Chicken Jallop is a very old, traditional southwest Georgia recipe that is essentially a Southern chicken stew served over toasted hamburger buns. It’s not made very often these days, but in the past, you’d find this recipe served at many church and social gatherings.
I have a recipe for you today that I’m willing to bet no more than a dozen people reading this have ever heard of. Maybe even fewer. This is my grandmother Polly’s Chicken Jallop.
I’ve done some internet research on Chicken Jallop and have found very few references. There is one reference in the New Georgia Encyclopedia, which states that the recipe we call Chicken Jallop in south Georgia is called Chicken Mull in north Georgia. However, their description does not at all match the recipe that I’ve known all my life as Chicken Jallop. Especially the part about adding crumbled saltine crackers. We don’t do that.
Chicken Jallop is nothing more than a chicken stew. Polly used to make this recipe frequently, and she was well known in our area for it. She usually served her jallop over chow mein noodles, but my mama serves it over toasted hamburger buns. I don’t know why, except that those are just the two ways you traditionally serve jallop.
If you check my recipe categories, you’ll see that I have an entire section of “heritage” recipes. Well, this one definitely belongs in that category. It’s one of the most delicious examples I know of Southern comfort food. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does.
Recipe Snapshot: Chicken Jallop
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 12
Cuisine: Southern, Vintage
Cooking Method: Stovetop/Oven
Primary Ingredients: Chicken, onions, celery, bell pepper, cream of mushroom soup
Skill Level: Easy
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
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“I just got off the phone with my great aunt (91), and she said she was going to make some chicken jallop, and so many memories of my grandmother came back. I had to see if the rest of the world knew about this piece of southwest Georgia culture. I am glad I found a recipe.”
— Robert M.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole Chicken – Look for a whole chicken that’s close to four pounds in weight. Or use pieces (thighs and breasts, preferably) that are skin-on, bone-in, and equal a total weight of about 4 pounds.
- All-Purpose Flour – This recipe uses the unusual technique of browning the flour in a cast-iron skillet in the oven. That’s called a “dry roux” and, in my opinion, is much easier and less messy than the traditional method of browning the flour in oil on the stovetop.
- Onions, Celery, and Bell Pepper – This combination is often called the trinity of Cajun cooking. It’s found throughout the South, not only in Cajun/Creole recipes, and adds wonderful flavor to stewed dishes.
- Red Chili Pepper – If you enjoy a hit of heat, use the chili pepper. If not, simply omit it.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – I use canned, creamed soups in many of my recipes. They’re ubiquitous to the era in which this Southern comfort food recipe originated. If you prefer to make your own from scratch, try the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe over at Culinary Hill.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Chicken Jallop
Cook the Chicken
STEP 1. Place the chicken and bay leaves in a deep pot with enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook covered until the chicken is tender (about 40 minutes).
Pro Tip
This step can easily be done in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Place the chicken in the cooker with 1 cup water. Set the pot for 12 minutes at high (or cook for 12 minutes after the pressure cooker achieves a seal). Cool immediately to release the pressure.
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Remove the Meat
STEP 2. Remove the chicken from the broth and allow it to cool enough to handle. Remove and discard all skin and bones. Set the meat aside. Reserve all the broth.
Brown the Flour
STEP 3. While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
STEP 4. Place the flour in a cast iron skillet and cook it in the oven, stirring about every 10 minutes, until lightly browned (this step takes about 40 minutes). Set the flour aside.
Cook the Vegetables
STEP 5. Chop or dice the garlic, onions, green bell pepper, and celery.
Finish the Jallop
STEP 6. Bring the reserved stock to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.
STEP 7. Add all the reserved meat to the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
Thicken the Stew
STEP 8. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, and the browned flour. Mix until thoroughly combined and free of any lumps.
STEP 9. Add the butter-soup-flour mixture to the hot mixture, stirring well.
Simmer for One Hour
STEP 10. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Toast the Buns and Serve
STEP 11. Open hamburger buns and spread each side generously with butter.
STEP 12. Place under the broiler until toasted.
How to Serve
STEP 13. To serve, remove the red pepper pod (if used). Place two bun halves in a bowl. Pour jallop over the buns and serve immediately.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Like
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
Chicken Jallop
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole chicken (or chicken pieces equal to 4 pounds)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 medium onions diced
- ¼ green bell pepper diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- 1 pod red chili pepper
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- 12 hamburger buns
- 12 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Place the chicken and bay leaf in a deep pot with enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook covered until the chicken is tender (about 40 minutes). (See notes for pressure cooker instructions.)4 pound whole chicken, 1 bay leaf
- Remove the chicken from the broth and allow it to cool enough to handle. Remove and discard all skin and bones. Set the meat aside. Reserve all the broth.
- While the chicken is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the flour in a cast iron skillet and cook it in the oven, stirring about every 10 minutes, until lightly browned (this step takes about 40 minutes). Set the flour aside.1 cup all-purpose flour
- Chop or dice the garlic, onions, green bell pepper, and celery (plus the optional red pepper, if using).2 cloves garlic, 2 medium onions, ¼ green bell pepper, 4 ribs celery, 1 pod red chili pepper
- Bring the reserved stock to a boil. Add the vegetables and cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.
- Add all the reserved meat to the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
- In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, and the browned flour. Mix until thoroughly combined and free of any lumps.½ cup butter, 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- Add the butter-soup-flour mixture to the hot mixture stirring well. Add salt and pepper to taste.Salt and pepper to taste
- Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Open hamburger buns and spread each side generously with butter.12 hamburger buns, 12 tablespoons butter
- Place under the broiler until toasted.
- To serve, remove the red pepper pod (if used). Place two bun halves in a bowl. Pour jallop over the buns and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
My Granny used to make this little dish all the time. She never said a name we just called it chicken served over rice. We lived in Bridgeboro, Sylvester, Doerun and Moultrie Ga. area. My mom used to make it in a crock pot. Slightly different variation of the recipe for the gravy. Add vegetables to it and you have an awesome pot pie.
It’s truly a wonderful old recipe from the south Georgia area!!
I just got off the phone with my great aunt (91), and she said she was going to make some chicken jallop and so many memories of my grandmother came back. I had to see if the rest of the world knew about this peice of southwest Georgia culture. I am glad I found a recipe. I will be fixing this soon for my son (18 monts).
Also, my dad’s side of the family is around the D-ville area. Good to see some home folks in the comments.
It is such a great old recipe and I’ve never seen it outside of southwest Georgia. I’m from Colquitt and my husband is from Donalsonville, so we’re both very familiar with it. I even included it in my cookbook that was just recently published.
My grandmother used to make this, but she called it creamed chicken. She also made a variation at thanksgiving using left over turkey!
I can’t wait to make your recipe. It looks just like hers!
Hope you enjoy it!
my mother-in-law was front Donalsonville, Seminole Co. (daughter of Dr. Minter, the town dentist & former mayor in the 1940s) and introduced jallop to this northerner. when she made it she would use crushed saltines, about 2 or 3 “sleeves,” in place of the flour to absorb the excess chicken stock. her recipe sees to be a melding of you recipe and the chicken mull recipe.
Yes, that does sound like a cross between jallop and mull! How interesting. By the way, my husband is from Donalsonville and had Virginia Minter as a teacher at some point. Small world.
Comfort food at its best. Back in the day, the Donalsonville Lions Club often served jallop at fundraising suppers. Your recipe is terrific, but I seem to remember crumbled Saltine crackers being added at some point. Or maybe it was served over Saltines? Am I remembering this right? Thank you for sharing forgotten recipes like this. They are wonderful.
Sharon, I haven’t heard of crumbling crackers into it, but it would probably be delicious!
This looks sooooooo good.
It is! I do hope you’ll give it a try.
I have never had this and I want to make it . But I have a question. The flour in the oven ? Is it a roux? I have read and read it again. I apologize if it’s a silly question. But I don’t want to mess it up ?
Hi Christy – it’s not a roux as there’s no moisture or fat added to it. It’s just dry, toasted flour. You only have to be careful not to let it burn.
This reminds me of something my North Carolina mother made. She simply called his chicken stewed down slow gravy. Except forthe green pepper and bay leaf, it seems like the same thing. Thanks for the recipe. I have been searching for something like hers.