Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings The Soul Food Way
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Instant Pot chicken and dumplings, the soul food way, is comfort food at its finest. Ready faster but with all the same Southern charm. This recipe brings together juicy, seasoned chicken, a rich and creamy broth, and tender homemade dumplings that soak up every bit of flavor.
This recipe is still made the soul food way because it’s layered with soulful seasonings, aromatic herbs, and richly seasoned chicken that deliver the deep, comforting flavors passed down through African American kitchens. But, by using the Instant Pot, you cut down the cook time without losing that down-home, made-with-love taste. It’s the best of both worlds: soul food tradition with modern kitchen ease!
Dumplings in Southern cooking
In Southern cooking, dumplings are soft, doughy bites made with simple ingredients like flour, baking powder, and milk. They can be rolled and cut into strips (often called “sliders” or “slicks”), shaped by hand into dough balls, or dropped by spoonfuls into bubbling broth. As they simmer, the dumplings soak up all the savory chicken flavor, turning into fluffy, comforting morsels that thicken the soup and make it hearty enough to feed a crowd.
Can you make chicken and dumplings in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! The Instant Pot makes it quicker and easier to enjoy this soulful Southern classic, with fluffy dumplings and all the rich flavor and comfort in a fraction of the time. Pressure-cooked in an unbelievable 3 minutes!
Ingredients
This recipe uses the same core ingredients as my stovetop chicken and dumplings: seasoned shredded chicken, homemade dumplings, onion, and a savory mix of soulful seasonings.
I love using a mix of shredded chicken breast and thigh meat for the perfect balance of tenderness and rich flavor. Plus, I take things further with sautéed celery and onions for rich, flavorful depth, going beyond the usual frozen carrots and peas.
How to make Instant Pot chicken and dumplings
This recipe pressure cooks in just 3 minutes, then finishes with a 10-minute natural release. No extra steps needed.
- Make the dumplings from scratch.
- Then, in the inner pot, use the sauté mode to cook the vegetables, and add the chicken, seasonings, and broth.
- Pressure cook the soup with the dumplings.
- Finally, open the Instant Pot lid and stir in the heavy cream, serve with cornbread to soak up all the soup’s flavors, and enjoy!
Can you use canned biscuits?
Yes, you can use canned biscuit dough! For an easy chicken and dumplings recipe, simply pinch off pieces of the canned biscuits and shape them into dumplings as a quick alternative to making them from scratch. For more time-saving tricks with this recipe, consider pulling apart meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Is Instant Pot chicken and dumplings thick or soupy?
Instant Pot chicken and dumplings should be both thick and soupy—creamy enough to coat your spoon, yet brothy enough to feel like a hearty soup. The final stir of heavy cream gives it that perfect balance of richness and comfort.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store leftovers up to 5 days in the fridge, then reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream. And bonus, the flavors get even better overnight!
Equipment
- Handheld or stand electric mixer optional, to make the dumplings
- Large saucepan with a lid
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dumplings
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken breast or thigh meat pre-cooked, seasoned, and pulled shredded, or chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup carrots chopped
- 3/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Instructions for the homemade dumplings
- Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt to a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the milk and vegetable oil until it’s well combined.
- Set this dough mixture aside for making the dumplings later.
Instructions for soul food chicken and dumplings
- Open the Instant Pot lid and set it to the sauté function for 10 minutes, though you will not use all of this time.
- With the lid off, allow the sauté setting to heat up for about a minute, then add the vegetable oil.
- Add the carrots, onion, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion and celery soften.
- Stir in the garlic, chicken bouillon, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the broth and add the cooked chicken, and cancel the sauté.
- Pinch off small portions of the dough and quickly roll them into 1-2 inch dumpling-shaped balls. Keep in mind that the dumplings will increase in size as they cook.
- Close the Instant Pot lid, ensuring the valve is up in the sealing position, and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure if necessary.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Finally, stir in the heavy whipping cream, then serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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Your chicken and dumplings is the perfect, just like grandma’s dinner in less than 20 minutes!