Why Choose Pressure Cooker Chicken and Dumplings?

This Instant Pot chicken and dumplings recipe has quickly become a household favorite, particularly when we crave something warm, satisfying, and reminiscent of cherished childhood meals. The beauty of pressure cooking lies in its ability to infuse deep flavors and tenderize ingredients rapidly, transforming simple components into a rich, comforting dish without the extensive simmering traditionally required.

Beyond speed, the sealed environment of a pressure cooker locks in nutrients and moisture, resulting in incredibly succulent chicken and perfectly cooked vegetables. It’s a game-changer for busy families and anyone looking to enjoy classic comfort food without the wait.

Ninja Foodi Chicken and Dumplings: Versatility at its Best

Good news for Ninja Foodi owners! This recipe is completely adaptable for your multi-cooker. Simply use the pressure cooking lid for the main cooking phase, and then switch to the “Saute” function for thickening and adding the biscuits. All the instructions provided here work seamlessly across various pressure cooker brands, ensuring tender meat in a creamy sauce, all prepared in roughly 20 minutes.

To streamline the process, we rely on convenient refrigerated biscuits for our dumplings. However, if you prefer, you can certainly experiment with gnocchi for a different texture or use Bisquick for a homemade dumpling dough. With wholesome vegetables, savory chicken, and a luscious sauce, this one-pot meal is guaranteed to evoke nostalgic feelings of home-cooked goodness.

Essential Tips for Pressure Cooking Success

If you’re new to the world of pressure cooking, welcome! It’s a fantastic way to prepare delicious meals quickly. Here are a few foundational tips to help you get started and make the most of your culinary adventures:

• Understand Cooking Times: Familiarize yourself with a pressure cooker cooking times chart. This invaluable resource will guide you on how long various ingredients like meats, vegetables, and beans need to cook under pressure for perfect results.
• Consider a Non-Stick Pot: While not strictly necessary, investing in a high-quality non-stick inner pot can significantly enhance your pressure cooking experience. It minimizes sticking, especially during sautéing, and simplifies cleanup. Learning how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing is crucial, but a non-stick pot can make this step even easier.

For most of our recipe development, we use a 6-quart pressure cooker, which is a versatile size for family meals.

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings with Canned Biscuits: Simplicity Redefined

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity, particularly when it comes to the dumplings. There’s absolutely NO need to fuss with making Bisquick biscuits from scratch. We’re all about easy, accessible recipes here, and ready-made refrigerated biscuits work wonderfully, saving you time and effort.

You can also use frozen biscuit dough if preferred. Simply allow the dough to defrost just enough to easily slice it into small, bite-sized pieces. These will cook up beautifully in the pot, contributing to a truly effortless one-pot meal.

Choosing Your Chicken: Thighs or Breasts?

The foundation of any great chicken and dumplings is, of course, the chicken! You have options here: boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, whichever you prefer. For even cooking, select pieces that are roughly the same thickness. While boneless is recommended for ease, you can certainly buy bone-in, skin-on chicken and remove the skin and bones yourself to save a bit of money.

This pressure cooker recipe offers all the heartwarming flavor of your grandmother’s stovetop version, but without the extensive cooking time. She might just be a little jealous! This dish truly embodies the spirit of comfort food and is a fantastic addition to your repertoire of Instant Pot soup recipes, perfect for chilly evenings.

Detailed Ingredient Notes for the Perfect Batch

Selecting the right ingredients is key to a truly flavorful and satisfying chicken and dumplings. Here’s a breakdown of our recommendations:

• Chicken Breasts: We almost exclusively use diced (bite-sized) boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Opt for medium-sized pieces for even cooking. Organic, free-range chicken often offers superior texture and flavor.
• Vegetables:
  • Carrots: Peel and slice into thick “dials” or rounds. Thicker slices will hold their shape better during pressure cooking, preventing them from becoming mushy.
  • Celery: Slice generously. Similar to carrots, thicker cuts will maintain a pleasant texture.
  • Onions: Large chunks of onion are a must for depth of flavor.
  • Optional Additions: Feel free to incorporate frozen peas at the very end for a pop of color and sweetness.
• Liquid Base: Chicken broth is paramount. It provides a richer, more complex flavor profile compared to water. Add more if you like a lot of liquid in your soup.
• Creaminess Factor: A touch of milk, preferably whole milk, adds that desirable creamy richness to the broth. Add a bit more if you want more liquid and creaminess.
• Thickening Agent: Cornstarch is our go-to for achieving the perfect velvety consistency. It’s added at the end to thicken the broth without overcooking the other ingredients.
• The Easy Dumplings: Refrigerated biscuits (like Grands) are the star here for convenience. Cut them into spoon-sized pieces. If refrigerated biscuits aren’t available, you can easily whip up a biscuit dough using Bisquick and portion it out.
• Seasonings: We use a simple yet effective blend of salt (optional, depending on broth sodium), oregano, pepper, and thyme.

Dietary Adjustments: For a dairy-free version, plain cashew milk is an excellent substitute due to its thicker consistency, though almond milk can also work. Don’t hesitate to double up on your favorite vegetables or use only one type if that suits your taste.

Leftover Inspiration: If you’ve just roasted a turkey, its leftover meat can be a fantastic substitute for chicken in this recipe, making for an equally delicious and quick meal. While this dish is designed for a speedy 30-minute pressure cooker preparation, it can also be adapted to a slow cooker chicken and dumplings for those days when you prefer a longer, hands-off cook.

Dumpling Dilemmas: What to Substitute for Canned Biscuits?

We understand that refrigerated biscuits might not be readily available everywhere. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair! You can easily make your own biscuit dough. Our fluffy Bisquick biscuits recipe is a great starting point. Once prepared, simply portion the dough into bite-sized pieces and add them to the pot as instructed for the refrigerated biscuits.

Achieving the Perfect Creamy Broth: How to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

A rich, velvety broth is essential for truly satisfying chicken and dumplings. Here’s how to achieve that ideal thickness:

1. After removing the cooked chicken, set your Instant Pot to the “Saute” function.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together a few tablespoons of hot liquid from the pot with 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch until completely smooth. This creates a slurry that prevents lumps.
3. Pour the cornstarch slurry and your milk into the pot, stirring gently.
4. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil and bubble for about a minute. The heat will activate the cornstarch, thickening the broth.
5. Shred your cooked chicken and return it to the pot. Stir to combine and let it warm through, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. Serve immediately!

Homemade Dumplings and Noodle Options

While we champion the convenience of refrigerated biscuits, for those who love to bake, making homemade dumplings from scratch is certainly an option. Simply prepare your preferred dumpling dough and cut it into small pieces before adding it to the pot. The key is to aim for a soft, pillowy consistency, which our quick biscuit method delivers perfectly. If you’re looking for an easy way to make chicken and dumplings in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, you’ve got to give this one a whirl.

If you’re not a fan of traditional dumplings, or simply prefer pasta, you can easily transform this into an Instant Pot Chicken Noodle dish. Instead of adding biscuit pieces, consider making our pressure cooker chicken noodle casserole. Alternatively, for a twist on this recipe, you could submerge about 1 cup of uncooked elbow macaroni on top of the liquid (without stirring) before sealing the lid for the final pressure cooking stage.

Some grocery stores also offer frozen dumpling versions. These are a great convenient choice, though be aware they may release a bit more liquid during cooking, which could slightly thin your soup. Just adjust your cornstarch slurry accordingly if you notice this.

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Here’s the step-by-step guide to making this mouth-watering pressure cooker chicken and dumplings:

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

This incredibly easy Instant Pot chicken and dumplings recipe is a game-changer! In just 20 minutes, you can create the best pressure cooker chicken dish, also perfect for your Ninja Foodi. Indulge in the ultimate comfort food, made effortlessly.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• 1 Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, etc.)

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, medium size
• 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thickly
• 1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 cup chicken broth (add more if you like a lot of liquid)
• 1/2 cup milk (whole milk recommended for best creaminess; add more if you want more liquid)
• 1 tsp salt (optional – we usually don’t add any)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3 refrigerated biscuits (e.g., Grands, cut into spoon-sized pieces)
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch (optional, to thicken broth)

Instructions

1. Place medium-sized chicken breasts, prepared vegetables (carrots, celery, onion), seasonings (salt, oregano, thyme, pepper), and chicken broth into your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Ensure chicken breasts are of similar size for uniform cooking.
2. Secure the lid and set your pressure cooker to High Pressure for 12 minutes.
3. Once cooking is complete, perform a quick pressure release (QR) according to your device’s instructions, then carefully open the lid.
4. Remove the cooked chicken and transfer it to a bowl. Cover the bowl to keep the chicken warm. Cut each refrigerated biscuit into 4-6 pieces.
5. Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode. Add the cut-up biscuit pieces directly into the liquid mixture in the pot.
6. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and let the biscuits bubble gently for one full minute. This step helps to steam the biscuits. Turn off the “Saute” function (cancel).
7. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker. Set it to Manual/Pressure mode on Low pressure for 4 minutes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a low-pressure setting, use High pressure for 1 minute).
8. Once the cooking cycle is done, perform another quick pressure release and carefully lift the lid. Set the pot back to “Saute” mode.
9. Pour the milk into the pot with the liquid and stir gently. In a small separate dish, whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the hot broth from the pot until completely smooth.
10. Pour this cornstarch mixture into your pot and stir gently. If you desire an even thicker consistency, you can repeat this step with another tablespoon of cornstarch.
11. Shred the cooked chicken (from step 4) and add it back into the pressure cooker.
12. Allow the Instant Pot to return to a gentle boil/bubble for about one full minute, ensuring all liquids are thoroughly mixed and the chicken is warmed through. Serve your delicious chicken and dumplings immediately!

Nutrition Information

Please note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

• Serving: 4oz
• Calories: 262 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Protein: 27g
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 76mg
• Sodium: 1180mg
• Potassium: 771mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 5g
• Vitamin A: 7816 IU
• Vitamin C: 10mg
• Calcium: 84mg
• Iron: 1mg

Additional Recipe Details

• Course: Entree, Main Course
• Cuisine: American

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken and Dumplings

How do you steam dumplings in an Instant Pot?

For this recipe, we achieve perfectly steamed dumplings by adding small pieces of refrigerated biscuits into the hot liquid while the pot is on “Saute” mode. A brief pressure cooking cycle afterward ensures they are cooked through and wonderfully soft.

What is the difference between noodles and dumplings?

Noodles are typically thin, stringy strips of pasta, whereas a dumpling is a ball of dough that is cooked and may have a filling and/or additional ingredients in the dough. Both can be delicious additions to chicken-based dishes!

Can you cook dumplings in the oven on their own?

Yes, you can bake dumplings in the oven, but they will develop a different texture—more akin to baked or crispy dumplings rather than the soft, steamed or boiled versions common in a soup. To bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C), arrange dumplings in a single layer on a sheet pan, and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through for even crispiness.

Can I freeze chicken and dumplings?

While we haven’t personally tested freezing this specific Instant Pot chicken and dumplings recipe, it’s generally possible to freeze similar dishes. Be aware that upon reheating, the texture of the dumplings might change, potentially becoming gummy. To freeze, allow the dish to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving some room at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Understanding the Dumpling: A Culinary Overview

The term “dumpling” encompasses a surprisingly broad range of culinary creations globally. Generally, dumplings are pieces of dough made from various starch sources like bread, flour, or potatoes. This dough can be plain or filled with a wide array of ingredients, including meats, fish, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, or even sweet fillings. They are a versatile and comforting staple in many cuisines worldwide.

Perfect Pairings: What Sides Go Well with Chicken and Dumplings?

Our Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is a complete meal on its own, packed with protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. However, if you’re looking to round out your feast or serve a larger crowd, these side dishes complement its rich flavors beautifully:

• Sautéed Bell Peppers: A colorful and slightly sweet addition.
• Steamed Green Vegetables: Broccoli, green beans, or asparagus with a touch of melted butter, salt, and pepper offer a fresh contrast.
• Creamed Corn Casserole: A classic, hearty choice that’s always a hit, especially for bigger gatherings.
• Simple Side Salad: A light, crisp green salad with a vinaigrette dressing provides a refreshing balance.
• Sautéed Spinach: A quick and healthy green that wilts perfectly alongside the main dish.
• Crusty Bread: Perfect for soaking up every last drop of that creamy broth!

Explore More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Once you’ve fallen in love with this incredibly easy and delicious Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings recipe, you might be eager to explore other pressure cooker chicken dishes. We highly recommend trying our simple yet satisfying Instant Pot chicken noodle soup, which utilizes many of the same core ingredients and offers another comforting meal option. You can also explore our full collection of Instant Pot chicken recipes for more inspiration!