Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, made with a creamy base, hearty vegetables, southern-style dumplings, and tender bites of chicken- ready in just under an hour! 

In the mood for comfort on a weeknight? This Instant Pot chicken and dumplings is easy and makes a great dinner and even better leftovers. It also freezes great, too! 

I call this my “cheater” Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

It’s made with (shock! horror!) canned soup and pop-top biscuits. No, this is not a traditional chicken and dumplings recipe. But when it’s a Monday evening and already 5pm and you’re hoping for chicken and dumplings that night, the Instant Pot and a handful of “on-hand” ingredients can make that happen. 

I’ve been on a clear Instant Pot kick lately, posting this Creamy Tomato Soup soup last week, and working on a couple more to share with you all. It’s definitely the season for it, isn’t it? I love using my Instant Pot for the heartier recipes, especially when it’s getting dark at 4pm and the only thing I feel like doing is curling up with a bowl of something warm and flavorful. 

A slight change from “typical” chicken and dumpling ingredients

I read somewhere recently that canned “cream of” soup is offhand referred to as “Lutheran binder” in casseroles and dishes like this, and it made me laugh.

Something about midwestern tastebuds calls for a creamy canned soup added to thicken up meals, and it does this cheater Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings all the favors in adding a big punch of creamy flavor.

I’ve tested this using cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of celery soup and each variation worked fabulously, so feel free to use what you have on hand or are in the mood for. 

I also really recommend chopping the chicken into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the Instant Pot. It’s one extra step, as opposed to just chucking in the breasts or boneless thighs whole (as you can use either cut of chicken here).

By chopping the chicken you ensure smaller, tender pieces of chicken as opposed to shredded chicken, and I think that makes for a better texture with the vegetables.  

I used regular pop-open biscuits in this dish, but I also tested it one time using pop-open croissants, and it still worked great. And if you’re a fan of “ribbon” dumplings in your Chicken and Dumplings, just use scissors to slice the biscuits and then drop them into the broth to cook.

The most important thing is to make sure the biscuits cook through; when a knife or toothpick inserted into the biscuits comes out clean, they’re ready to go. 

This Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is a really forgiving dish at the end of the day.

The recipe below calls to do a Quick Pressure Release after the initial cook time, but if you forgot to get back to the pot and the pressure came back down naturally- you’re still good. The vegetables might be a bit softer, but the flavor will still be there. So give yourself some grace and space while putting this one together. 

Enjoy your comforting bowl of Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings!

Print

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

 

Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings, with a creamy base, hearty vegetables, southern-style dumplings, tender bites of chicken- in under an hour!

Course: Dinner

Keyword: instant pot

Servings: 4

Author: Ruthy Kirwan

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion diced
• 3 large carrots skinned and diced
• 2 large stalks celery diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth I recommend having concentrated bouillon if you’re prepping for later
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 x 8 ounce cans cream of celery soup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch not needed for stovetop cooking- only Instant Pot and slow cooker
• 1 can pop-open dinner biscuits

Instructions

Prep Ahead:

1. Dice the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and add to a resealable bag or container.
2. Add the chicken broth cube or concentrate to the bag or container with the vegetables.
3. Chop the chicken and add to the bag.
4. *Don’t forget to mark the bag with the amount of liquids you’ll need on cooking day!
5. Freeze for up to 3 months or store in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Prepare From Prepped:

1. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight.

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Add contents of the bag to the Instant Pot and secure the lid, then follow Instructions from the “Cook From Fresh” section.
2. If starting with frozen ingredients, add another 10 minutes to the cook time in the Instant Pot.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Add contents of the bag to the Slow Cooker and secure the lid, then follow Instructions from the “Cook From Fresh” section.
2. If starting with frozen ingredients, add another 60 minutes to the cook time with the lid on, prior to adding the soup in Step 3.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Add contents of the bag to a wide saute pan set over medium heat, and cook on low for 10 minutes until the vegetables have started to soften, stirring often.
2. Add the broth and turn the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a rolling simmer, then turn the heat back down to low and stir in the soup. Cook a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened.
3. Continue from Step 4 in the “Cook From Fresh” section.

Make From Fresh:

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Place the oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, and chicken in the Instant Pot and secure the lid, and set the valve to “seal”.
2. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes, then release the steam with the valve for a Quick Pressure Release.
3. Remove some of the liquid and transfer to a cup or bowl. Stir the cornstarch into the bowl, whisking until smooth. Add it back into the Instant Pot.
4. Stir in the cans of soup and set the Instant Pot to “saute”.
5. Pop open the biscuits and rip or cut each biscuit in half. Arrange the biscuits right on top of the liquid, nestling them close to each other.
6. Set the lid on top of the pot without securing it (just balance it on top of the pot, trying not to let too much heat out of the sides)
7. Let the biscuits cook on “saute” for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and turn off the pot.
8. Ladle into bowls with biscuits on top, and serve hot.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Place the oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, and chicken in the slow cooker, secure the lid, and cook on low for 4 hours, high for 2, until chicken is cooked through and falling apart.
2. Remove some of the liquid and make into a slurry with the cornstarch, and add back into the crockpot.
3. Add the soup and stir until no clumps remain.
4. Pop open the biscuits and break them into small pieces. Add them into the pot and add the lid, and cook on high for another 15 minutes.
5. Remove and serve.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering and add the onion, carrots, and celery until the onion has started to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, broth, and chicken pieces and stir to combine.
2. Stir in the celery soup until no clumps remain.
3. Turn the heat to low and cook 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft.
4. Pop open the biscuits and break them into small pieces. Add them into the pot and add the lid, and cook on high for another 15 minutes.
5. Remove and serve.

Recipe Notes

I used regular pop-open biscuits in this dish, but I also tested it one-time using pop-open croissants, and it still worked great. And if you’re a fan of “ribbon” dumplings in your Chicken and Dumplings, just use scissors to slice the biscuits and then drop them into the broth to cook.