How to Make Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings (Just Like Grandma)

A simple comfort food tradition and the memories behind it. This is a story about old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, the lessons I learned in my grandmother’s kitchen, and why home cooking still matters.

Photo Credit: The Heirloom Skillet

There’s something special about a pot of chicken and dumplings simmering on the stove — steam curling up like a warm invitation, the smell of homemade broth filling the kitchen, and those old-fashioned flat dumplings soaking up every bit of flavor that they can hold.

I didn’t grow up in a gourmet kitchen, but I did grow up spending time with my southern grandmother in hers.

Her kitchen was a place of stories. A place where most recipes weren’t written down with exact measurements, but spoken like lessons: a pinch of this, a handful of that, taste as you go. I learned that food was more than sustenance. It was connection.

Chicken and dumplings was one of those dishes that often appeared on the table as our family, and many friends, joined us for mealtimes.

The Lesson That Chicken and Dumplings Taught Me

This is one of those recipes that I had to make many times before it felt just right — the way I remember my grandmother making it.

At first, my dumplings were way too thick. Then they were too thin. Sometimes they dissolved completely into the broth, and other times they were tougher than I wanted. But with each attempt, I learned something.

Cooking isn’t just about following step-by-step instructions. It’s about understanding how ingredients behave and how small adjustments make a difference. My grandmother never measured everything perfectly, but she knew what the dough should feel like and how the broth should taste. I had to learn that same intuition.

Through trial and error, I finally found the version that reminds me of her kitchen: simple, comforting, and full of memories.

I’ve also learned something more important: recipes are stories.

They carry memories.

They connect generations.

And if we don’t write them down, they can be forgotten.

That’s why I now make it a point to document the recipes I love. Not just for myself, but so I can pass them down to my children. Food is one of the ways we preserve family traditions, and writing them down instead of just keeping them in our head, ensures those traditions don’t fade.

Flat Dumplings: The Simple Way I Make Them

I prefer flat dumplings because they are easy to roll out and have a tender, noodle-like texture when they simmer in broth.

You can find the **full recipe* for Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings on my blog, [The Heirloom Skillet](http://www.theheirloomskillet.com)*, where you can print the recipe card.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Baking Powder
• Fine sea salt
• Butter
• Milk

Instructions

In a bowl, combine flour and salt.

Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Slowly add milk and stir until a soft dough forms. If it feels too dry, add a splash more milk.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll it to about ¼-inch thickness.

Photo Credit: The Heirloom Skillet

Cut into strips or squares — whatever shape you like. Imperfection is fine.

Photo Credit: The Heirloom Skillet

Drop the dumplings into simmering chicken broth and cook until tender.

Photo Credit: The Heirloom Skillet

If this story made you crave a warm bowl of old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, I’d love for you to try it in your own kitchen.

The full recipe — complete with step-by-step instructions and a printable recipe cards — is waiting on my food blog, *The Heirloom Skillet.*