This Southern Chicken and Dumplings recipe goes back in my family about 85 years and was passed down from my great-grandmother, who LOVED her dumplings thick. She was born and raised in Manchester, Kentucky, where her daughter (my grandmother) still lives.My grandma (we call her “mamaw”), swears the recipe hasn’t changed much over the years, but I know that she alters it slightly every time she makes a new batch of chicken and dumplings for our family at Thanksgiving and Christmas time! Submitted by KT, Hamilton, Ohio, United States.
Ingredients
- Either a whole (3 to 5 pound chicken), or about 2 large pre-cut chicken breasts and thighs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 heaping Tbsp rosemary
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 small to medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt (also salt throughout recipe while cooking the chicken)
- 3 quarts water
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp shortening
Instructions
Cut up and clean out the chicken if using whole. Using pre-cut pieces is the same only no cleaning necessary.
Place the chicken in a large, deep stock pot or dutch oven, add enough water to cover, add the chopped onion, and then sprinkle top of pieces with rosemary.
Simmer on low to medium low until meat is tender and fully cooked. Some prefer very tender chicken, so the time spent simmering can vary greatly, but be sure to keep an eye on it as to not overcook or dry out the meat.
Remove the pieces, slice the chicken(debone), and place meat back in pot. Cover to keep warm.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in mixing bowl and stir.
Gradually cut in shortening until mixture is smooth but still slightly thick.
Add buttermilk, salt, and pepper to the flour mixture and fluff with a fork or pastry mixer until moist.
Meanwhile, remove chicken from stock pot, add the bay leaves and a moderate amount of salt and pepper to the broth – up to the cook!
Boil the broth while rolling and cutting your dumplings.
Create a thickly floured surface and begin rolling dough until desired thickness is reached (about 1/3 inch in most cases).
Cut or “pinch” dough off in a basket pattern with pieces being 2 to 3 inches thick and add to the now broiling broth.
Reduce heat to simmer or medium low; DO NOT cover the stock pot, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often but gently.
Add in the chicken pieces, stir gently, cover pot and warm the chicken and dumplings for about 8 minutes.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- Either a whole 3 to 5 pound chicken, or about 2 large pre-cut chicken breasts and thighs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 heaping Tbsp rosemary
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 small to medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt also salt throughout recipe while cooking the chicken
- 3 quarts water
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp shortening
Instructions
- Cut up and clean out the chicken if using whole. Using pre-cut pieces is the same only no cleaning necessary.
- Place the chicken in a large, deep stock pot or dutch oven, add enough water to cover, add the chopped onion, and then sprinkle top of pieces with rosemary.
- Simmer on low to medium low until meat is tender and fully cooked. Some prefer very tender chicken, so the time spent simmering can vary greatly, but be sure to keep an eye on it as to not overcook or dry out the meat.
- Remove the pieces, slice the chicken(debone), and place meat back in pot. Cover to keep warm.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in mixing bowl and stir.
- Gradually cut in shortening until mixture is smooth but still slightly thick.
- Add buttermilk, salt, and pepper to the flour mixture and fluff with a fork or pastry mixer until moist.
- Meanwhile, remove chicken from stock pot, add the bay leaves and a moderate amount of salt and pepper to the broth – up to the cook!
- Boil the broth while rolling and cutting your dumplings.
- Create a thickly floured surface and begin rolling dough until desired thickness is reached (about 1/3 inch in most cases).
- Cut or “pinch” dough off in a basket pattern with pieces being 2 to 3 inches thick and add to the now broiling broth.
- Reduce heat to simmer or medium low; DO NOT cover the stock pot, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often but gently.
- Add in the chicken pieces, stir gently, cover pot and warm the chicken and dumplings for about 8 minutes.
