Easy Homemade Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Easy Homemade Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are a thick, creamy bowl of comfort made in the pressure cooker or crockpot. This from scratch recipe is easily adaptable to make the best gluten free chicken and dumplings as well!

It’s official. Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings has tied with Stuffed Pepper Soup to be the most rejoiced recipe at our house.

Luckily (for us) they can both be made easily in the instant pot or slow cooker!

If you think you don’t have what it takes to whip up a rich, buttery bowl of chicken and dumplings from scratch, think again. You won’t even have to rely on canned biscuits or condensed soup!

This recipe is still manageable and easy for a novice or quick weeknight dinner. 

Sure, using convenience items like canned goods, shortens your prep time, but there are trade offs. First, the recipe cannot be adapted for gluten free.

Trust me when I say, no one will suspect these are gluten free dumplings!

Also, the homemade soup is really effortless to make. Dump simple ingredients such as chicken breasts, broth and seasonings with the chopped veggies and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. 

Then mix together flour, milk, and butter for quick and easy dumplings. Drop into the hot liquid soon you’ll be sitting down the to the best chicken and dumplings ever made!

If you love this chicken and dumplings recipe, be sure to make equally heavenly Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie! 

What kind of chicken to use 

I’ve tested this recipe with several different types of chicken and GOOD NEWS! They all taste wonderful. Use any these options with the simple modifications listed. 

Since chicken pieces vary in size and weight, check the internal temperature. White meat should be 160ºF,  while dark meat is 165ºF.

My biggest kitchen obsession is Thermoworks Thermapen to check temps in seconds!

Chicken Breasts – Cook at HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. You could decrease time by 3 minutes, but I prefer the fall apart tenderness. 

Frozen Chicken – Make sure the chicken is separated and not frozen in one big clump. It will take longer for the pot to come to pressure, plus add 2 minutes to cook time.

Chicken Thighs – Boneless 12 minutes, Bone-In 15 minutes

Split Bone In Chicken Breasts – 20 minutes, for frozen split chicken breasts add an additional 5 minutes to cooking time

Rotisserie Chicken – Cook veggies with broth for 8 minutes. Release pressure and add shredded or cut up rotisserie chicken pieces. 

How to Make Homemade Dumplings

Don’t be intimidated by the sound of fresh, from scratch homemade dumplings! They are actually quite easy to make. I have complete confidence you can do it!

To make homemade drop dumplings simply whisk flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add melted butter, milk, and stir to combine.

Any milk may be used, buttermilk, skim, 2%, even dairy free milk!

Once the batter is mixed scoop some up with a spoon. Use another spoon to scrape it into the hot soup liquid.

An easy trick for scooping dumplings out uniformly and easily is to use a medium to large cookie scoop. Otherwise the two spoons method works great for rustic looking dumplings. 

How to tell when dumplings are done

Depending on how large the drop dumplings are, they will take 5-12 minutes to cook through. Stir gently occasionally.

To check if the dumplings are cooked through insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle. It should come out clean without wet sticky dough attached to it. 

Gluten Free Dumplings 

For gluten free dumplings substitute a gluten free all purpose flour. I prefer to use Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour because the gritty, gluten free texture is undetectable. 

Can I Use Canned Biscuits?

Yes. Use canned biscuits to save time or if you don’t need a gluten free chicken and dumplings recipe.  

Separate biscuits from two 7.5 ounce refrigerated canned biscuits containers. Cut each biscuit dough circle into 4 wedges. Drop into hot chicken soup, simmering for 8-9 minutes. 

Thickening Chicken Soup Liquid

To keep this recipe gluten free it doesn’t use condensed soup, which is a shortcut most easy recipes use. Instead, cornstarch thickens the creamy soup.

Whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the cream. Stir into the chicken broth and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

The soup will become thicker once the dumplings are added to the top.

Flour from the dumplings also helps thicken the soup. Don’t be tempted to whisk in additional cornstarch slurry until after the dough has cooked through.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

1. Press SAUTE function and cook onion, carrots, and celery until veggies are crisp tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. 

2. Add chicken, chicken stock, thyme, salt, and pepper to pot. Close lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.

3. Quick release pressure and remove chicken to shred into large pieces. Add peas and chicken back to pressure cooker.

4. Whisk together heavy cream with cornstarch and stir into simmering liquid. Cook and stir for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened.

5. For dumplings, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Add melted and cooled butter and milk to flour mixture. Stir to combine. 

6. Use a large spoon to scoop up a dumpling ball Use another spoon to scrape the dough into the simmering liquid. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Let the dumplings simmer for 5-12 minutes, depending on the size of the dough ball.

Intimidated by using an Instant Pot? Learn in minutes with this Easy Start Instant Pot Guide full of tips, hacks, and tricks.

Making this Recipe in the Slow Cooker 

What’s not to love about a comfort food crockpot meal waiting for you? Make slow cooker Chicken and Dumplings without condensed soup by following these easy steps! 

1. Lay chopped carrots, celery, onions, and garlic at the bottom of the crockpot. Chop butter and sprinkle on top.
2. Place chicken on top of veggies. Pour in broth and sprinkle with seasonings. 
3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW 8 hours.
4. Whisk together heavy cream with cornstarch and stir into chicken broth. 
5. Mix together dumpling dough ingredients.
6. Scrape spoonfuls of dumplings into slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, or until dough is cooked through.

What to Serve With the Best Chicken and Dumplings

This hearty, filling dish includes protein, vegetables, and starches mixed together in a one pot meal.

If you’d like to serve something to go along with it, roasted vegetables add a nice texture contrast. In addition, fresh green salads also make a great side dish.

• Roasted Zucchini
• Steamed Corn
• Green Bean Salad
• 7 Layer Salad
• Glazed Carrots
• Baked Broccoli and Cheese
• Oven Roasted Cabbage
• Harvest Salad

Best Way to Reheat Chicken and Dumplings

The key is low and slow when reheating! I like to use the stovetop to control the heat and stir frequently. If you find the sauce has thickened too much, add an additional splash of milk. 

The microwave may also be used, but cook at 50% power. Start with 2 minutes, stir, and add more time at 50% power. Finish the last 30 seconds to 1 minute on full power to heat through. 

Freezing Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Leftover chicken and dumplings may also be frozen for a future meal! Make sure the contents have cooled completely before transferring to airtight freezer containers. 

For best results, thaw thoroughly in the refrigerator before reheating. This will take 24-48 hours, depending on the portion frozen. Gently reheat using the directions listed above. ⬆️

Easy Comfort Food Instant Pot Recipes 

• Creamy Velveeta Mac and Cheese
• Pork Tenderloin with Gravy
• Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
• Sloppy Joes
• Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Potato Soup
• Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
• Honey Soy Chicken Thighs

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