Dolly Parton Chicken and Dumplings: The Comfort Dish She Said Wasn’t ‘Good Lookin’ Enough’ for Her Cookbook

Dolly Parton wrote a whole cookbook with her little sister, but she left out the one dish everyone who ever ate at her table seems to remember. Her friends raved about it, her family grew up on it, and she said it reminded her of her mama. This is the story of Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings, in her own words, plus a cozy Smoky Mountain style version you can make this weekend..

Why Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings mean so much

Dolly grew up in a one room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, one of 12 children. In a 2024 interview with People, she said she and her sisters learned to cook out of necessity, helping their mother when she was sick or had a new baby. The girls would have to climb up on chairs just to reach the counter and peel potatoes and turnips.

For Dolly, food and family were always tied together, and nothing shows that better than Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings. She once told Country Living: “When I think about my mama, I think about some chicken and dumplings.” She also said she cooks a couple of chickens at a time, so there is enough for everyone who wants a bowl.

The dish she left out of her own cookbook

In 2024, Dolly and her youngest sister, Rachel Parton George, released Good Lookin’ Cookin’, a cookbook full of family recipes and stories. But when People asked about the famous dish, Dolly explained why it was missing: “My version is not in the cookbook because it isn’t good lookin’ enough.” She added that she just puts a lot of love in it.

The people who tasted it did not seem to mind how it looked. Queen Latifah, her co-star in the 2012 movie Joyful Noise, told The Oklahoman that Dolly “cooked me some mean chicken and dumplings.” Miley Cyrus, Dolly’s goddaughter, told Taste of Country that Dolly made the best chicken and dumplings. If you love cozy bowls like this, you will also like our comfort soups that feel like a warm hug.

A mother’s love and a pot of stone soup

Dolly often said her mother, Avie Lee Parton, could make a feast out of almost nothing. In her 1994 memoir, Dolly wrote about the stone soup her mother made when food was scarce. Each child went out to find a stone for the pot, and her mother would pick one. Often it was the stone of the child who needed a little extra love that day. Dolly remembered how proud it felt to help feed the family.

When Dolly passed away in August 2026 at the age of 80, fans around the world shared their favorite songs and memories of her kindness. For many families, making a big pot of chicken and dumplings is a quiet, warm way to remember the girl from the Smoky Mountains who never forgot where she came from.

Recipe: Smoky Mountain style chicken and dumplings

Dolly never shared her exact recipe, so this is not the real Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings. It is a classic Southern pot inspired by the way many Tennessee families make it: a whole chicken simmered into a rich broth, with thin rolled dumplings that turn silky and thicken the pot. It serves 6 to 8 and is perfect for a cold Sunday or Thanksgiving week.

You will need

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
• 10 cups water
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, cut in pieces
• 2 carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• Dumplings: 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup cold shortening or butter, 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• To finish: 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup whole milk or cream, chopped parsley

How to make it

1. Put the chicken, water, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, about 1 hour until the chicken is very tender and reaches 165 degrees F.
2. Lift out the chicken and let it cool. Strain the broth and return about 8 cups to the pot. Pull the meat from the bones in bite size pieces and discard the skin and bones.
3. For the dumplings, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk just until a soft dough forms.
4. Turn the dough onto a well floured counter and roll it very thin, about 1/8 inch. Cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Keep a light dusting of flour on them.
5. Bring the broth to a steady simmer. Drop in the dumplings a few at a time, stirring gently so they do not stick. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender and the broth has thickened.
6. Stir in the chicken, butter and milk and heat through for 5 minutes. Taste, add more salt and plenty of black pepper, and top with parsley.

Tips and questions about Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings

• Roll them thin. Thin dumplings cook through and turn silky. Thick ones can stay doughy in the middle.
• Do not skip the flour dusting. The extra flour on the dumplings is what thickens the broth into a creamy gravy.
• Keep it at a simmer. A hard boil can break the dumplings apart.
• Make it ahead. The dumplings soak up broth as they sit, so add a splash of broth or water when you reheat.
• Freeze extra dough. Lay cut raw dumplings on a floured tray, freeze until firm, then bag them. Drop them straight into simmering broth.

What to serve with Dolly Parton chicken and dumplings

In Southern homes, chicken and dumplings is usually the star with simple sides. A crunchy, tangy cabbage slaw cuts through the richness, and warm cornbread from a cast iron skillet is perfect for soaking up the last of the broth. Green beans or sliced tomatoes in season round it out. For more ideas on a chilly night, browse our hearty fall soups.

Did Dolly Parton share her chicken and dumplings recipe? No. She told People her version is not in her cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin’, because it is not good lookin’ enough. This recipe is inspired by classic Southern versions.

Are rolled dumplings or drop dumplings better? Many Tennessee and Southern cooks prefer thin rolled dumplings, which turn silky. Drop dumplings are puffier and more like biscuits. Both are delicious.

Can I use a rotisserie chicken? Yes. Use 8 cups of good chicken broth and about 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, and start at the dumpling step.

Sources: People, Country Living via Fox News, The Oklahoman and Taste of Country via Food Republic, The Takeout and The Daily Meal on Dolly’s 1994 memoir, and the Associated Press and NPR.