Growing up at my house, one of the best things we ate was our mom’s Chicken and Dumplings. She made hers in a cast iron dutch oven. And sometimes I do, too. But Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are so good, and this recipe makes a fantastic one-pot meal.
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
This is another comfort food favorite. A recipe that has been around forever. I’m sure that most cultures have a version of this that someone’s mom, nana, or even a dad or grandpa made for them.
Meals like this bring back warm and happy memories of spending time with those we care about, even when they are not right here with us. Food can do that.
Start with getting all of your ingredients gathered together and prepared. Or as the French say. “Mise en place” (everything in place).
Decide which style of dumplings you want to use, and prepare them, too. I was asked which are my favorite. I like the homemade fluffier dumplings. My husband likes the flattened biscuits (he thinks they are more like noodles, and less doughy tasting).
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is a pretty quick meal, considering how delicious and heart it comes out. Much faster than my mom’s. I wish she had lived to see me use my Instant Pot. <3 Love you Mom.
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Instant Pot Easy Tomato Soup
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Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are the classic comfort food many of us grew up with. You can make this delicious one-pot wonder in your electric pressure cooker.
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Thighs, and/or Breasts, cut in slightly larger than bite sized pieces
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Salt (more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme, 2 tsp leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 4" sprig Fresh Rosemary, 2 tsp leaves, stripped off and minced (or 1 tsp dried & crushed)
- 1/2 tsp Sage, dried
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 1 cup Carrots, chopped (about 2 or 3 carrots)
- 1 cup Celery, chopped (2 stalks)
- 3 large cloves Garlic, pressed or minced (about 1 Tbsp)
- 1 large Potato, chopped
- 4 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 6 jumbo Canned Buttermilk Refrigerator Biscuits (16oz pkg contains 8)
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 Tbsp Shortening (such as Crisco)
- 3/4 cup Whole Milk (or buttermilk)
- 1/4 cup Chives, finely chopped (fresh or dried) - Optional
For the canned biscuits, roll each one flat and cut into 6 equal slices. Do this to all 6 and set aside in a bowl.
Put all ingredients except milk in a bowl and use a pastry cutter or a fork to mix well and incorporate the shortening into the dry ingredients.
Stir the milk (and chives, if using) in and combine, until just moistened. Set aside.
Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté setting. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil and the butter. Then add the chicken in one layer and let cook a few minutes on one side. Then stir and cook a few more minutes, until there is just a bit of pink still visible.
Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Cook for a minute to let the spices bloom.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for a few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up any brown bits (deglaze).
Add the garlic and stir, cooking about 1 minute.
Stir in the potato and the chicken broth. Put a glass lid on the pot and let the contents warm up to barely a simmer.
Add the dumplings.
Homemade: Drop heaping teaspoonfulls into the broth (not too large as they need to cook through, and they expand).
Biscuits: Add the sliced biscuits into the broth and gently stir to distribute them.
Place the lid on the pot and lock in place. Turn the steam release knob to the sealing position.
Cancel the Sauté function.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial) and then the + or - button (or dial) to select 7 minutes.
When the cooking cycle has finished, do a Controlled Quick Release of the steam/pressure. Start by using a wooden spoon or other long handled utensil to turn the steam release knob towards Venting, and start letting the steam out gradually.
Do this several times, and back off if any of the sauce starts to spew out with the steam. Then open it all the way when you feel certain only steam will be coming out. It will take a couple of minutes to fully vent.
When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid carefully, and stir in the frozen peas.
Stir in the heavy cream (if using) and put the glass lid on to let it sit and heat through.
Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
Serve.
Resources to Make Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
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This recipe is truly amazing! Easy to make once prep is done. Spices and flavors work so great together. Instant Pot makes it fairly quick to make. I have made twice and will be making this recipe forever!
Hi Paige! I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Did you make fluffy or flat dumplings? Thank you for your review!
I really liked this! Great flavor. Made the flat canned biscuit dumplings, and they were good. I want to try the homemade fluffy dumplings next time.
That’s great, April! The fluffy dumplings are my favorite! Thank you for your review!
Wonderful receipe. My husband LOVED it. Will definitely make this again!!!
That’s wonderful, Nancy! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Made this today! Came out great!
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review, Tina!
Have been trying Chicken and Dumplings recipes in search of a good one. Have found several that were good, but this one is great–by far my fave! I made the homemade fluffy dumplings which are really tasty. Sauce is delicious, and chicken is moist and flavorful. No more trying for me–this is my go to recipe!!!
Hi Donna! I’m glad to know that your search is over! I’m a fluffy dumpling girl, too! Thank you for your review!
Oh. My. Word. This recipe is FANTASTIC! I have a family of picky eaters and everyone, I mean EVERYONE loved it! Also, my first ever recipe using my new instant pot, and I am so very happy how it turned out! So flavorful and easy! This will be one of my new “go-to” recipes! Thank you!
Hi Penny! This is such a great review! Thank you! It warms my heart when someone likes one of my recipes so much! AND IT WAS YOUR FIRST IN THE IP?!!! Amazing! You are ahead of the game! Thank you for your review, and CONGRATS!!
I came across this because chicken and dumplings is one of my children’s favorite meals and I wanted to try my new instant pot to make it. Very, very good! I used fresh herbs and doubled the recipe (except dumplings but I should have doubled those) for a large instant pot. So good! This one is a keeper.
Hi Christina, I’m so happy that you and your children like this recipe! I also like using fresh herbs, nothing can compare! I appreciate you leaving a review, thank you.
This is by far the best chicken and dumplings I have ever had! I hadn’t planned on dinner guests when I was making this but we ended up having the neighbor and her grandson join us. ALL 3 kids and all 3 adults agreed that is was amazing. The fresh thyme was key. The neighbor even went home with the recipe. I will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
HI Ashlee! I’m so thrilled that you all liked this recipe so much! Thank you for sharing, and for your review!
How many servings for chicken and dumplings
About 6, or 8 smaller servings.
Love this recipe!! Worked well in my Instant Pot. Does anyone have any nutrition info for it?
This looks delicious! Have you ever made it as a freezer meal? If so how did you modify it? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, no I haven’t made this into a freezer meal. My guys gobble it up too fast!
Made this for the second time yesterday. I was missing a few things the first time I made it and I used canned biscuits for the dumplings. This time I followed the recipe completely and made the dumplings. OMG It was great before. Last night it was fantastic. My only regret was that I didn’t use all the dough because I was afraid it wouldn’t fit. now I think they would have. lol
Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. 🙂
Awesome, Kim! I love the homemade dumplings, too! I’m so happy you liked this recipe! Thank you for the nice review!
I normally follow a Paleo diet but I was craving something warm and filling on a chilly autumn night…so I attempted this recipe using Pamela’s gluten free biscuit and scone mix and omitted the heavy cream and instead used a bit of arrowroot which thickened the gravy perfectly. O.M.G….SOOOOOOO good! My 8 year old had seconds and requested leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Hubby and 3 year old gobbled this up and commented multiple times on how good it was. This recipe will now be a part of our normal chilly weather rotation 🙂 Thank you Sandy!!!!!
Megan, I’m so happy the family liked it! Great adaptations for your diet! Thank you for your review.
Truly is easy and tasty
Made this tonight and it was absolutely scrumptious!! Got the thumbs up from my hubby & kids and they asked it we can have it again tomorrow 😀. I only did minor changes, I doubled the recipe, did not use the heavy cream and used canned biscuits that were semi flattened and cut into squares, then dipped in flour so they wouldn’t stick. Thanks for a delicious IP chicken and dumplings recipe!
Hi Deana, thank you for your nice review! I’m happy to hear that the whole family liked this recipe!
After a lifetime of eating and making chicken and dumplings, I figured I would try this recipe out with the new Instant Pot. I am glad that I did. It was an absolute hit in the house and will be the go to recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing!!
That’s great, James! I’m so happy you all like this recipe! Thank you for your review!
Can’t wait to try this recipe tonight. I have all the ingredients on hand with the exception of shortening. Is there a substitute you’d recommend?
You can try some very cold butter cut into small chunks.
It’s in the pot now and it’s so easy to make. I haven’t had homemade dumplings in years. Looking forward to supper tonight. It smells amazing!!
That’s great! Please let me know how you like it!
I LOVE this recipe. I made it tonight and it was a success in my household. So delicious and easy to make. I will definitely make it again!
That’s great, Erina! Thank you for your review!
Delicious! Perfect for the cold weather we’ve been having. The whole family loved it…of course, I needed to double the recipe. I sautéed the thighs in a separate, larger pan, and then transferred it to my InstantPot. I rolled out and sliced the biscuits…great idea!
Great, Donna! Thanks for letting me know!
FYI for those doubling the receipe. It will not fit in a 6-quart IP. Found out the hard way…
I went looking for IP chicken & dumplings recipes while in the grocery store. I saw this one required herbs/spices i’d have to buy, as compared to the other recipes online. I saw sage on the list & knew I had to try it.
So glad I did! This is the best meal I have made in my IP to date. (Like so many others, I got it on Black Friday last year.) I even messed it up a bit, had to repopen the pot & take it back to pressure. Still came out delicious!! Thanks so much! I’ll be trying your other recipes! 😊
Hi Barb! I really like sage with poultry, so I add it to several of my recipes. I’m happy that you liked this one! Thanks for your review!
Just made this for the second time. First time with all dried herbs, this time with fresh. Both were wonderful. I used flattened, canned biscuits and really enjoyed. Will eventually try the homemade when I have more time! Thanks for the recipe!
Can you make this with frozen chicken breast?
Yes!
This was SO yummy. Sort of a “gourmet” chicken & dumplings. My whole family finished their bowls and my boys can be picky. I even made the homemade dumplings. Thank you so much for sharing this. Being from the south (and not the most confident cook) I’m feeling accomplished & inspired!! God bless you!
Thank you, Kim! I’m flattered! I’m very happy that your family enjoyed this recipe, and that you enjoyed making it!
So good! The cream makes it decadently delicious. I used bisquick dumplings, they were yum!
Nice! Thank you!
Made this and it is wonderful. I used the canned biscuits just for the sake of time and mess (7 kids, a grandma and husband approved!)
Can you make this with already cooked chicken? Would you just add chicken with the cream and heat?
I think so. Just add the chicken after pressure cooking and let it sit a few minutes to heat up the chicken.
The best instapot recipe i have tried so far!
Thank you so much, Erin! I’m glad you liked it!
Great recipe! So flavorful and delicious, it was better than any other chicken and dumplings I had in the past. My Insta Pot is a mini so I reduced the ingredients by about 1/4. It was perfect! Finishing it off with a little cream at the end is totally necessary, as it adds just a bit of flavor to the already delicious gravy. (Watch the salt if using a biscuit mix.)
That’s great, Rena! Thank you!
I have everything to make this tonight except the heavy cream 🙁 can I use whole milk??
Yes you can.
This was the first meal I made in my instant pot and it came out amazing!! It was so easy and flavorful!
Awesome!
Very good recipe, I was concerned with mixing the fluffy dumplings ahead of time, so I mixed them last. I use ghee as my shortening. Fat free 1/2 & 1/2 for the cream. No other substitutions! Everyone asked for seconds!