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!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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 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.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you’re in a pinch, you can sub in a store-bought can of biscuits instead of making your own dumplings. Use one can of biscuits and cut each into four pieces.
- 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.
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.1 tsp dried parsley, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp sea salt, 2 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup milk
- Combine the veggies, chicken, stock, and seasonings in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.1 lb chicken breast, 3 cups carrots, 2.5 cups celery, 1 cup onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried parsley, 4.5 cups chicken stock
- 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
Shop this Post:
(may include affiliate links)
Hi just want to say thank you for this recipe! Having the ingredient amounts in each step was beyond helpful!!
I’m so glad you liked that! It’s a new feature and something that has required me to go back and update old posts. It’s tedious but sooooo worth it.
Okay, this was my first InstaPot recipe EVER and I totally botched it. The soup got “slimy” from the dumplings and the dumplings were oddly textured as well. The flavor is good, and I want to try it again, but have no idea where I went wrong! Any suggestions?
Lexi, I always suggest someone starts with something super easy, like rice as their first Instant Pot recipe. It lets you get comfortable with the process, terms, etc.
If the soup/dumplings had a weird texture, I wonder if the error occurred during the release process. Did you allow for a natural release before doing the quick release?
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! 🙂