This easy, homemade chicken and pastry recipe is Southern comfort food at its best! Some might call the hearty twist on chicken soup “chicken and dumplings,” but Southern chicken and pastry includes thin, flat strips of a basic flour dough, rather than puffy biscuit-like dumplings. Serve a warm bowl with a side salad, green beans, fried okra, fried apples, or a wedge of cornbread for a delicious family-friendly meal!
Homemade Chicken and Pastry Recipe
This recipe comes from my friend Sallie’s mom, Debbie, who received it from her friend in North Carolina. I’ve tweaked it a little bit, but the basics remain the same. The easy chicken and pastry is just good old Southern comfort food at its very best.
Tender, flavorful, and juicy bone-in chicken pieces cook in broth, and then the same rich broth is used to boil wide, flat strips of pastry. The broth becomes nice and thick (thanks to the extra flour and starch from the dough), resulting in a hearty bowl of goodness that’s a nice cross between a soup and a stew.
What is the difference between chicken and dumplings and chicken and pastry?
While some might know this meal as “chicken and dumplings,” there is a distinction. “Chicken and pastry” or simply “chicken pastry” is a variation of chicken and dumplings that features wide, flat noodles rolled from a simple flour dough (source).
By contrast, a more traditional chicken and dumplings recipe is known for small balls of dough rather than flat strips. In the Appalachian region of the United States, this preparation is called chicken and slicks, while the Pennsylvania Dutch version is known as bott boi. No matter what you call it — chicken and pastry, chicken and flat dumplings, or chicken and slicks — this simple, cozy meal is absolutely delicious!
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for the homemade chicken and pastry recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the homemade pastry dough.
- Baking powder: helps the flat pastry “puff” a little bit when it cooks in the broth.
- Water: to bring the dough together and to thin the broth.
- Butter: a little bit of fat in the pastry dough adds flavor, and makes the dough more supple and easy to roll out.
- Salt and pepper: to enhance the flavors in the dish.
- Chicken: I prefer bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, but you can see my notes below for boneless, skinless chicken or rotisserie chicken variations.
- Chicken broth: homemade broth or a high-quality store-bought broth will both work well.
- Parsley or thyme: an optional garnish that adds a bit of freshness and a bright touch of color.
How to Make Chicken and Pastry, a Southern Specialty
What is chicken and dumplings?
While some might know this meal as “chicken and dumplings,” there is a distinction. “Chicken and pastry” or simply “chicken pastry” is a variation of chicken and dumplings that features wide, flat noodles rolled from a simple flour dough ( source ).
What is chicken and pastry?
“Chicken and pastry” or simply “chicken pastry” is a variation of chicken and dumplings that features wide, flat noodles rolled from a simple flour dough ( source ). By contrast, a more traditional chicken and dumplings recipe is known for small balls of dough rather than flat strips.
What is southern chicken & pastry?
This easy, homemade chicken and pastry recipe is Southern comfort food at its best! Some might call the hearty twist on chicken soup “chicken and dumplings,” but Southern chicken and pastry includes thin, flat strips of a basic flour dough, rather than puffy biscuit-like dumplings.
How do you cook chicken dumplings in a crock pot?
Prepare the pastry dough. Cook the chicken in broth. Roll out and cut the dumplings. Shred the chicken meat. Cook the pastry strips in the broth. Add the chicken to the pot and continue cooking. The broth should thicken and you’ll know the pastry is done when it doesn’t have a “doughy” taste anymore.