Gluten free chicken and dumplings is a savory blend of aromatic vegetables, chicken, a simple white sauce and just the right spices. With fluffy dumplings cooked right in the soup!
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I put gluten free chicken and dumplings dinners into a very important category. No matter which way I make it, everyone in my family loves it because it hits all the right notes. It's hearty, flavorful, and filling, and, much like its more formal cousin gluten free chicken pot pie, just smells like home.
Why I love this gluten free chicken and dumplings recipe
For the most classic variety of chicken and dumpling soup, the best gluten free dumplings are fluffy, airy rounds that are soft to the center. They’re simple to mix up and place on top of the aromatic filling that’s made on the stovetop.
The raw dumpling mixture is scooped on top of the cooked filling and then finished in the oven. The soup starts with a mirepoix, or a sauteed mixture of diced aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, and onion cooked in some sort of fat.
The chicken in this gf dumplings recipe is cooked separately, but of course, it can be made ahead of time. I have also made this dish with gluten free rotisserie chicken and I thought it was delicious. My very spoiled children thought I was committing some sort of mortal sin.
Shortcuts for a quick gluten free dinner
There are, indeed, a few steps to getting it done. Chicken needs to be cooked and diced or shredded, vegetables cooked, and dumplings made. But most of those steps can be made or shortcut even days ahead of time.
If you're making a variety with gf biscuit dough instead of fluffy dumplings, shape the dough into rounds and store them in your freezer.
In place of fresh chopped and cooked carrots and celery, you can add vegetables like frozen peas and frozen carrots without defrosting them, right to the hot soup at the end when the dish is in its final round of cooking. They will defrost almost instantly.
The chicken can be made a couple of days ahead, and refrigerated (or even replaced with a GF rotisserie chicken). The vegetables can even be cooked and refrigerated for a couple days.
Then all that’s left is to make the super simple roux-based soup, mix up the easy dumpling batter if you're not using biscuits, and bake the casserole-style varieties. If I make the chicken and veg ahead of time, this is actually a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Key ingredients
There are 4 chicken and dumplings varieties for you to choose from in this recipe, and they have various ingredients. Here are some important notes about the main ingredients in all of them:
- Chicken – Since this is a recipe for chicken and dumplings, of course we'll need some cooked chicken as part of the finished dish. In the slow cooker variety, the chicken cooks right along with the other ingredients. In the other varieties, it's cooked separately in the oven, and can even be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to finish the dish.
- Veggies – The classic vegetables you expect to find in chicken and dumplings are onions, celery, and carrots. Together, they make up the 3 vegetable aromatic blend referred to as mirepoix, which is sometimes available, already chopped for you, in the grocery store. It's a real luxury if you're willing to spend a few extra dollars.
- Extra virgin olive oil – We use olive oil to cook the chicken breast and to sauté the vegetables, adding flavor as they cook.
- Butter – To create the creamy base that you expect in chicken and dumplings, we need to thicken the chicken stock with a roux, which begins with butter that we melt in a pan.
- Gluten free flour – To complete the roux, we cook a simple gum free gluten free flour blend in the melted butter. Avoid a gf flour blend with xanthan gum, which will create a gummy mess of a roux. You'll need a classic all purpose gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, though, to make the biscuits or the dumpling batter.
- Chicken stock – Choose a brand of chicken stock that has plenty of flavor, since it's the most plentiful ingredient in your soup. I rarely make my own chicken stock, since it just takes too long and Pacific chicken broth is so delicious.
- Milk – To create a creamy soup, we'll use whole milk or half-and-half. Be sure to use something with fat, or your soup will miss that richness.
- Eggs – The dumplings that cook in the casserole-style varieties are made using eggs that add structure, rise, and richness.
- Spices – The classic spices in this sort of recipe are those in Herbs de Provence, but you can make your own blend using a combination of 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley.
How to make gluten free soup dumplings from scratch
If you're making your dish with the traditional fluffy, free-form gluten free dumplings recipe, you're going to be amazed at how easy it is to mix up the batter. It's a thick but soft mixture of blended gluten free flours, baking powder, salt, eggs, and milk that you'll mix up in a bowl, and scoop mounds into hot liquid with a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to cook in moments. Be careful, though, as the dumplings expand quite a lot in the liquid!
More tips for making gluten free chicken and dumplings
Check ingredient labels carefully
Check and double check to make sure that your two packaged elements (chicken stock and dried herbs) are safely gluten free. Gluten can be hiding in chicken stock if it contains any wheat, which can sometimes be used as a thickener. Most modern packaged gluten free chicken stocks, like Kitchen Basics and Pacific brands, are safe (but this could change over time, so check for yourself!).
Use an ice cream scooper
To shape the dumpling dough into proper portions and without the mess of just using a spoon, use a medium-size spring-loaded ice cream scoop. The spring-loaded sweeping arm will help you release the dough easily and cleanly into the pot.
Checking the dumplings for doneness
Make sure your dumplings or biscuits are cooked all the way through to the center by inserting a toothpick into the center. It should pass all the way through without any additional resistance.
How to store leftover gluten free chicken and biscuits
If you've made the classic style recipe with the fluffy, scooped dumplings, they should be eaten within a few hours of being cooked. Otherwise, they will continue to dissolve, slowly, into the liquid surrounding them.
How to reheat GF chicken and dumplings
If you've made the whole dish a couple of hours ahead of the time you plan to serve it, including cooking the dumplings in the liquid, remove the chicken and refrigerate just that since it's not safe to leave it out. Then, cover the rest of the soup and store it at room temperature. Then, add the chicken back in and reheat the soup gently at the lowest temperature possible.
Can I freeze gluten free chicken and dumplings?
Freezing a creamy casserole like this can change the texture of the dumplings, but the soup/stew can be frozen, and fresh dumplings added later.
Gluten free chicken and dumpling variations
Over the years, I’ve made so many varieties of this meal and kept them separated here on the blog. But I use these methods in a mix-and-match way in my own kitchen.
I thought you might like to see everything together in one place, with varying levels of ease and difficulty. Mix and match at will!
Classic Chicken and Dumplings Casserole (finished in the oven)
To make the most classic variety of chicken and dumplings, the dumplings are fluffy, airy rounds that are soft to the center. They're simple to mix up and place on top of the aromatic filling that's made on the stovetop.
The raw dumpling mixture is scooped on top of the cooked filling and then finished in the oven. The soup starts with a mirepoix, or a sauteed mixture of diced aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, and onion cooked in some sort of fat.
The chicken in this recipe is cooked separately, but of course, it can be made ahead of time. I have also made this dish with gluten free rotisserie chicken and I thought it was delicious. My very spoiled children thought I was committing some sort of mortal sin.
Tater Tot Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
If you love the idea of making a chicken and dumplings casserole but are tight on time or just want a fun twist, replace the dumplings with tater tots.
Like in all of the varieties except the slow cooker recipe, we use olive oil to cook the vegetables to help them release and develop their flavor. You really could use any sort of fat you like, though.
Olive oil is a healthy fat, and I always have it on hand. But of course, if you wanted to be truly decadent, you could saute some pancetta or bacon and then cook the vegetables in the rendered fat. *swoon*
There's no need to defrost the tater tots. Just arrange them on top in a single layer on top of the filling, and bake until the tots are crispy and golden, and the filling is bubbling.
Quick Stovetop Chicken and Dumplings
If you want to get a jump on chicken and dumplings, the quickest way is to make and freeze gluten free biscuits. If you have another favorite gluten free biscuit recipe, use that.
The other shortcut I recommend is making your own condensed cream of chicken soup. They even sell gluten free condensed soups now, too (Pacific brand is gluten free). If you have frozen biscuit rounds and GF condensed cream of chicken soup on hand, plus some chicken stock, you are so close to making chicken and dumplings.
You'll still need to cook the chicken separately according to the recipe instructions below, but that takes mere minutes and can also be made ahead of time. Simply cook the chicken, shred or chop it, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
This version encourages make-ahead, of course, since you'll need frozen biscuit dough. But you could also make it with the same dumplings from the casserole recipe.
The method is the same as using the biscuit dough, but you'll need to make sure you're using a large enough saucepan. Dumplings expand quite a bit when they cook in liquid.
Just cover the pan to retain enough heat in the pan, but lift the cover occasionally to stir the mixture gently. The same steps are necessary when using biscuit dough, but the biscuits won't expand as much.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
The final method is in the slow cooker, and it's the easiest yet especially since you cook the chicken right along with the vegetables in the liquid.
You'll have to switch up a few ingredients, but it's all explained below. Like the quick variety above, you can also replace the biscuit dough with the same dumplings mixture as the classic casserole.
Gluten free dumpling soup: substitutions
The main additional allergens in this recipe for gluten free dumplings are dairy in the form of milk, butter and cream, and eggs (in the dumplings). I haven’t tried making chicken and dumplings with any of these substitutions, but here are my best guesses for how to make it happen.
Gluten free, egg free chicken and dumplings
For an egg-free variety, instead of dumplings in the recipe, try our gluten free biscuits. They’re light and flaky, and they’ll work great.
Gluten free, dairy free chicken and dumplings
Making the soup portions dairy-free requires a bit more finesse. In place of butter to make the roux that mixes with flour for the casserole varieties, try using Earth Balance buttery sticks or Melt brand vegan butter.
You can buy dairy-free evaporated milk these days. I imagine it works quite well, although if it’s coconut milk-based, it may add some coconut flavor.
I haven’t made my homemade cream of chicken soup dairy-free, but that is only required for the slow cooker variety. A recipe like this has so many available modifications built right in, so there’s definitely a way!
FAQs
No, conventional dumplings are made with wheat-based flour, so they contain gluten. The dumplings in this recipe are all gluten free, though, as they're made with gluten free flours.
The light, fluffy gluten free dumplings that are cooked in the rich soup are made by combining a high quality, well-balanced gluten free flour blend, lightened a bit with some cornstarch, with baking powder for lift, salt, beaten eggs, and milk.
If you'd like to make gluten free Bisquick-style dumplings, you can try using the dry ingredient mix from our gluten free pancakes in place of the all purpose gluten free flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder in the dumplings recipe below.
No, these dumplings are made using a rice based all purpose gluten free flour blend, and almond and coconut flours are not proper substitutes. If you'd like to try experimenting with those flours to make dumplings, you can try using the dry ingredients from our Paleo almond flour pancakes or those from our coconut flour pancakes recipes as a starting point.
All the varieties and possibilities in this recipe call for some gluten free flour blend to thicken the liquid. To avoid using flour at all, you could try cooking the liquid for longer to reduce it, and just expect a thinner soup.
Measure your dumpling ingredients by weight, not volume, and make sure the eggs and milk are at room temperature so everything combines properly. If you're concerned that the mixture is too runny, try letting it sit at room temperature, covered, so it thickens and holds together well.
If your dumplings are gummy, you may have under-measured the flour or over-measured the liquid, or used an unbalanced gluten free flour blend. You also may have removed the dumplings from the heat before they were cooked all the way through.
Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Equipment
- 6 to 8 quart slow cooker to make the "slow cooker" variety
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) extra virgin olive oil
For the soup
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) extra virgin olive oil (See Recipe Notes)
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 large stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter (See Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup (70 g) basic gum free gluten free flour blend (46 g superfine white rice flour + 16 g potato starch + 8 g tapioca starch/flour) (See Recipe Notes)
- 4 cups (32 fluid ounces) chicken stock (See Recipe Notes)
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) whole milk or half and half (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary + 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme + 1/2 teaspoon dried basil + 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley)
For the dumplings
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for appropriate blends)
- ¼ cup (35 g) cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) milk (any kind, just not nonfat), at room temperature
- OR 1 recipe
gluten free biscuits chilled - OR 1 pound frozen gluten free tater tots (OreIda brand is gluten free)
Instructions
To prepare the chicken (for methods other than the slow cooker variety).
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, and place the chicken breasts on top.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper on both sides of the meat, and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (25 to 35 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the meat).
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Set the chicken aside. The chicken can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To make the soup for the casserole varieties.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are all fork-tender (about 10 minutes).
- Push the vegetables to the side of the saucepan and melt the butter in the center.
- Add the flour blend and whisk until well-combined. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to simmer and smell fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Slowly add the chicken stock, and then the milk and the herbs, whisking constantly, until well-combined.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken (about 8 minutes).
- Add the cooked chicken, and mix to combine. Grease a 9-inch x 12-inch casserole dish and pour in the soup and chicken.
For the dumpling casserole, prepare the dumplings.
- In a medium-size bowl, place the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs and milk, mixing to combine after each addition. The batter will be thick.
- Using a large spring-loaded ice cream scooper or two large spoons, scoop the dumpling batter in portions that are about 1/4-cup each and place them on top of the casserole filling, evenly spaced apart.
If using tater tots.
- Place the 1 pound of frozen tater tots in a single, even layer on top of the casserole filling.
- For both dumpling-style casserole varieties.
To cook the casserole varieties.
- Place the casserole dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the dumplings are cooked through and lightly golden brown on top (about 20 minutes) or the tater tots are browned and the filling is bubbling (about 15 minutes).
- Serve hot.
For a quick stovetop chicken and dumplings.
- In a large stockpot, place the oil, 6 cups chicken stock, carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
- Uncover the pot, add the cream of chicken soup, stir to combine and return to a gentle boil.
- Add the chilled biscuit wedges to the boiling liquid and stir gently so the biscuits don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. They will float to the bottom of the pot after a minute or so.
- Uncover the pot, add the cubed chicken and stir gently to combine. Serve hot.
For slow cooker chicken and dumplings.
- Grease the liner of a 6-quart slow cooker with the olive oil.
- Add the chicken stock, milk, carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, salt, pepper and, and mix to combine.
- Add the raw chicken breasts, and stir to separate the breasts from one another.
- Into a measuring cup with at least a 2-cup capacity (or another similarly-sized container with a pour spout), pour the evaporated milk.
- Add the flour blend and whisk until the flour is fully dissolved, and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the herbs de Provence, and whisk again to combine.
- Pour the evaporated milk mixture into the slow cooker liner, and mix to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker, set it to low and cook for 5 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the vegetables are very tender.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks while it’s still warm.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker to “high” and add the frozen biscuit wedges to the soup. Mix gently to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and allow to cook until the biscuits are cooked through (between 30 minutes and 1 hour on “high,” depending on your slow cooker).
- Serve the soup immediately, and top each bowl with an equal amount of the shredded chicken.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Tracy says
Hi Nicole! I was hoping that you may consider adding a one pot version to this recipe instead of making it in a pot and transferring to a casserole dish.
Marilyn says
Thanks for this great recipe! I make a similar dish using gluten free gnocchi that I’m sure would be delicious with your recipe.
Ezra Blum says
oh my GOD! this was DELICIOUS! as a person with celiac plus a whole host of different allergies, i have such a hard time finding good savoury GF recipes and this one just takes the cake. it’s so hearty and comforting, and the chicken flavour is so rich. i used King Arthur’s APF for the dumplings and they turned out so fluffy and soft, it was so so good.
Mel says
Hi I was really encouraged by seeing your gf pie crust pastry recipe! Will definitely try it!! I grew up eating chicken and dumplings with the dumplings being the pie pastry dough I grew up with (flour, butter, salt, and baking soda and ice cold water) and it’s my favorite comfort food! My grandmother taught me how to make the world’s best pastry dough for pies, fried pies, old-fashioned cobbler, and chicken and dumplings. We’re mostly gluten free and I’ve tried different gf dumpling recipes and flat did not like them…the texture or taste! Dumplings are supposed to be soft and pillowy, not slimy or hard! I even tried taking my pastry dough and making itt gluten free and it turned out slimy and dissolved in my soup or was hard as a rock and couldn’t even roll it out!! Any suggestions???
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Mel, there are 4 different ways to make dumplings in this post. I’m afraid I don’t have more than that!
Cindy Padgett says
Hi Nicole, thanks for the great recipes! I am planning to make this tonight. Do you think I could make the fluffy dumplings on top of the quick soup? I have a can of cream of chicken soup to use up. Or does it need to be more brothy to cook the dumplings?
Thanks,
Cindy
Nicole Hunn says
I’m honestly not sure, Cindy! That’s one combination I’ve never tried. The fluffy dumplings do need to be submerged in the liquid to cook completely.
Selina says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I will must try to home. As a Nutritionist i can say this food is 100% healthy and nutritious.
Julie L says
Nicole. Nicole! Seriously. I have only visited “home” on your website maybe once or twice, but I was just struck with a need to and- BAM! My most favorite dinner in the world since 35 years ago and the one I’ve lamented over most since going gf. Let me first say, “Thank you!” Second, I need to say that the tater tots are some kind of genius that my family is going to marvel over when I surprise them with it in a few weeks. I will be trying all of these. The closest I’ve ever come to recreating the dumplings of my youth is to laboriously shred potatoes and fashion potato dumplings with rice flour and said potato shreds, like my husband’s grandmother made. Delicious, but exhausting. Thank you for this. THANK YOU! My family thanks you too. ?
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so interesting that you never really visit the home page, Julie! You should join my email list for sure so you don’t miss new recipes. There’s a subscription form in the sidebar (on every page except the recipe indices). I’m so glad you’re excited about these recipes, and the best part about this 4-in-1 recipe is that you can mix and match methods and components so you can spend as little or as much time as you like. Thank you for the kind note! ?
Gillian says
Do you know how the slow cooker version could be adapted for an InstantPot?
Nicole Hunn says
Great question, Gillian, but no I don’t! I’ve thought about that a number of times. I definitely think it could be done, though. I’m just not confident enough about instructions to hazard a guess and have you waste dinner. I love my instant pot for making skinless boneless chicken breast in jarred salsa, which is similar, but I’d have to experiment.
Linda B says
Savory and delicious! Thanks for creating this recipe – we love it!!
Dana Schwartz says
Nicole, you already know how I feel about your desserts. You are my go to woman for GF recipes of all sorts, however, this chicken and dumpling meal was INSANELY amazing! My slightly picky daughter ate it and declared it the best dinner ever! My extremely picky almost 4 year old ate more than I would’ve expected. Thank you for this winner of a dinner!!
Dana Schwartz says
Also, FYI, I used Bob’s gf white rice flour (not superfine) and arrowroot starch (bc I was out of potato) for the soup and it was great.
Nicole Hunn says
Wow, Dana, that’s a total homerum! I know how valuable it can be to find a new dinner fave. :)
Peggy McKeon says
To thicken the sauce can I use almond flour, corn flour, gf flour or corn starch??? As
this is what I have on hand.
S says
Can this be made with non-dairy milk? I usually substitute coconut, but maybe another option would be better, as to not over flavor the casserole… any suggestions?
Gabrielle Wilder says
I just made this tonight for dinner and it is THE BEST gf chicken and dumplings ever! I have a gluten intolerance and miss eating my favorite meal, but not anymore, thanks to you! Will definitely be making this again;)
Nicole Hunn says
That’s awesome, Gabrielle! Thanks for checking in with your results. :)
Stephanie Kranz says
What would you recommend if you aren’t cooking it right away? Keep the dumplings out until you’re about to cook it and then scoop it in? Or scoop it in and just bake it later
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Stephanie, I would recommend making the dumpling batter right before you plan to bake it. The only make-aheads are what I mention in the post and recipe. The dumpling batter is so super simple to throw together and it just doesn’t lend itself to being made ahead.
Marilyn says
Thank you & bless your heart!
Lauren Morra says
Oooh this might be the recipe that makes me love chicken again (first trimester trauma). This sounds perfect for cool autumn evenings, so cozy! Thanks!
Nicole Hunn says
Oh I hear you on the pregnancy food aversions, Lauren! I haven’t eaten canned tuna since I had my youngest—10 years ago. Here’s hoping you get chicken back ASAP!