Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings

Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings is the quintessential comfort food and one of my family’s all-time favorite cold weather recipes! Robust with rich flavors and packed with hearty vegetables, shredded chicken, and buttery dumplings!

I’ve given my husband permission to make these gluten-free chicken & dumplings for me ANY time of the year- including for my birthday dinner!! Hehe. (And, now, he even has this blog post with pictures to reference!)

Let’s talk dumplings! As a southern gal, I’ve had my share of chicken & dumplings… church potlucks, anyone? 🙂 There are all sorts of dumpling recipe “hacks” which use canned biscuits or dough balls that you boil (or roast) to create the dumplings. But not only are they usually “glutenous” and filled with unhealthy ingredients- they also don’t have the same depth of flavor!!

These dumplings are SO simple and delicious- totally worth the 2-3 minutes that it takes to whip them up!

I prefer homemade flat dumplings like these, cut into thin strips (instead of biscuits that sit on top of the soup), because they become integrated all throughout the soup! This means more buttery dumplings in each bite! And that’s never a bad thing in my book. 🙂

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 Large Onion
• 3 Celery Stalks
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Large Carrots
• Garlic Powder or 4 Cloves Fresh Garlic
• Freshly Ground Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1/4 cup Gluten-free All Purpose flour I used Hodgson Mill brand
• 7-8 cups Chicken Broth
• 4-5 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken

For Dumplings:

• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter melted
• 1/2 tsp Salt skip or reduce if you used salted butter
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum reduce to 1/4 tsp if your GF flour blend already had Xanthan Gum
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Warm Milk I used plain unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend plus 1/2 cup for rolling - I used Hodgson Mill All Purpose Baking Flour

Instructions

• Using sharp knife or food processor, mince large onion, celery stalks, carrots, and garlic (if using fresh) into small pieces.
• Place 4 Tbsp of butter and minced vegetables in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sautee vegetables, stiring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until butter is melted and onions are transluscent.
• Sprinkle sauteed vegetable mixture with 1/4 c GF flour and stir to lightly coat all vegetables with the flour, just a few seconds.
• Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stiring occasionally.
• Add bay leaf, garlic powder (if not using fresh), a sprinkle of cayenne, Italian seasoning, freshly ground salt and pepper.
• Soup consistency should be very thick after simmering at medium-high heat. Add 5 more cups chicken broth, stiring to combine.
• Add shredded chicken to the soup and raise heat to high, stiring occasionally, to rethicken. This should only take a few minutes, stiring as the soup reaches boiling temp. Add additional cup of chicken broth if soup is thicker than you prefer.
• Reduce heat to medium, allowing soup to simmer while you prepare the strip dumplings.

Dumplings:

• In medium bowl, whisk together GF flour, baking powder, xanthan gum (if needed), thyme, and salt.
• Add warm milk and melted butter, stiring a few times with spoon until soft dough develops.
• Dust work surface with half of the remaining GF flour (1/4 c), turn dough out onto floured surface, and dust the dough with a little GF flour.
• Using a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll dough into a 1/4"-1/2" thick rectangle shape. Using a spatula if needed, fold the ends of the rectangle inward to make a smaller rectangle (making an envelope fold, with 3 layers of dough stacked on top of each other). Roll folded rectangle of dough into a 1/4" thin disc.
• Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/2"x2" strip dumplings. Adding 1/3 of dumplings at a time, carefully add dumplings to the soup. Allow dumplings to simmer at medium-high heat and covered with a lid for 5 minutes after each addition. This process will steam the dumplings.
• Simmer for 5 more minutes and remove bay leaf before serving.
• Serves: 6 Adults

These gluten-free chicken & dumplings are simply the best kind of comfort food! Here are some step-by-step pictures to help you walk through the recipe:

Stir-in the shredded rotisserie chicken, then add remaining chicken broth and allow to simmer while making the dumplings!

After combining ingredients into soft dough, gently roll out into thin 1/4″ rectangle, slicing into small strip dumplings. Voila!

These 3 tips make these gluten-free chicken & dumplings a cinch to make:

1. Use a food processor to quickly mince the celery, onion, and carrots and speed up the prep time (just be careful not to over-pulse)
2. Use a prepared rotisserie chicken to quickly make shredded chicken  
3. Prepare your homemade slow-cooker chicken broth ahead, or purchase an organic low-sodium chicken broth and add additional spices such as the ones in a homemade broth to boost the flavor profile!

Comfort food is always best when shared in a cozy home with those you love! So gather your family and friends, put the soup pot on the stove, and be prepared to have zero leftovers!! 🙂 You may also want to check out my recipes for easy slow-cooker chicken broth and rotisserie style chicken! 

Bon Appetit!

XOXO Abigail