RECIPE: Michael Twitty’s Chicken and Dumplings

This impossibly cozy, comforting chicken and dumplings recipe comes to us from chef and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty’s new cookbook, Recipes from the American South. Read Michael’s personal notes on the recipe, and then learn how to make it!

“The rooster that wouldn’t shut up or the hen past her laying days often turned into this Sunday dinner treat. It demanded low and slow cooking to tenderize a chicken that had strong, developed muscles and tough meat,” Michael shares in the book. “Some may not think the carrots necessary or find them anathema, but some of us can’t live without them in this dish. Soft pillowy dumplings and a stew cooked all day really hits the spot. My grandmother’s secret was an onion studded with cloves that cooked with the chicken and was removed after the chicken was finished cooking. The meal had to be good and fit for a preacher — who was usually the guest for this meal.”

Enjoy!

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Michael Twitty's Chicken and Dumplings

Learn to make hearty, comforting chicken and dumplings at home — it's easier than you think!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main

Cuisine American/Southern

Servings 6

Calories 698 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the base:

• 1 whole chicken (4 lb)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (4 fl oz)

For the dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (6 fl oz)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

 

Prepare the base:

• Place the whole chicken in a large pot and cover with chicken stock. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool slightly before shredding the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the heavy whipping cream.

Make the dumplings:

• In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda (bicarb). Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter until a dough forms.
• Bring the soup to a simmer and drop in spoonfuls of the dough. Cover and cook until the dumplings are cooked through and fluffy, 15–20 minutes.

Notes

Extracted from RECIPES FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH © 2025 by Michael W. Twitty. Photography © 2025 by Nico Schinco. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.

Nutrition

Calories: 698kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 38gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 1299mgPotassium: 813mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5816IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Chicken and dumplings

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