Rich, creamy, and deeply filling chicken and dumplings just got easier to make in the Instant Pot. The secret of a tender dumpling is the use of cake flour.
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Ever wondered if you can make old-fashioned, comforting chicken and dumplings in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker? The answer is a resounding yes!
- New to Instant Pot cooking? Start here!
The trick to chicken and dumplings in the Instant Pot
Pressure cooking chicken and dumplings presents a bit of a challenge, as thickened liquids either won’t hold up or won’t hold up under pressure and will end up burning to the bottom of the pot.
To solve this problem, I didn’t add flour directly to the broth in this recipe. The dumplings release starch as they cook, resulting in a thickened, creamy broth at the end.
You can leave your finished chicken and dumplings in the pot for a few more minutes after cooking, as the broth will continue to thicken as it stands. The leftovers the next day will thicken even more.
I’ve tried making these dumplings with both all-purpose and cake flour.
The cake flour definitely wins in terms of texture. The dumplings will be lighter and fluffier, while all-purpose flour can make heavier, chewy dumplings. You can make this recipe with all-purpose flour, but for the best dumplings, use cake flour if you have it.
These pressure-cooked dumplings have a slightly denser texture than if they were cooked in a pot on the stovetop. I don’t mind a bit more chewing though, especially since they are so convenient to prepare!
Make it a meal!
Chicken and dumplings are a meal in themselves — you don’t need to prepare any other side dishes when you serve them.
However, if you really want to add different side dishes to the table, a lot of collard greens, some cabbage, or a large green salad are good options.
Freeze chicken and dumplings
You can freeze chicken and dumplings in individual portions for easy reheating in the microwave.
I like to transfer mine to freezer and microwave safe containers. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
When I’m hungry for chicken and dumplings, I put a container in the fridge the day before I want to eat them. After just a few minutes in the microwave, a piping hot meal is ready.
Try these other Instant Pot favorites
- Pressure Cooker White Chicken Chili
- How to cook chicken in a pressure cooker
- Peeling lightly boiled eggs in the pressure cooker
- Pressure Cooker Ground Beef Chili
- Pressure cooker lamb stew
Instant pot chicken and dumplings
Do not double this recipe– Too many dumplings will prevent enough steam from building up, so the quick cook/steam cook will not work properly.
Cake flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour, but your dumplings will be heavier and tougher.
ingredients
For the dumpling dough:
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1 1/2 cups (240G) cake flour (See recipe note)
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2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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2 tablespoon unsalted buttermelted
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3/4 Cup whole milk
For the stew:
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1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1 big yellow onioncut into 1/2 inch cubes
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3 stems celerytrimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
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3 Middle carrotspeeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or tender, cut into bite-sized pieces
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1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
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2 cups chicken broth
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1 Cup frozen peasthawed
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1/4 Cup freshly chopped Parsely
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1/4 Cup heavy cream (Optional)
method
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Prepare dumpling dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to spread it in the flour until it has a crumbly consistency.
Add the milk. If you use all-purpose flour, a tablespoon or two of milk may be needed to keep the dough sticky and not dry and shaggy. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until the mixture just comes together. A lumpy, thick batter should form. Don’t mix too much or your dumplings will be too dense. Put aside.
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To sauté vegetables and chicken in the pressure cooker:
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker on sauté setting for 1 minute. Add onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper and sauté 3 minutes until onions start to soften around the edges.
Add chicken and thyme and sauté 2 minutes more, until chicken pieces are mostly opaque on the outside (doesn’t need to be cooked through). Stir in the chicken broth and use a spoon to thoroughly scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
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Add the dumplings and pressure cook:
Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop tablespoon-sized blobs of the dumpling dough into the saucepan in a single layer. (The batter will have thickened while lying, becoming more of a scoopable batter.)
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pressure cooker:
Secure the lid in its sealed position. Cancel the sauté program and then select the manual pressure cooker program for 8 minutes at high pressure.
(The pot needs about 10 minutes to build up pressure before the cooking program starts.)
At the end of the cooking program, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then move the pressure relief valve to its vent position to release any remaining steam.
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Finish the dish:
Open the saucepan and gently stir in the peas, parsley, and cream (if using), being careful not to break the dumplings. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper if needed. Pour into bowls and serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 479 | calories |
| 17g | Fat |
| 45g | carbohydrates |
| 36g | protein |
