Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (2024)

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By Sarah Hatfield on Dairy-Free Recipes, Entrees, Soup

This Southern Style Dairy-Free Chicken and Dumplings recipe is one of my favorite meals. Scott’s grandmother knew I liked it and made it one time when we came to visit. Unfortunately, we’d stopped for brunch on the way to her house. What were we thinking? She used to add a bit of yellow food coloring to make the chicken and dumplings more visually appealing. I use turmeric instead, but you can leave it out if you don’t have any.

Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (1)

Grandma’s Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings

When I suggested writing about my grandmother-in-law’s chicken and dumplings, of course I didn’t realize we would all be sheltering at home again. I think this is a good quarantine and winter storm recipe, though. It uses very few ingredients, is very easy to make, and is so warming. Not to mention, our whole family loves it.

Even when flour and bread supplies are low at the store, I’ve been able to find a good supply of refrigerator biscuits. Many varieties are dairy-free, and they’re so convenient. We use store-bought biscuits in this chicken and dumplings recipe because homemade biscuit dough tends to puff up too much. These dumplings are flat and more noodle-like.

This recipe is heavy on the dumplings and light on the broth. If you would like more of a dairy-free chicken and dumplings soup, you can reduce the amount of biscuits you add and/or add more water towards the end of cooking.

Kids Can Cook Tips

This is an easy kids can cook recipe, especially if the chicken is cooked ahead of time for them. They can have fun shredding the chicken and flattening and cutting the biscuits, as well as (carefully) dropping the biscuit pieces into the broth. Older kids and teens can make the entire recipe by themselves. Cooking dinner gives them something to do during these long days. And what is more comforting than chicken and dumplings?

Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (2)

Special Diet Notes: Chicken and Dumplings

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and optionally soy-free (a lot of refrigerator biscuits are made with soy oil).

5.0 from 1 reviews

Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings

Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (3)

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Cook time

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If you're short on time, or don't have any fresh chicken on hand, you can use leftover cooked chicken or even canned chicken. The dumplings in this dish are intended to be more noodle like, not puffy.

Author: Sarah Hatfield

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: American

Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 to 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • 12 cups chicken broth, or water plus dairy-free bouillon, a combination of broth and water, or just water + 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 to 4 (7.5-ounce) cans dairy-free refrigerator biscuits (We used Great Value brand)

Instructions

  1. Sauté the chicken breasts in the olive oil until cooked through. Remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes.
  2. When the chicken has cooled slightly, shred it into bite-size pieces. I like to use my mixer for this. You can also shred it by hand with two forks.
  3. Bring the broth to a boil in a large soup pot.
  4. Meanwhile, open the biscuits and lay them out in a single layer on a large cutting board. Flatten them slightly by hand, and cut each biscuit into six sections.
  5. Add the turmeric (if using), black pepper, and chicken to the boiling broth. Stir.
  6. Drop half of the biscuit pieces into the broth one or two at a time.
  7. Let the biscuits cook for 3 minutes, then stir the soup.
  8. Add the remaining biscuit pieces one or two at a time.
  9. Let the remaining biscuit pieces cook for three minutes, then stir them into the soup.
  10. Turn the heat to medium low, and let the soup simmer for at least 5 to 10 more minutes or until the biscuits are cooked through.
  11. Add more water for a thinner broth, if desired.
  12. Serve the soup, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

Homemade Refrigerated Biscuit Dough (adapted from Food.com): In a large bowl, mix 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅓ cup non-hydrogenated shortening with a fork until even crumbs form. Add 1 egg (lightly beaten) and ½ cup unsweetened plain dairy-free milk beverage. Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into strips and continue with the recipe above.

More Dairy-Free Southern-Style Meals

Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken

Spicy Sheet Pan Jambalaya Pasta

Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (7)

Sarah Hatfield

    Sarah is the Associate Editor for Go Dairy Free. Her previous experience includes work as a copy editor at Thoroughbred Times magazine, a content writer at Travelago.com, and an intern at Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Sarah was a 'mom blogger' for many years but now mostly hangs out on Go Dairy Free and Instagram.

    Grandma's Dairy-Free Southern Style Chicken and Dumplings Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    Can you substitute water for milk when making dumplings? ›

    This is a basic dumpling recipe and works for me every time. You can use milk instead of water and some people even sweeten with a little sugar if adding dumplings to fruit.

    Why are my chicken and dumplings not fluffy? ›

    If it's boiling too hard, the dumpling dough can fall apart. Simmering broth might not be hot enough to raise the dumpling dough. Remove or tilt the lid after they've cooked so the dumplings don't over-steam and get soggy and dense. At least, that's the way I was taught and dumplings come out fluffy and delicious.

    Does chicken and dumplings contain milk? ›

    Make the Dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the melted butter and milk and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Stir the chicken, peas, and parsley into the pot.

    What do they call chicken and dumplings in the South? ›

    Bott boi. Pennsylvania Dutch bott boi is a soup popular in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, also called chicken and dumplings in the American south.

    What can I use water instead of milk? ›

    Mix one cup of water with 1 ½ teaspoons melted butter. Water can be used in most recipes that call for milk. According to the USDA, 88 percent of the volume of milk is water.

    What happens if you substitute water for milk? ›

    In an absolute pinch, water can sometimes be used as a substitute in a recipe that calls for milk…but you might experience some changes in flavor and texture. (Think: Less creamy, less fluffy and less rich.)

    Do you cook dumplings with lid on or lid off? ›

    Once your water is boiling, let your dumplings cook in the steam for about ten minutes. Don't remove the lid as letting the steam escape will disrupt the cooking process and result in undercooked dumplings, so keep that lid on!

    Why do my chicken and dumplings taste like flour? ›

    If your dumplings taste like flour, that means the flour hasn't been cooked thoroughly. David Mowbray is right -- You need a new recipe! Do I add flour even if my batter tastes like flour?

    How do you make dumplings taste better? ›

    A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

    Can I use whole milk instead of buttermilk for dumplings? ›

    Buttermilk adds a creamy, slightly tangy flavor to both sweet and savory recipes. But if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you cannot substitute regular milk instead, because it doesn't have the same properties.

    How do you thicken chicken and dumplings? ›

    Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

    To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

    What is the difference between northern and southern chicken and dumplings? ›

    What is the difference between Southern and Northern chicken and dumplings? Old-fashioned Southern chicken dumplings are made with shortening or butter and dropped into a simmering broth. Northern dumplings are made with eggs and served with a thinner broth.

    What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

    What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt. But which flour you use depends on which dumpling you want to make.

    What is a fun fact about chicken and dumplings? ›

    By the mid-1800s, a variety of dumpling and meat dishes began to appear in southern cookbooks and a recipe of chicken stewed with dumplings was first published in 1879 by Marion Cabell Tyree in a cookbook called “Housekeeping in Old Virginia.” Many historians are also quick to point out that these recipes were cooked ...

    Can you boil dumplings in just water? ›

    Whether you make your dumplings fresh or get them frozen, you can cook them quickly by boiling them. Raw dumplings are often boiled in water, but southern drop dumplings can be simmered in stock or broth for additional flavor. Chinese dumplings can also be boiled briefly in a pan to become potstickers.

    Why add water to dumplings? ›

    Most likely contents of the dumplings are inside is still raw so you add the cold water to slow down the cooking process of the dough so it doesn't break apart while allowing the filler to finish cooking.

    Do you put water in dumplings? ›

    Use a large pot and fill it with water so it's two-thirds full. Don't add the dumplings before the water starts boiling. Once you've added the dumplings, stir them quickly so they don't stick to each other. If you don't want your dumplings to be mushy, make sure to partially thaw them before boiling.

    How do you thicken dumplings? ›

    Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

    To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

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