Southern Chicken & Dumplings | Creamy Homemade Comfort Food

If you’ve never made homemade Chicken & Dumplings, you’re in for some serious comfort food! This Southern-style chicken and dumplings recipe is loaded with tender shredded chicken, vegetables, a rich and creamy seasoned broth, and fluffy homemade drop dumplings. This recipe makes enough to feed about 6–7 people, making it perfect for a family dinner, Sunday supper, or a cold evening when you want something warm and filling. SOUTHERN CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS Serves: 6–7 INGREDIENTS For the Chicken & Broth: 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts 2 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, diced 6 to 7 celery stalks, diced 2–3 carrots, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups chicken broth 1–1½ tbsp chicken bouillon, to taste 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried thyme Salt, to taste 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional For the Homemade Dumplings: 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces 1¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk INSTRUCTIONS Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for about 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the chicken, chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dried thyme, and poultry seasoning. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the broth. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half. Taste the broth and add additional chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, or other seasonings as needed. To make the dumplings, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until you have small, crumbly pieces. Pour in the milk or buttermilk and stir just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix your dumpling dough. Bring the chicken mixture back to a gentle simmer. Drop heaping spoonfuls of dumpling dough over the top of the chicken and broth. Cover the pot and allow the dumplings to cook for about 15 minutes WITHOUT lifting the lid. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes, or until the dumplings are completely cooked through in the center. Finish with fresh parsley and a little extra black pepper if desired. Serve it hot and enjoy! If you love homemade comfort food and easy family recipes, make sure you follow along for more recipes from Tía Amber. ❤️