Craving an easy, comforting meal? Look no further than Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings! Chock full of tender chicken, fluffy dumplings, and colorful veggies, you will love this easy comfort food dinner!
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Why I Love this Chicken and Dumplings in Instant Pot Recipe
Comfort food at its best, chicken and dumplings is a kid-friendly, stick-to-your-ribs classic. It’s made the old-fashioned way with all of the classic chicken and dumplings elements you love, but in a fraction of the time thanks to the pressure cooker! On crazy busy weeknights with three kids, this recipe has become a real life-saver. Check out what makes it such a hit with the whole family:
- Quick: I can usually prep this recipe in about 10 minutes. Then, it just needs about half an hour to cook to perfection.
- Secret Ingredient: My not-so-secret ingredient here is a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning! It’s the best finishing touch to really bring the whole dish to life.
- Budget Friendly: You won’t see anything listed here that’ll break the bank. In fact, I almost always have these ingredients on hand.
- Filling: You know those chilly evenings when it seems like everyone’s starving and needs a little comfort? That’s the best time to serve this hearty, protein-packed dinner.
I’m a sucker for a big bowl of chicken and dumplings! If you love it as much as I do, check out some of my other favorite recipes like easy chicken and dumplings with biscuits, Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings, and easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for instant pot chicken and dumplings. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Butter: You’ll just need this for sautéing, so feel free to swap it with olive oil if preferred.
- Onion: It can be a white or yellow onion.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is fine, or you can use garlic from a jar. Powdered garlic works, too!
- Celery and Carrots: Roughly chopped celery and carrots add texture, flavor, and color. Always make sure to peel your carrots and rinse your celery prior to chopping.
- Cajun Seasoning: You can vary the amount depending on your taste – between ½ and 1 teaspoon.
- Broth: I like Better than Bouillon – it has great flavor, more than most standard boxed broths. Any broth you like is fine, though!
- Chicken Breast: You can use boneless, skinless thighs if that’s what you have on hand.
- Frozen Peas: No need to thaw.
- Biscuits: A can of biscuits is an easy, quick way to make these dumplings! Cut each uncooked biscuit into 8 small pieces of dough.
- Whipping Cream: To make the chicken and dumplings creamy. Half and half also works well.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings in the Instant Pot
You’re going to love how simple this Instant Pot recipe is! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Saute the vegetables: Set your Instant Pot to SAUTE. Once it’s hot, melt the butter, and then sauté the onions with salt. Stir occasionally until the onions are translucent. Then, add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Finally, add the chopped celery and carrots to the pot. Sprinkle everything with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Let this cook for another 2 minutes.
- Pressure cook the chicken and broth: Turn off the Instant Pot, and add the chicken pieces and the chicken broth on top of the vegetables. Stir everything to combine, and then lock the lid of the Instant Pot in place. Make sure the valve is set to “sealed,” and pressure cook on HIGH for 3 minutes.
- Release the pressure and cook the dumplings: Once the cooking time is up, do a “Quick Release” of the pressure. Once all of the pressure is released and the safety indicator is down, unlock the lid of the Instant Pot. Press CANCEL, and then select SAUTE again. Add the peas (if using), followed by the biscuit pieces, one at a time. When all the pieces are in the pot, gently push them into the simmering soup and stir for about 5 minutes to fully cook them through. Press CANCEL again.
- Add cream and serve. Finally, add the heavy cream to the chicken and dumplings, and give one last stir.
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Double Up: Instant Pot chicken and dumplings can easily be doubled, if you’re using an 8-quart Instant Pot. Make this for a large crowd, or save some for another meal.
- More Veggies: Other vegetables such as corn, green beans, or mushrooms can be added, if desired.
- Biscuit Advice: It’s super important to add the biscuit pieces a few at a time, to prevent them from sticking and forming one large ball of dough in the simmering liquid. Let each one cook briefly before adding the next.
- Seasoning: Another seasoning such as herbs de provence or poultry seasoning can be substituted for the Cajun seasoning, if you prefer. Use what you love!
- Thicken It: Mix up a slurry of cornstarch and some cold water – a tablespoon or so of each is a good start. Use a fork to blend well until there are no lumps, and then stir the mixture into the hot chicken and dumplings. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE, and simmer until thickened.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Green Beans: Try this recipe for the best sautéed green beans with bacon. So easy and always popular!
- Salad: A fresh green salad lightens up this hearty dish. Greek salad is a classic. We also really enjoy green bean salad.
- Cornbread: Any kind of cornbread is great, but these jalapeno sweet corn muffins are a cut above! If jalapenos aren’t your think, check out sweet cornbread.
Yield: 6 Servings
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Craving an easy, comforting meal? Look no further than Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings! Chock full of tender chicken, fluffy dumplings, and colorful veggies, you will love this easy comfort food dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, depending on personal taste
- A pinch of black pepper
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
- ½ cup frozen peas, optional
- 1 can, 10.5 ounces buttermilk biscuits, each biscuit cut into 8ths
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, or half and half
- Parsley, for garnish
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Instructions
- Using a 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot, set the device to SAUTE. Add butter, chopped onions, and kosher salt. Stir occasionally. Cook until onions are translucent, approximately 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
- Next, add celery and carrots. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and black pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Then, turn off the Instant Pot. Add the chicken pieces and the chicken broth. Stir until combined. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot in place, and set the valve to “sealed.”
- Then, cook on HIGH MANUAL PRESSURE for 3 minutes. Once done cooking, perform a quick release. Open the Instant Pot, turn the device to SAUTE again, and let the chicken and dumplings come to a simmer.
- Next, add peas (if desired). Then, add each biscuit section to the liquid individually. Once all of the pieces have been added, push them gently into the simmering liquid and stir for about 5 minutes, or until the biscuits are cooked through. Finally, add the heavy cream and give one last stir.
- Serve immediately and garnish with parsley.
Video
Notes
Storage:
- Fridge: Place the chicken and dumplings in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Place the desired portion in a saucepan over low heat and stir occasionally until cooked through. You can also microwave it.
- Freezer: Pack cooled soup into freezer bags or freezer containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Instant Pot chicken and dumplings will keep for 3-4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 334kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 918mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g
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I love this recipe! It comes together so fast and easy. It’s a great alternative to your standard chicken and dumplings when you’re under a time crunch!
So easy, flavorful and the family gobbled it up! Perfect comfort food!