If you’re craving a bowl of pure Southern comfort, Paula Deen’s Chicken and Dumplings is the kind of old-fashioned cozy meal that warms you from the inside out. It’s rich, creamy, and full of tender shredded chicken with soft, pillowy dumplings that cook right in the broth.
I’ve made a lot of chicken and dumplings over the years, and Paula’s version is truly one of the easiest and most foolproof recipes—perfect for busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, or cold winter evenings. It tastes like something that simmered all day, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.
If you love Paula Deen recipes try out Paula Deen Monster Cookies, Paula Deen's Corn Casserole, Paula Deen's Taco Soup, or Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Southern flavor: Old-fashioned, buttery, and cozy—just like the version grandma made.
- Quick comfort meal: No need to stew a chicken all day. Once the chicken is cooked, it comes together fast.
- Easy dumpling technique: Rolling and slicing the dough gives you soft, tender “noodle-like” dumplings.
- Beginner-friendly: If you’ve never made dumplings before, this is the recipe to start with.
- Flexible protein options: Use a whole chicken, chicken breast, or even chicken thighs (my favorite—details below!). In this economy I prefer chicken thighs cause they are cheaper - found some good ones marked down at Aldi.
Ingredients Needed for Chicken and Dumplings
- 4 quarts water
- 1 (10 ¾ oz) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
- 1 teaspoon Paula Deen's House Seasoning
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large chopped onion
- 3 ribs chopped celery
- 1 2 ½ lb chicken
- 2 cups mixed with 1 teaspoon salt all purpose flour
- ¾ cup ice water
- 2 tablespoons (optional) corn starch
Substitution Tips
- Whole Chicken → Chicken Thighs:
If you don’t want to handle a whole chicken, you can use 6–8 chicken thighs (bone-in adds extra flavor; boneless cooks faster). Simmer them in broth until tender, pull the bones/skin off, shred, and continue the recipe. - Cream of Chicken Soup: Cream of celery also works if you want a little extra savory flavor.
- Milk: Any milk works, including almond or lactose-free.
- Shortening: Butter works, but shortening keeps dumplings extra tender.
- Add veggies: Paula’s version is classic and simple, but you can add carrots and celery if you like.
How to Make Paula Deen’s Chicken and Dumplings
For the Chicken:
Cut up chicken, but do not remove skin. The skin and bones can be removed later. Place chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon and House Seasoning in water and cook at a low boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until meat begins to fall off the bones.
Remove skin and bones at this point, along with bay leaves. Return chicken to pan. Prepare dumplings and set them aside for a few minutes. Add cream soup to chicken and continue to boil. If desired, you can thicken the stock at little by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and adding it to the stock.
Drop dumplings into boiling stock. Never stir dumplings. Shake the pot gently in a circular motion to submerge dumplings in stock. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook.
Dumplings:
Put flour/salt mixture in a mixing bowl. Beginning in center of flour, dribble a small amount of ice water.
Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to sides of bowl, incorporating small amounts of water at a time. Continue until all flour is used up. Batter will feel as if it is going to be tough. Knead dough and form into ball.
Dust a good amount of flour onto dough board and rolling pin. Roll out dough, working from center. Dough will be firm. Roll to ⅛ inch thinness.
Let it air-dry for a minute or two while you return your attention to the boiling pot at the point at which you add the canned soup to the chicken mixture. Cut dumplings into 1-inch strips. Working with one strip at a time, hold strip over pot, pull it in half, and drop into the boiling stock. Remember, do not stir after dumplings have been added to pot.
Note: Frozen dumplings are available in most supermarkets if you don’t have time to make them.
Serving Suggestions
(Placed after instructions per your blog rules)
- Add cracked black pepper on top for extra flavor.
- Serve with Southern sides like cornbread, sautéed green beans, or a simple side salad.
- This is delicious the next day—the dumplings get even better once they’ve soaked in the broth.
⭐ Pro Tips for the Best Chicken & Dumplings
- Don’t overwork the dough. Handle it gently so your dumplings stay soft and tender.
- Bone-in chicken adds flavor. Even if you use thighs, the bones enhance the broth.
- Simmer, don’t boil. Boiling can make dumplings fall apart.
- Cut dumplings evenly. This ensures they cook at the same rate.
- Let the broth thicken naturally. The cream of chicken soup + flour on the dumplings creates that dreamy texture.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! Use 6–8 thighs. Simmer until tender, remove skin/bones, shred, and add back to the pot. Thighs make the broth richer and the chicken more tender.
Absolutely. Sautéed carrots, celery, and onion work beautifully.
Absolutely. Sautéed carrots, celery, and onion work beautifully.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Paula’s dumpling style can freeze, but the texture softens slightly. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months.
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Paula Deen Chicken and Dumplings
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to make Paula Deens Chicken and Dumplings its so easy!
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 1 (10 ¾ oz) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
- 1 teaspoon Paula Deen's House Seasoning
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large chopped onion
- 3 ribs chopped celery
- 1 2 ½ lb chicken
- 2 cups mixed with 1 teaspoon salt all purpose flour
- ¾ cup ice water
- 2 tablespoons (optional) corn starch
Instructions
Chicken:
Cut up chicken, but do not remove skin. The skin and bones can be removed later. Place chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon and House Seasoning in water and cook at a low boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until meat begins to fall off the bones. Remove skin and bones at this point, along with bay leaves. Return chicken to pan. Prepare dumplings and set them aside for a few minutes. Add cream soup to chicken and continue to boil. If desired, you can thicken the stock at little by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup of water and adding it to the stock. Drop dumplings into boiling stock. Never stir dumplings. Shake the pot gently in a circular motion to submerge dumplings in stock. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook.
Dumplings:
Put flour/salt mixture in a mixing bowl. Beginning in center of flour, dribble a small amount of ice water. Work mixture with fingers from center of bowl to sides of bowl, incorporating small amounts of water at a time. Continue until all flour is used up. Batter will feel as if it is going to be tough. Knead dough and form into ball. Dust a good amount of flour onto dough board and rolling pin. Roll out dough, working from center. Dough will be firm. Roll to ⅛ inch thinness. Let it air-dry for a minute or two while you return your attention to the boiling pot at the point at which you add the canned soup to the chicken mixture. Cut dumplings into 1-inch strips. Working with one strip at a time, hold strip over pot, pull it in half, and drop into the boiling stock. Remember, do not stir after dumplings have been added to pot.
Notes
Frozen dumplings are available in most supermarkets if you don’t have time to make them.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
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