Chicken
• Rosemary Chicken

Delicious Comfort Food Recipes

• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Fried Cabbage and Sausage
• Pork Chops and Gravy

Check out more of my easy chicken recipes and the best comfort food recipes on CopyKat!