Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are a hearty, old-fashioned dinner that the whole family will love. Made easy with this pressure cooker recipe!
Love heart soups and stews? Our delicious Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe will be a new favorite once you try it. So much flavor, so easy to make!
Why This Recipe Works
Comfort food doesn’t mean that you need to slave in the kitchen for hours.
While many of us imagine most comfort food recipes require hours of cooking, thanks to the Instant Pot you can have this delicious Chicken and Dumplings recipe in under an hour!
I’ve even included a stove top version, just in case you don’t yet own an Instant Pot!
- Just 5 minutes to prep then you can walk away while this cooks.
- Rich and savory stew with plenty of chicken and veggies.
- Refrigerated biscuits make quick and easy work of the dumplings in this recipe!
This old-fashioned, hearty chicken recipe will soon be one of your favorites too! Let’s get started.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – We’re using bone-in split chicken breasts for this recipe to add maximum flavor. After they’ve cooked, you’ll discard the skin and bones and shred the chicken to stir back in.
- Broth – Feel free to choose a low-sodium chicken broth if you want to control the amount of sodium in this dish.
- Carrots – I use regular sized carrots, but you could also use baby carrots for this recipe. You’ll need about 15-20 and they should be sliced.
- Biscuits – A can of refrigerated biscuits makes this recipe even easier! Plus, they plump up perfectly in the stew.
- Milk – Whole milk adds the richness and thickness we are looking for in this dish. I don’t recommend using skim milk.
Easy Instructions
Step 1. Sear the Chicken. Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on Sauté mode. Add the chicken and brown for about 3 minutes on both sides.
Step 2. Make the Stew. Add the chicken broth to the pot and scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, celery, onion, 2 teaspoons garlic salt, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
Step 3. Seal and Cook. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook and set the time for 30 minutes. When the cook time ends, allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
Step 4. Shred the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred, while removing and discarding the skin and bones. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
Step 5. Make the Dumplings. Cut the refrigerated biscuits into fourths and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon garlic salt. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with cold milk. Pour into instant pot. Turn to Sauté mode, add the biscuits and cook for about 10 minutes, until the dumplings have doubled in size and the sauce is thickened. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pressure cooker when you add the broth to remove any browned bits. This helps avoid a burn notice.
- It can take additional time, up to 15 minutes, for the instant pot to come to pressure before the cook time begins, and additional time to release the pressure at the end of the cook time, so please plan accordingly.
- The recipe calls for garlic salt NOT garlic powder.
- Stove Top Directions – Add chicken and broth to a large dutch oven, bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes. Remove and shred chicken, then return to the pot. Add the vegetables and seasonings, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until veggies are tender. Combine cornstarch and cold milk and add to the pot. Cut biscuits into fourths, sprinkle with garlic salt and add to the pot. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the dumplings have doubled in size and the sauce has thickened.
- Serving Ideas – This is an all-in-one meal on its own, but you can also serve with this delicious Olive Garden Salad. Or if you are skipping the dumplings, make some warm dinner rolls for dunking!
Recipe FAQs
Sure! The bone-in chicken called for in the recipe helps add some extra flavor, but you can use regular chicken breasts instead if you prefer.
Leftovers, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat stove top or in the microwave. It helps to store without the dumplings, which will get gummy, and to make biscuits separately when serving.
Yes, but I recommend you freeze without the dumplings. (They will get incredibly gummy.) Place cooled chicken mixture into a ziploc freezer bag or freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 lbs bone-in split chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 teaspoons garlic salt divided
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits 10 biscuits
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on "SAUTE". Add olive oil to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add chicken and brown for about 3 minutes on each side.
- Add chicken broth to the pot and scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.
- To the instant pot, add carrots, celery, onion, 2 tsp garlic salt, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to "SEALING."
- Select High Pressure with a cook time of 30 minutes.
- When cook time ends, allow to naturally release for ten minutes, then do a quick release.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred, while removing and discarding the skin and bones. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot.
- Cut refrigerated biscuits into fourths and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp garlic salt. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold milk. Pour into instant pot.
- Turn the instant pot on "SAUTE" and add the biscuits to the mixture. Cook for about ten minutes, until dumplings have doubled in size, and sauce has thickened.
Notes
- If you’re planning on freezing this dish, I would do so BEFORE adding the dumplings. If you freeze with the dumplings they will get incredibly gummy.
- I suggest you freeze without the biscuits. Place cooled chicken mixture into a ziploc freezer bag or freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings are a hearty, old-fashioned dinner that the whole family will love. Made easy with this pressure cooker recipe!
I’ve made this at least a dozen times and it’s perfect every time. Tonight I used chicken breasts instead of bone-in chicken and it was just as great. Thank you!
Can you use cooked rotisserie chicken instead? Looking for a way to make it even just a few minutes faster for those evenings we have after school events
My Instapot does not have a saute setting. Would the Brown setting be the same?
Also can you make your dumplings with bisquick?
This is my go-to! It’s absolutely wonderful, and so easy to make! Thanks, Aimee!
Thank you!
Mine was dry
What was dry?
Made this again tonight and it is a huge, huge hit. All 4 people here devoured it, and that literally never happens!
Me: I made chicken and dumplings.
Daughter: the one with the biscuits?
Me: yes
Daughter: heck, yeah!
Aww love it!
Can this be done with boneless chicken breasts? Would it affect the cooking time or taste? Thanks!
No changes, chicken breast work just fine too 🙂
I pinched the biscuits in to bite size and used 32oz broth. After 10 minutes on Sauté I put on high for five minutes. So good!
Making tonight and I am SO excited! We’ve been looking for a chicken and dumplings recipe that does not contain soup mix, and here it is! Thank you!
I have made this recipe before, and what I have found works best for the dumplings is to cut them into quarters, and then roll them out with a little bit of flour 2 approximately 1/8th in thickness. then simmer them slowly for approximately 20 minutes steering often so that they don’t stick. The key if you don’t want them gooey-in-the-middle is really to roll them out as soon as you can, and then stir gently frequently for 20 minutes.
I had the same issue, dumplings not getting done snd too doughey
I found it cooks through if you stir in the biscuits, cover the IP, & then open/stir every few minutes. If you want the biscuits to be crispy, I’d suggest transferring to an oven-safe pan, adding the biscuits to the top, & baking (~350 for about 7 minutes?).
My dumplings are gooey–like raw dough. I left them on high saute an additional 10 minutes but they still had the consistency of raw dough.
Any suggestions?
Yes, I even rolled them out, so they were thinner, because I thought that may help prevent that undercooked taste, but honestly, after, I cooked them a Extra 15 min, they didn’t become like a dumpling, but they did taste more cooked through. Overall, though, I thought the dish was tasty.
Love this recipe! My favorite part is the chunks of biscuits! It has a lot of flavor & hits the spot!
One of my goals for the new year is to start using my Instant Pot more often. I’m adding this recipe to my list. It looks delicious, and you can’t beat comfort food on a cold winter night!
My new way to make chicken and dumplings. I am loving my instant pot.
Another great recipe for my Instant Pot! Looking forward to enjoying this classic childhood recipe!
Chicken and dumplings is one of my all time favorite comfort meals. I need to make this IP version ASAP!
Do you cover after adding the biscuits?
I did not, just “saute” and stirred.
Can I substitute the milk for oat milk ?