For the ultimate in comfort food, look no further than this easy southern recipe for Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings (Like Cracker Barrel)!
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I have to be honest. I've never actually had Cracker Barrel's chicken and dumplings, but I have had southern style chicken and dumplings, which is exactly what they are. The dumplings are like little squares of noodles that are tender and pillowy and simply melt in your mouth. They're floating in a bath of creamy chicken and broth, and the whole thing is like a warm hug on a cold winter's day.
Ingredients Needed
- Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend--a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested.
- Rotisserie chicken--this is the easy way out (and the quickest)! However, if you'd like to make this totally from scratch, you can buy a whole chicken and make your own chicken stock. More on that below.
- Milk--I haven't tested this with a dairy-free milk, but there is no reason why it shouldn't work just fine.
- Baking powder--the little bit of baking powder in the dumplings helps them puff up slightly, giving them the perfect pillowy texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
I've streamlined this recipe to be made with a rotisserie chicken. However, I do feel by putting the chicken into the instant pot with chicken stock boosts the flavor of the stock, making it taste like it was slow cooked for hours.
Add rotisserie chicken and two cartons of chicken stock to the instant pot.
Set the timer on the instant pot for 30 minutes of high pressure cooking
Add baking powder and salt to gluten free all purpose flour in large bowl; whisk to combine.
Add softened butter to flour mixture in bowl.
Rub butter in with hands until well incorporated.
Pour milk into bowl and mix with hands or spoon until a dough forms.
Roll dough out on floured surface until it's very thin, about ⅛th of an inch.
Cut dough into roughly 1-inch squares.
Remove chicken from instant pot and set aside until cool enough to shred.
Set instant pot to saute and once boiling, drop dumplings into hot liquid; simmer for several minutes.
Add shredded chicken back to instant pot.
Place cornstarch and cold water or milk in mason jar. Shake until well combined and then add to boiling chicken and dumplings to thicken.
Substitutions
- Dairy free - use dairy free butter and milk in place of regular butter and milk in the dumplings.
- Homemade chicken stock - instead of using a rotisserie chicken, place a whole uncooked chicken in a large stockpot and cover completely with water. Add cut up carrots, celery, and onions, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 4 hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the broth has darkened. Shred chicken and strain stock through fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Skim fat off the top before using.
Don't Have an Instant Pot?
While chicken and dumplings made in an instant pot (pressure cooker) considerably cuts down on the time, if you don't have one, you can always make it on the stove top using a large stockpot.
Simply heat the chicken broth to boiling on the stove top while you make the dumplings and shred the rotisserie chicken. Drop the dumplings in, add the shredded chicken, and finish with the cornstarch slurry. Still delicious without needing to buy a special piece of equipment!
Top tip
For the absolute creamiest chicken with extra pillowy dumplings, we always like it best the next day. The dumplings benefit from soaking up some of that broth and it makes them so incredibly tender. Make it a day in advance, cover the pot and place it in the fridge, and bring it back to a boil the next day before serving.
Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings Like Cracker Barrel FAQs
Yes! This is a perfect meal for storing in the freezer. I like to use ziptop bags for this purpose. When ready to serve, simply remove the frozen contents of the bag and place it in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add a little bit of broth or water to the pot (½ cup or 120 ml is just enough), allow to reheat slowly, stirring occasionally, and if necessary, add more water (or even milk) to thin before serving.
There are actually two types of chicken and dumplings, one made with a very soft, almost drop-biscuit-like dough and the other made with little square flat noodles. This version is the flat noodle variety, which is typical in southern cooking.
Yes, leftover turkey would also work well with dumplings.
Yes, you can add finely chopped carrots and celery (or any other veggies you'd like) at the beginning before pressure cooking. They will be tender once you add in the dumplings.
More Soups and Stews
Looking for other recipes like this? Check these out:
Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings (Like Cracker Barrel)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 2 32 oz (907g) boxes chicken stock or broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Dumplings
- 2 cups (280g) Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend (a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- 2 tbsp (28g) butter, softened (dairy free butter may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (a dairy free milk may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
Slurry
- 1 cup (240ml) milk or water (a dairy free milk may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- ⅓ cup (30g) cornstarch
Instructions
- Place rotisserie chicken in instant pot. Pour chicken stock in and close lid. Set to pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Allow it to release the pressure naturally.
- Remove the chicken and let it cool long enough to handle it and then shred it, discarding any bones or skin. Set aside.
- Make dumplings: In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Rub in softened butter until mixture is somewhat crumbly. Add milk, a little at a time, until you reach a soft, somewhat tacky dough. You may or may not need all of the milk. Knead dough into a smooth ball and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large circle that's about ⅛-inch thick. Cut one-inch squares using a pastry wheel, pizza wheel, or sharp knife.
- Switch instant pot to the saute function and allow the chicken stock to come to a boil. Carefully add dumplings to boiling stock, a few at a time. Allow dumplings to cook for 5-10 minutes in the simmering stock and then add the shredded chicken back in.
- Make the slurry: In a mason jar or jar with a lid, combine cornstarch and cold milk or water, shaking until fully incorporated. Pour slurry into instant pot and stir to combine. It will thicken within a minute or two. If more thickness is desired, you can make up another slurry. Serve in bowls with crusty bread and a salad.
Don't Have an Instant Pot? No Worries:
- Add rotisserie chicken and chicken stock to large stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover partially, and simmer for 2 hours. Continue with recipe as directed above, instead making everything in the stockpot at a boil.
Kim Canaday says
Great recipe! I used Almond milk and Smart Balance butter and it was delicious! One of my family's favorite comfort food!!! I will try a rotisserie chicken and my insta smart cooker next time! I have always made this particular dish on my cooktop. I look forward to trying more of your amazing recipes. Thanks!
Kim says
Wonderful! So glad you liked it!!
Jen Patitucci says
I am so thankful for this recipe! I made a different dumpling recipe before this and they were meh....I came across yours & decided to try again and WOW!!! It's so hard being gluten-free! Some things just don't taste the same & we miss Cracker Barrel dumplings so bad, but this recipe is ON POINT!
Kim says
Awe, thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you like it 🥰
Jennifer WinterRose says
I used a stovetop since I don't own an instant pot and some chicken thighs I baked before boiling, and it's delicious! It works just fine with non dairy options (I used Plant Butter and creamy oatmilk), although I did add more slurry and the second time I made the slurry I used a little heavy whipping cream that i got for a pie I'm making in a couple days. I'm not avoiding dairy entirely... but this recipe does absolutely fine with dairy alternatives. I did use a broth concentrate powder instead of boxed broth, and added some finely minced onion, garlic, and carrot to just give some oomph. I can't wait to try the leftovers tomorrow!
Kim says
Awesome, Jennifer!!! So glad you liked it 🥰
Shannon West says
I grew up eating chicken and dumplings, it's our family comfort food. We were devastated when my granddaughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, but I'm slowly learning to make our family favorites gluten-free. This recipe is amazing. I used Cup4Cup because I was out of some of the ingredients to make the flour blend as written and the store was out. It turned out perfect, none of us could tell the difference between these and my regular dumplings. I didn't feel the need to add the corn starch, I prefer a soupier broth and it was perfectly thick just from the flour on the.dumplngs. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Kim says
Awe, so glad you all liked it!!! Thanks so much for trying it 🥰
Gillie says
Ahh! Slick dumplings! Aren't they the very best? My granddad was from southern Kentucky and that's what he called them. Yummmmm! Thank you for introducing these to a wider audience. They deserve love.