This post is generously sponsored by Canola Eat Well and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Recipe Rebel possible! Comfort food season is in full swing and I’m back with another healthy, hearty meal to carry us through. This Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings is all of my favorite things in one recipe:
it’s healthy — which to me means it’s got a good amount of protein, vegetables, carbs and healthy fats (including canola oil!). It’s well balanced! it’s easy to make — making this in the pressure cooker means there’s very little babysitting! only one pot is required — thanks to the saute function on the Instant Pot, we can do it all with fewer dishes it’s cozy and big on flavor — a comforting meal that the family loves!
Looking for more Instant Pot comfort food? Check out these Instant Pot Soup recipes, Instant Pot Potato Soup, or Instant Pot Baked Ziti.
What kind of chicken should I use in this recipe?
I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but they can easily be swapped with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer and there’s no need to change the cook time. I prefer not to use bone-in chicken for this recipe, simply because it won’t cook in the same time as the vegetables, meaning your chicken will be undercooked or your vegetables will be mushy.
How to make dumplings:
I know that some chicken and dumplings recipes call for canned biscuit dough, and I understand we all need a shortcut sometimes! But homemade dumplings are surprisingly easy to stir together with just a spoon, and I promise you won’t regret it! Rather than using melted butter in my dumplings, which is sometimes called for, I use canola oil which (a) saves me a step (no microwave!) and (b) provides my family with more of the healthy fats we need. Canola oil is one of the healthiest oils there is! It is high in good fats (fatty acids) and low in bad fats (saturated and trans fats). If you’re not convinced, check out this Dietary Fat Chart. It’s one of my favorite resources for understanding the available oils! For these easy homemade dumplings, we just stir together some flour, baking powder, salt, Italian seasoning, milk and canola oil.
Variations on this Chicken and Dumplings:
Dairy free: you can easily make this recipe dairy free by swapping the milk in the dumpling recipe with dairy-free milk or even water. Bump up the veggies: you can add even more vegetables to this recipe if you want, or leave out the chicken and sub in vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal. Just remember that not all vegetables require the same cook time — some should be added before pressure cooking, and some should be added after. Chopped spinach and extra frozen vegetables are a great way to bump up the veggie content just before serving. Thicken before serving: because thick and creamy sauces don’t pressure cook well, thickeners can only be added after pressure cooking is done. I wanted to create a recipe that didn’t require thickening and was ready to go when you crack the lid, so I used just enough broth to give us a nice thick and chunky base for our dumplings. If you prefer, you can always stir in a corn starch slurry (equal parts water and corn starch) and set the Instant Pot to saute for a few minutes to thicken further.
More Instant Pot Chicken recipes you’ll love!
If you enjoy this Chicken and Dumplings, you might enjoy these too!
Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts Instant Pot Creamy Italian Chicken Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
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