Grandma’s Southern Chicken and Slick Dumplings
The broth starts cloudy, then settles into a clear, savory base while the whole chicken simmers gently. That’s the part I love about Grandma’s Southern Chicken and Slick Dumplings: one…
Tip: save now, cook later.The broth starts cloudy, then settles into a clear, savory base while the whole chicken simmers gently. That’s the part I love about Grandma’s Southern Chicken and Slick Dumplings: one pot gives you tender chicken and the broth that brings the dumplings together, without needing a separate stock. It’s a generous, comforting supper, but the dumplings are what make the bowl feel like its own thing.
These aren’t fluffy drop dumplings. The dough is rolled thin, cut into little strips, and simmered right in the broth until it’s tender all the way through. I use shortening for a dough that rolls easily, and a little reserved warm broth brings it together without turning the dumplings bready. Keep the simmer gentle, and you’ll have soft, sturdy dumplings wrapped in rich chicken broth, with bite-size pieces of chicken folded through.
Kitchen Note
Give the cooked chicken its full 10-minute rest before pulling it apart. It’s easier to handle, and you won’t have to rush through shredding while the meat is still steaming hot.
Save Grandma’s Southern Chicken and Slick Dumplings for a cozy bowl of tender chicken, homemade slicks, and savory broth.
Why Slick Dumplings Need to Be Rolled Thin
When dumplings go into broth, thickness decides what the center feels like. A thick piece can turn soft on the outside while staying dense and doughy within; rolling this dough to about 1/8 inch gives each strip a better chance to cook evenly in the simmering liquid. The finished dumplings are tender, but they still have enough body to hold their shape beside the shredded chicken.
The dough also needs a short rest before rolling. That pause lets the flour absorb the warm broth and gives the dough time to relax, so it’s easier to roll without fighting it or adding too much extra flour. Keep the kneading brief: work it only until it comes together smoothly. Too much extra flour can make the dough stiff, while a quick, light touch leaves it pliable enough to roll and cut cleanly.
Think of these as flat, broth-cooked dumplings, not biscuit dough. The strips go into a gentle simmer uncovered, where they soften and cook through without puffing up. That simple difference is what gives this bowl its classic slick-dumpling texture.
What the Chicken, Shortening, and Broth Each Bring
- Whole chicken — Cooking the chicken in the pot gives you both the meat and the broth for the dumplings. A whole bird also gives you a mix of white and dark meat to shred into the finished pot. Choose a chicken that fits comfortably in an 8-quart pot with the water and aromatics.
- All-purpose flour — It gives the dumplings enough structure to roll thin and simmer without disappearing into the broth. Keep the remaining flour nearby for dusting and to manage sticking, but add it gradually; the dough should come together smoothly without becoming stiff.
- Vegetable shortening — Cutting shortening into the flour creates small pieces throughout the dough, which keeps the cooked dumplings tender. Work it in with a pastry blender or fork until you see pea-size pieces. There isn’t a direct swap in this ingredient set that keeps the same dough.
- Warm chicken broth — The reserved broth hydrates the flour and carries the chicken flavor into every dumpling. Use broth from the pot and keep it warm, rather than adding cold liquid to the dough. The broth also forms the cooking base, so strain it before returning it to the pot.
- Onion, celery, and bay leaf — These season the broth as the chicken cooks, then are strained out before the dumplings go in. Cut the onion and celery into large pieces so they’re easy to remove with the bay leaf.
From a Clear Chicken Broth to Tender Slicks
Simmer the chicken gently
Put the chicken, water, quartered onion, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in an 8-quart pot. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 60 to 90 minutes. A hard boil can agitate the broth, so lower the heat once it reaches a boil. The chicken is ready when a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh reads 165°F.
Strain and measure the broth
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain the broth, discard the vegetables and bay leaf, and reserve 3/4 cup for the dumpling dough. Measure 8 cups of the remaining broth back into the pot, setting any extra aside. Measuring here gives you a dependable amount of liquid for simmering the dumplings.
Bring the dough together and let it rest
Whisk 3 cups flour with the dumpling salt in a large bowl, then cut in the shortening until the pieces are about the size of peas. Stir in the reserved warm broth until a shaggy dough forms. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, adding flour from the remaining 1/4 cup only as needed to prevent sticking. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Shred the chicken and cut the dumplings
Remove and discard the chicken skin and bones, then shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Dust the work surface with the remaining flour and roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Aim for pieces of similar size so they cook at about the same pace.
Simmer the strips, then fold in the chicken
Bring the measured broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the dumpling strips a few at a time, stirring gently after each addition so they don’t stick together. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes; check that the dumplings are tender and no longer doughy in the center before adding the shredded chicken. Fold in the chicken and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until it’s heated through.
Small Changes That Keep the Slick-Dumpling Character
Make the pot more broth-forward
If you set aside more broth than you need for the pot, warm some of that extra separately and stir it in after the dumplings are tender. The bowl will be soupier, and the dumplings will have more broth around them; add it gradually so you don’t wash out the concentrated flavor of the cooking liquid.
Cut squares instead of strips
For a different look without changing the dough, cut the rolled sheet into small squares instead of 1-by-2-inch strips. Keep the pieces similar in size and use the same tenderness cue in the center; the square shape gives each bite a little more compact, pasta-like feel.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. The dumplings will continue to absorb broth and soften as they sit.
- Freezer: Freeze the cooled chicken, broth, and dumplings in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 months. The dumplings may be softer after thawing, but the dish still reheats well.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring carefully and adding a little reserved broth if the mixture has thickened. Avoid a hard boil, which can break up the dumplings.
Questions That Come Up With Slick Dumplings
Grandma's Southern Chicken and Slick Dumplings
Ingredients
Method
- Put the chicken, water, onion, celery, bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper in an 8-quart pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 60 to 90 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh reads 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Strain the broth and discard the vegetables and bay leaf.
- Reserve 3/4 cup broth for the dumplings.
- Measure 8 cups of the remaining broth back into the pot and set any extra aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture has pea-size pieces.
- Stir in the reserved broth until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until it comes together smoothly.
- Add flour from the remaining 1/4 cup as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Remove and discard the chicken skin and bones.
- Shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Dust the work surface with the remaining flour.
- Roll the dough about 1/8 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the dumpling strips a few at a time, stirring gently after each addition so they do not stick together.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dumplings are tender and no longer doughy in the center.
- Fold in the shredded chicken and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through.
