Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
A big bowl of Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is pure delicious comfort food. Ready in a flash with an “it cooked all day” taste, you’ll flip over this healthy recipe! No pressure cooker? No problem! You’ll also find directions to make this soup in the crockpot as well as a stovetop option.
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If there was such a thing as a hug in a bowl, it would be this Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings. My picky ten-year-old said, “mom, I know we’re supposed to be working on table manners, but I want to drink this bowl of soup so I can eat it faster”.
To increase the healthy factor, I’ve doubled down on the veggies you’d normally find in a traditional recipe. We’re also letting the quality ingredients shine through and are keeping things simple.
This is a “dump and cook” kind of recipe. There is no sauteing of the veggies, no browning of the chicken and you’re going to cook the dumplings with everything else in the Instant Pot.
Push button, walk away, become a dinnertime hero.
And if you love this soup (and you will), you’ll adore our Creamy White Bean Soup and Instant Pot Matzo Ball Soup!
What’s in this soup?
This soup is rocking:
- Chicken! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts from Butcher Box, but you could also use chicken thighs
- Veggies – carrots, celery, and onions. Don’t like one of those things? Leave it out!
- Flavor squad – garlic, sage, parsley
- Chicken stock (related: How to Make Chicken Bone Broth and Where to Buy Bone Broth)
- Dumplings – flour, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and parsley
If you’re in a pinch, you can sub in a storebought can of biscuits instead of making your own dumplings. Use one can of biscuits and cut each into four pieces.
Many recipes will call for the chicken to be cooked and then shredded. If you prefer the chicken shredded, feel free, but know that it will add an extra step to the process.
Or, you could use leftovers from a Paleo Roasted Chicken or even a grocery store rotisserie chicken. Save any leftover chicken for this Instant Pot Chicken Chili or BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese.
If you find yourself looking at a recipe that calls for cream of anything soup, run screaming. This recipe is so easy to make from scratch there is no need to use some creepy can of soup.
While I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, you could make Dairy-Free Chicken Gnocchi Soup for a very similar flavor.
What to serve with it?
I save this easy recipe for busy school nights because it is a complete meal in just one bowl. It has protein, veggies, starch, and enough depth to keep you full for hours.
But, if you wanted a few sides to serve with the soup, a simple plate of roasted veggies is delicious. Check out this post on how to roast frozen vegetables for a fast and easy option.
Even with the dumplings in the soup, you might want a bread option for the side. Check out Cheesy Garlic Bread, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits from scratch, and Homemade Pretzel Rolls.
How to Tell if the Dumplings Are Done
The dumplings will rise to the surface of the pot when they are cooked through. They’ll be smooth on the outside but have a bread-like texture when cut in half.
The dumplings will be soft but shouldn’t be undercooked or overly doughy.
How to Thicken this soup
I purposely didn’t include any thickening agents in this recipe because I wanted to keep.it.simple. Cooking the dumplings with the soup does an excellent job of naturally thickening the soup.
Adding a peeled and chopped potato would add some lovely starch that will thicken the broth up quite a bit. You could also decrease the chicken stock by 1 cup.
If you really want this recipe to be bonkers thick, combine 1 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to 1/3 cup of hot chicken stock from the pot and add it to the soup after it has finished cooking.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Feel free to add in a peeled and cubed russet potato or even peas for extra flavor.
- Sub in buttermilk for the regular milk in the dumplings for a homestyle flavor.
- This soup will naturally thicken up over time. If making this as part of your easy healthy meal prep, consider adding 1 extra cup of chicken stock or add it when you’re reheating.
- I have used both whole wheat pastry flour and all-purpose flour and both will produce delicious dumplings.
- If using leftover chicken that is already cooked, add it after the soup has finished cooking.
- Make your prep even easier by learning how to freeze celery, how to freeze garlic and how to freeze onions.
More Recipes Like This Healthy Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy
- Whole30 Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
- Instant Pot Tortellini
- Paleo Chicken and Pot Pie Soup
- Whole30 Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
- Check out all my Instant Pot Soup Recipes
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 4 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
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Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
- 3 cups carrots (peeled and sliced) (~7 carrots)
- 2.5 cups celery (sliced) (~6 stalks)
- 1 cup onion (chopped) (~1 medium onion)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp chopped fresh)
- 1/2 tsp dried sage (or 1.5 tsp chopped fresh)
- 4.5 cups chicken stock
Dumplings Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 3/4 cup milk
Equipment
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and dried parsley. Add in butter and milk and stir until it is a mostly solid dough. If it is too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time until the dough is no longer tacky.
- Combine the veggies, chicken, stock, and seasonings in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes.
- When the soup has finished cooking, the instant pot will beep and switch to ”keep warm". Allow it to sit with the lid on for 20 minutes for an 8 quart (25 minutes if you have a 6 quart) and then do a manual release with the nozzle set to venting.
Crockpot Instructions
- Follow step 1 above.
- Combine the veggies, chicken, stock, and seasonings in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.
- Just prior to adding the dumpling dough, turn the crockpot to high for a few minutes.
- Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the crockpot, put the lid back on, and wait 25 minutes. The dumplings will start popping to the surface once they have cooked through.
Stovetop Instructions
- Follow step 1 above.
- Combine the veggies, chicken, stock, and seasonings in a dutch oven or stockpot. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until veggies have softened and chicken is cooked through.
- Bring the soup back to a boil, and drop spoonfuls of the biscuits in the soup.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave the lid on for about 15 minutes. Resist the urge to open the lid.
Notes
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My dumplings turned brown and tasted funny. I think it was the butter. Always used vegetable shortening before. The soup was great.
Cathy, I use butter every time and this same thing happens to me maybe 1 in 10 times. I think I have narrowed it down to not releasing the pressure when I’m supposed to. Sometimes I let it go too long because I forget about it, and voila, brown dumplings. They always taste fine but the insides brown a bit.
T thank you for this hearty, delicious recipe! Especially appreciate the different cooking methods (i used stove top).
So glad you enjoyed it, Rosalind! It is a family favorite of ours and I love hearing others feel the same! 🙂