I (Darie) grew up on Chicken and Dumplings. My mom’s were the best I’d ever had, no contest. They were homemade without being adulterated with additions like “cream of” soups or bits of vegetables. After moving away from home, trips back to my mom’s meant the inevitable question, “What would you like for me to cook while you’re home?” My answer was always, “Chicken and Dumplings”.
How hard could it possible be to perfect a dish that contains 3 basic ingredients~flour, broth, and chicken? Seems like there’s little margin for error. Au contraire. I have had really bad dumplings in my time. Most of the time, the dumplings themselves are just too thick, a blob of dough with too thick broth or none at all. When we had our restaurant, Chicken and Dumplings became a favorite on Saturdays. I had made them a handful of times at home based on my mama’s directions, but practicing my technique by making giant vats of the chickeny goodness catapulted my dumplings into silky perfection. But how?
THE KEYS TO PERFECT CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
My mama’s dumplings are absolutely amazing, but I’ve tweaked a few things that have made them even better. Do NOT tell her I said that! Really, though, she taught me practically everything I know about southern cooking, but she’s also proud that I’ve made a few adjustments over the years that can be considered improvements. (Though she’s not keen on my collards…)
• Use hot broth when making the dough, not water.
• Add black pepper to the dough AND the pot.
• Knead your dough until quite a bit more elastic that biscuits. You don’t want a tender dough that will fall apart.
• Roll your dumpling dough so thin that you can see the counter through it.
• DON’T CUT the dumplings into small squares. Stretch and tear them into 2-4 inch pieces.
• Use heavy cream to add to your broth.
• Add plenty butter!
Join our Facebook Group to watch the Chicken and Dumplings Cook-Along here–>>Truly Blissful Living Group
My mama tearing the dumplings and dropping them into the hot broth.
Not quite thickened yet!
Chicken and Dumplings
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
1 hour 15 mins
This recipe makes enough for 10-12 with a little leftover. Halve the recipe easily.
Author: Truly Blissful
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern U.S.
Serves: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, boiled and meat pulled
- 2 gallons broth from boiled chicken, simmering
- 4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- Ground black pepper
- ¼ cup lard or coconut oil (the kind that doesn't taste like coconut)
- 2 cups of hot broth
- 1 stick butter
- 1-2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and baking powder in large bowl.
- Cut in lard or coconut oil.
- Add 2 cups hot broth and stir with a spoon until dough comes together. Turn dough onto well floured counter.
- **Be careful as you begin to knead! The dough can be very hot at first. Knead dough until it begins to become elastic.
- Cut off a piece of the dough to roll out, about 4 inches diameter. It doesn't really matter as long as you have room to roll it out! Roll the dough thinly so that you can see the counter through it.
- Stir 1 tablespoon salt into broth.
- Cut dough into 1-2 inch wide strips.
- Tear into 2-4 inch lengths, and drop into simmering broth. The broth should be moving or the dough will settle on the bottom and stick.
- Gently move the dumplings under the broth with your spoon as more and more dumplings are added to the broth.
- Continue rolling dough out and adding dumplings until dough is gone.
- Add 1-2 cups cream, 1 stick butter, and as much shredded chicken for your taste.
- Taste and adjust salt. Add 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Add more if needed. We love black pepper in our dumplings!
- Simmer gently to thicken while occasionally pulling your spoon across the bottom of the pot to make sure the dumplings aren't settling and sticking.
- If you have leftovers, add a bit of milk to them, and warm gently.
Download our recipe card here
I don’t think this needs a side other than a glass of sweet tea (not too sweet, now, Sugar), but some say they just have to have a slice of cornbread. If cornbread is your forte, see our fave recipe here–>>Truly Blissful Cornbread Recipe
Love to you all!
Carolina & Darie
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