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Chicken and Dumplings

This comforting recipe creates a classic Southern-style chicken and dumplings. A whole chicken is simmered to yield a rich, flavorful broth, then shredded and combined with tender, homemade dumplings for a truly satisfying and hearty meal. It's a perfect dish for feeding a crowd and embodies true home-style cooking.
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Servings: 16 people
Course: lunch/dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 7779.4
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 Whole Chicken
  • 6 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour
  • 3/4 cup Shortening
  • 3 cups Whole Milk

Equipment

  • 1 Large Stockpot or Dutch Oven Essential for simmering the chicken and cooking the dumplings.
  • 2 Mixing Bowls One for chicken preparation, one for dumpling dough.
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient portions.
  • 1 Slotted Spoon or Tongs For handling chicken and dropping/retrieving dumplings.
  • 1 Whisk or Pastry Blender For mixing dumpling ingredients and cutting in shortening.

Method
 

  1. Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover completely with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and very tender, approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
  2. Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot or bowl, discarding any solids. Skim excess fat from the broth if desired.
  3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, debone and shred all the meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 6 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour. Add the 3/4 cup shortening and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingertips until crumbly.
  5. Gradually add the 3 cups whole milk to the flour-shortening mixture, mixing gently with a spoon or your hands until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
  6. Bring the reserved chicken broth to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Season the broth generously with salt and black pepper to taste.
  7. Drop spoonfuls (or small hand-rolled pieces) of the dumpling dough directly into the simmering broth. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot, ensuring consistent cooking.
  8. Cover the pot tightly and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the dumplings are puffed, tender, and cooked through. Do not lift the lid during this cooking time.
  9. Return the shredded chicken meat to the pot with the cooked dumplings and broth. Stir gently to combine and heat through for a few minutes.
  10. Taste the chicken and dumplings and adjust seasoning as needed before serving hot.

Notes

For the most flavorful dish, ensure the chicken is simmered gently to extract maximum flavor, yielding a rich, deeply savory broth. Skim any impurities from the broth periodically. When preparing the dumpling dough, handle it minimally; overworking the dough will activate gluten, resulting in tough rather than tender dumplings. The shortening is key here for a flaky texture. Ensure your broth is at a gentle, consistent simmer—not a rolling boil—when dropping the dumplings to prevent them from disintegrating. Always taste and adjust the seasoning of the broth generously before and after adding the dumplings, as they will absorb flavor.