Chicken and Dumplings
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They say confession is good for the soul. I don’t know who “they” is, but I think it’s time for me to “fess up”. Unitl today, I was a Southern cook who could cook anything under the sun considered Southern…..except dumplings. I have spent countless hours pouring over Chicken and Dumpling recipes and testing the recipe only to wind up with a solitary dumpling. All my many dumplings would fall apart and then be joined together as one large dumpling. I have been trying for years to perfect the technique. Some recipes say drop the dumplings in simmering broth, some say to drop in boiling broth. Some say add eggs to the dough, other say just flour, leavening, salt and milk. Some say stir vigorously, some say don’t stir. My Granny was a dumpling maker from way back. She used to let me drop the dumplings for her before I was old enough to be interested in the actual cooking technique and ask questions. So, I couldn’t remember the temperature of the broth. Was it simmering or a hard boil? After I gained some years and wanted to know how she made her dumplings, she had gotten to the point where she was looking for cooking shortcuts. She said to me, “Shug, you just go on down to the store and get you some of them flour tor-till-ers (tortillas). They’s just as good as dumplin’s and way yonder easier” I never learned from my grandmother how to make dumplings. But I’ve spent years trying to figure it out.
I posted a poll on Syrup and Biscuits on Facebook and asked, “Which recipe would you like to see posted next: Chicken and Dumplings, Herb Roasted Chicken, Seafood Gumbo. I hesitated to even include Chicken and Dumplings as an option. But the more I thought about, the more I was convinced that it needed to stay. If it won the poll, I would have no option but to perfect the technique. I was prepared to have a dumpling testing marathon if need be. This little dumpling business wasn’t going to stand in the way of giving my readers what they asked for.
I owe each of you that voted for Chicken and Dumplings my sincerest “Thank you”. Because of you, I had to put the petal to the metal and “Git her done”. In return, I have developed the perfect recipe and technique. My portfolio is now complete!
Good ol’ fashioned Chicken and Dumplings. I DID IT!!!!!
Mix baking mix and buttermilk. Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 5 times. Keep adding baking mix to keep the dough from being sticky.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
Square up the dough just so you can make the dumplings uniform in size. Save the scraps. We’ll be using those, too.
I used a pizza cutter and cut the dumplings into 2X2 inch pieces. You can make them any size you want. I prefer bite size.
Place all the dumplings on a floured pan to keep them from sticking.
Debone and chop one whole chicken.
This is the critical part and the part that I have been getting wrong for the past few decades. Have your broth BOILING as fast as you can get it. As I was doing this, I did recall my Granny telling me to drop the dumpling “in the eye of the boil”. That’s the spot that has the highest temp and is boiling the fastest. Drop the dumplings ONE by ONE. Don’t stir. Just push them down into the broth with the back of a big spoon. After they are all in, add chicken. Test the dumplings for doneness. They need to be a little “toothsome” and not mushy. You want them to have some substance to them. The size dumplings that I made cooked in just a few minutes.
Y’all, I’m so proud! I danced around my kitchen. They turned out just like Granny’s.
For dumplings:
2 cups baking mix (I used Bisquick)
3/4 cups buttermilk
Two ingredients. That’s all you need.
For stock, use 2 quarts of my Homemade Chicken Stock. If you are using a commercially prepared stock, just make sure it’s of good quality. Chicken and Dumplings can only be good if the stock is good. Taste for seasoning.
Sherri says
I have a family recipe that was handed down the generations by my great great grandmother. It’s actually just eggs and flour salt and pepper. My mother used to make it with Roast. She would braise the roast in a large pan on both burners on the stove then remove the roast, boil the broth and drop the mixture in. She called it “Rubbs” To this day when my Mother makes that dish we all come running.
I however have adapted the chicken and “dumpling” recipe to my liking, I add parmesan cheese to the egg and flour mixture. The consistency has to be just right, and like you, I drop them in one by one.
Yours look delish and I will give this recipe a try too.
Jackie Garvin says
Sherri,
I loved the story of your grandmother’s “Rubbs”. It sounds a little like Pennsylvania Dutch. Everyone needs to decide what they think makes dumplings good. . The taste preferences are widely varied. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Alan Cooke says
Those look yum. I love chicken and dumplings, but rarely make them. Have no idea why…lol Guess I need to get on it! Thanks for posting 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Alan,
Don’t deprive yourself and others of Chicken and Dumplings! I hope you make some soon. Thanks for reading!
Joan Behrens says
Oh Jackie…thank you for finally giving me an easy, delicious recipe to make chicken and dumplings! And every Sunday dinner at Me-Maw’s house was her mouth-watering (huge) pot of her family-famous chicken and dumplings. It never dawned on me to use Bisquick which I keep on the shelf anyway. I’m going to make a big pot of them right now and then call the family to come running, lol.
Jackie Garvin says
Joan,
Please let me know how your Chicken and Dumplings come out. I hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful Sunday Dinner!
Darlene says
I recently (this past Tuesday) made my recipe of c & d’s. The d’s have absolutely no flavor. I will try yours next time. Mine are the drop by the tablespoon kind.
Jackie Garvin says
Darlene,
I hope my method works our for you. The key is making sure you have good, flavorful chicken stock, bringing it to a rapid boil and dropping the dumplings into the eye of the boil. The dumplings will absorb the flavor of the stock as they cook. Please let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Mary says
Love Chicken and Dumplings and make them often. My Grandmother added chopped boiled eggs…the egg yolks add a little something extra.
Jackie Garvin says
My Granny add boiled eggs, too. I add them every now and again. I also add boiled eggs to my giblet gravy like she taught me. 🙂
Vicki says
It has taken me 20+ years to perfect my dumpling recipe. My mother passed down her recipe of flour, eggs, salt, pepper and broth (instead of water). Then they are dropped one by one into boiling chicken broth. At a family reunion a few years back, my mom and I both made chicken and dumplings for about 50 people. My uncle raved about mine. That was the exact moment that I actually felt like a grown up at the family reunion, nevermind the fact that I was a little over 40! 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Vicki,
What a delightful story! You are so sweet to share with us. Once you get your Chicken and Dumpling method perfected, you have to stick with it! 🙂
Susie says
I make chicken and dumplings like yours but adding a stick of butter and a can of cream of chicken soup to the recipe. Absolutely delicious. There are no leftovers and when I take to a get-together, I’m always getting compliments.
carol ryan says
I also put a stick of butter and a can of cream of chicken soup in my dumplings ans like you everybody always raves about them. It took me about 20 dang years to come up with a recipe like this that was so good, my husband ate a lot of crummy dumplings LOL. I also came up with this idea of using butter and cream of chicken soup before this got popular, like to think I invented it.
Susie says
I love searching your website for new and easy recipes. Will definitely return when looking for a southern dish recipe like my Mama used to make. Love it!
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Susie!
Thanks so much for stopping by! We love having you visit. Please invite your friends and family to visit us,, too! We love company. 🙂
Sandy Pennington says
I make chicken and dumplins and I know recipes like yours always say not to stir but how do you keep them from sticking if you don’t stir? I just discover your site on Facebook and I love it. Thank you.
Jackie Garvin says
Sandy,
You have to make sure you’ve got plenty of stock/broth and turn the heat up high so it boils fast. Welcome to Syrup and Biscuits! 🙂
Spud craig says
Thanks for the dumpling lesson but you didn’t say anything about the chicken. Are you boiling it in the stock and how do you get the btoth creamy as in the picture?
Jackie Garvin says
I stew the chicken with vegetables to make the stock. Remove everything from the stock and shred the chicken. After the dumplings are added, stir in the chicken. The stock gets creamy from the flour in the dumplings
Lisa B Johnsey says
I come back to your recipe time and again. Just like my Grandmother used to make!! Thanks so much!!
Jackie Garvin says
Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️