Pure comfort food! It's easy to make Instant Pot chicken and dumplings with this simple, flavorful recipe. Chicken and drop dumplings cook with potatoes, peas and carrots in a richly flavorful broth.
I have to admit, I was surprised by how easy this recipe for Instant Pot chicken and dumplings is. Dumplings are a little bit intimidating, right? But it turns out that homemade drop dumplings are easy to make and even easier to love.
How to Make Homemade Drop Dumplings
- Mix together flour, baking powder and salt
- Stir in milk and melted butter
- Drop tablespoons of batter into a simmering broth
That's it! Put the lid on the Instant Pot, and the dumplings cook with the chicken, veggies and broth in just 8 minutes.
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt 
2. Add milk and melted butter 
3. Gently combine to make the batter 
4. Drop tablespoons of dumpling batter into simmering broth 
5. Cook dumplings with the chicken and broth for 8 minutes on high pressure
A One-Pot Meal in Your Instant Pot
Chicken and dumplings is a one-pot meal that cooks quickly and easily in your Instant Pot. Here's how you make the whole meal, including the dumplings.
- Saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery and poultry seasoning
- Add chicken broth, chicken breasts or thighs, potatoes and bay leaf
- Bring to a simmer
- Drop dumpling batter into the broth
- Seal the lid, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes
- Stir in peas, shred chicken
What I Love About This Recipe
This is pure comfort food! The shredded chicken, the melt-in-your mouth potatoes and carrots, the soft dumplings....they come together quickly into a bowl of deliciousness.
What I love best about my Instant Pot chicken and dumplings is the broth. As the dumplings and potatoes cook, they release starch that makes the broth thick and creamy. There's no need to add cream or cornstarch to this recipe to thicken the broth.
Common Questions About Chicken and Drop Dumplings
Yes, both chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs work well in this recipe. Use whichever you like best! The cooking time is the same for both.
No, it' not necessary to cut up the chicken before it goes in the Instant Pot. I prefer cooking whole chicken breasts or thighs then shredding the meat after it's cooked. It's easier than dealing with raw chicken.
Try using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Cake flour is low protein flour that's milled into a fine consistency, which makes baked goods lighter and fluffier.
Sure can, I've made a vegetarian version several times and love it. Just omit the chicken and add 1 or 2 more carrots and potatoes to bulk up the soup. Also, use vegetable broth. Fresh herbs, like chives or parsley, would also be a nice addition to the finished dish.
You can! Follow the vegetarian advice above, and then also use vegetable oil or vegan butter instead of regular butter for both the dumplings and to saute the veggies. You can sub in non-dairy milk for regular milk in the dumpling batter.
Poultry seasoning is usually a blend of finely ground dried thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg. If you can't find it in the spice aisle, then just use your favorite seasoning blend.
More Chicken Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
- Baked Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Cauliflower
IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW AND LEAVE SOME STARS — THANKS! I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK!
Print📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Pure comfort food! It's easy to make Instant Pot chicken and dumplings with this simple, flavorful recipe. Chicken breasts or thighs and drop dumplings cook with potatoes, peas and carrots in a richly flavorful broth. This one-pot meal is a family favorite.
Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 10 minutes to reach pressure + 8 minutes cooking time + quick release
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Dumplings
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted (I use salted butter)
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon milk (2% or whole milk work best)
Chicken & Broth
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped or sliced into thin half moons
- 1 small yellow onion (or half of a larger onion), finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 4 cups/1 quart chicken stock
- 1 to 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken (either whole chicken breasts or thighs), seasoned with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
- 2 to 3 golden potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 small bay leaf
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Make the dumpling batter. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Gently stir in the milk and melted butter, just until it combines with the dry ingredients. Don't over-mix! The batter will be thick, lumpy and sticky. Set the batter aside.
- Saute veggies and seasoning. Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot. Add the butter, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and poultry seasoning. Saute until the onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spatula or wooden spoon to release any bits of onion stuck to the bottom.
- Add the chicken, potatoes and bay leaf. Keep the saute function on so the broth comes to a simmer.
- Drop in dumplings. When the broth is simmering, drop heaping tablespoons of the dumpling batter into the simmering broth, evenly spaced around the surface of the pot. Smaller dumplings will cook better than large dumplings. Try to get about 12 to 14 dumplings. Don't worry about the dumplings being perfectly round; lumpy shapes are just fine.
- Secure the lid. Press Cancel to stop the saute function. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release valve is in the sealed position.
- Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Press the Manual button to program the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Quick Release. When the cooking time is done, immediately do a Quick Release by turning the steam release valve to the venting position. MAKE SURE to place a towel over the steam release valve first. This will prevent the valve from splattering steam and broth as it releases.
- Take out the chicken with tongs and set it on a cutting board. Shred the chicken (if needed, season with more salt) and then return the chicken to the pot before serving.
- Add peas. Stir in the frozen peas, they will cook quickly in the hot broth.
Notes
This recipe is made in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
If the dumplings seem doughy in the middle, just set the lid back on the pot loosely and let the stew sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
If needed, you can use canola/sunflower oil instead of melted butter in the dumplings. I prefer melted butter, but oil will work in a pinch.
Jen
So comforting and yummy. The dumplings help thicken the broth, making it rich and flavorful. This dinner reminds me of a cross between chicken and dumplings and a chicken pot pie.