Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings
Published
This easy gluten-free chicken and dumplings recipe is one of my favorite one-pot dinners to make. It tastes just like the classic Southern comfort food I crave but without any gluten! Tender chicken chunks and fluffy dumplings are simmered in a homemade, creamy broth that takes minutes to prep. I always make a double batch because it tastes even better the next day! I’ve also included a dairy-free option so you can make this recipe for your whole family.
Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
My husband is from the South, and this really influences my cooking style. When I went gluten-free, I knew I had to make his favorite dishes in a way that I could still enjoy them.
For this recipe, I got the chicken soup base right on the first try, but it took me a few attempts to perfect the gluten-free dumplings. They either turned out too hard or too gummy. But after some experimenting, I found the combination of gluten-free Bisquick, eggs, milk (regular or dairy-free), and melted butter to be the winner! Even my father-in-law even gave his stamp of approval—a big deal because he was raised on chicken and dumplings made from scratch.
Ingredients
- Cooked Chicken: We prefer boiled skinless chicken breasts or chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Dice or shred the chicken.
- Gluten-Free Chicken Broth: Forms the flavorful base of the soup.
- Gluten-Free Frozen Mixed Vegetables: An easy way to pack this soup with nutrition. You can use fresh if you prefer.
- Spices: Dried sage, thyme, onion powder, and salt enhance the flavor of the soup.
- Milk: Adds creaminess to the soup and moisture to the dumplings. For a gluten-free dairy-free chicken and dumplings, use cashew, coconut, or unsweetened almond milk.
- Gluten-Free Cornstarch: Helps thicken up the soup.
- Bisquick Gluten-Free Mix: Creates the perfect gluten-free dumplings.
- Eggs: Help bind the dumplings together, giving them structure.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds moisture and richness to the dumplings. For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance, Earth Balance, or coconut oil.
Tips and Suggestions
- I use a greased ice cream scoop to get big and fluffy dumplings.
- This recipe takes just 35 minutes to make from start to finish, but 25 minutes of that is spent simmering. Be sure to reduce the heat to low after adding everything to the pot to avoid the bottom burning or sticking.
- If you want to check the dumplings are cooked all the way through, insert a toothpick or fork into them. If it comes out clean, they’re done!
- The cornstarch helps to thicken the broth, and it’ll continue to thicken as it simmers. Continue simmering the broth until reduced to your liking.
What to Serve with Chicken and Gluten-Free Dumplings
I always have my gluten-free chicken dumplings with a side of homemade mashed potatoes. It’s like a big o’l hug in a bowl! Gluten-free roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, or a simple side salad would also be delicious.
Is Bisquick Gluten-Free?
Regular Bisquick is NOT gluten-free. It’s made with wheat flour, so it’s not suitable for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. But there is a gluten-free version available! It’s made with rice flour and can be found in most grocery stores. You could also make your own gluten-free Bisquick at home.
Why Are My Gluten-Free Dumplings Mushy?
No one likes mushy dumplings! There could be a few reasons why your gluten-free dumplings turned out soft and soggy. Here’s what I do to make sure my dumplings are big, fluffy, and cooked all the way through:
- Make sure the soup is hot before adding the dumpling batter. It should be brought to a boil and then reduced to low after the dumplings are dropped on top.
- I don’t stir the pot once the dumplings have been added.
- The dumpling batter should be thick and sticky! See my step-by-step photos below the recipe card to see how the batter should look.
- Cover the pot with a lid while the dumplings cook. This creates steam, which helps cook them evenly and keeps them light and fluffy.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.
More Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes to Try!
- Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings Casserole
- Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie
- Gluten-Free Orange Chicken
- Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup
- Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
- Or check out all our gluten-free chicken recipes!
Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3-4 cups cooked skinless chicken breasts, diced (I like to use chicken from a rotisserie chicken I buy at Walmart (traditional flavor) or Costco. Or I boil the chicken breasts. )
- 4 cups gluten-free chicken broth
- 2 cups gluten-free frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 tablespoon sage, dried
- 1 tablespoon thyme, dried
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk, dairy-free use cashew, coconut or almond milk
- 6 tablespoons gluten-free cornstarch
Dumplings
- 1 1/2 cups Bisquick Gluten Free mix
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2/3 cup milk, dairy-free use cashew, coconut or almond milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (dairy-free use Smart Balance/Earth Balance butter or coconut oil)
Instructions
- In a large pot add chicken broth, diced chicken, frozen vegetables, sage, thyme and onion powder. Bring to a low boil over medium heat.
- In a small bowl add milk and cornstarch together and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Pour milk mixture into the large pot with the chicken broth and stir until fully combined. Continue to boil.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk eggs.
- Add gluten-free Bisquick to eggs and stir.
- Add melted butter and milk to the Bisquick mixture and stir until fully combined. The batter will be sticky.
- Drop heaping spoonfuls into the chicken broth mixture. (I like to use an ice cream scoop because I like my dumplings big.)
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
- Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve.
- Enjoy!
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings – Step by Step Photos
In a large pot add 4 cups gluten-free chicken broth, 3-4 cups diced chicken, 2 cups frozen vegetables, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 tablespoon onion powder. Bring to a low boil over medium heat.
In a small bowl add 2 cups milk and 6 tablespoons gluten-free cornstarch together and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Pour milk mixture into the large pot with the chicken broth and stir until fully combined. Continue to boil.
In a medium-sized bowl whisk 2 eggs.
Add 1 ½ cups gluten-free Bisquick to eggs and stir.
Add 4 tablespoons melted butter and ⅔ cups milk to the Bisquick mixture and stir until fully combined. The batter will be sticky.
Drop heaping spoonfuls into the chicken broth mixture. (I like to use an ice cream scoop because I like my dumplings big.) Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!
Instead of Bisquick I made a “home-made” bisquick mix using a sifter and a scraper and fork. The result was very tasty, but I think if I do this again I would add more salt and more spices (I went low on the salt due to making this for my toddler too).
I don’t like the Bisquick Gluten-Free flour mix, can I just use my regular gluten-free flour instead? I want to make this recipe for dinner tonight.
Hi Samntha, You can try one that’s comparable to Bisquick (such as Bob’s Red Mill GF Biscuit & Baking Mix).
This recipe is SO easy and turned out great!! HOWEVER, I felt it needed more of the Chicken & Vegetable mixture. Next time, I will keep the dumplings the same, but will do 1.5 – 2x the Chicken & Vegetable mixture . I added some garlic powder to mine, too. FAMILY LOVED IT!!!!!
FYI: Giving this recipe to my Mother. She likes to make a meal for her Pastor and family. Two of the children cannot do dairy and one cannot do gluten. HOW WONDERFUL THAT YOU HAVE CREATED THIS RECIPE WITH SUBSTITUTIONS SO THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN ENJOY IT!!!
Followed it exactly- family gobbled it up!
Yess!
We made your gluten-free chicken and dumplings tonight.
Absolutely the best recipe.
Dumplings and sauce were delicious.
Thanks so much!!
Love the idea of this. I didn’t use gf bisquik as I only use organic ingredients so used another gf product… didn’t realize I would need to add baking soda or something to make it rise since that was in bisquik and left out of the ingredients. Only came to this realization after the dough was in the soup. So sad! Would be really helpful if there was a note around this.
Hi Drake, we would only recommend subbing a GF baking mix that’s comparable to Bisquick (such as Bob’s Red Mill GF Biscuit & Baking Mix) in this recipe.
I love the flavor of this recipe! But I’m afraid I also had trouble with my dumplings not holding up. Everything came together perfectly and easily until I scooped them into the pot. They seemed to disintegrate upon arrival! But it tasted so good anyway. I’ll have to give it another go and see if I can do it better next time.
Just made this for the family! We love it. Definitely use all the time to cook the dumplings. Perfect for the cold weather.
I enjoyed the recipe, it was very easy which is always good. Next time I’ll use less bisquick or more egg to make denser biscuits (they were nice and fluffy.) Also I think I’d try potato starch instead of cornstarch to see if that makes it creamier. Overall it’s a great recipe!
So there had to be an operator error somewhere. This does taste very good, but my dumplings did not hold together, they boiled down to mush. I did follow your directions and not substitute anything. It did come together easy enough and had good flavor, it just did not look at all like your pictures. I may have to try it again but I wonder how to keep the dumplings together?
My gf bisquick boxed recipe says to use shortening not butter to make the biscuits. Not butter . Will it change the dumplings if I use butter ? Did you use the actual gf bisquick mix ? Thank you
Hi Kim! Just follow the directions in my recipe and do not use the directions on the box of gluten-free Bisquick. I hope you enjoy it!
Is the bisquick mix analogous to Pam’s pancake mix? Is there a biscuit recipe on there as well?
Hi Judd! I have not tired the Pam’s pancake mix with this recipe. The Pamela’s pancake & baking mix has completely different ingredients than the gluten-free Bisquick. So you probably will not get the same results as the gluten-free Bisquick. I buy the gluten-free Bisquick at Walmart.
Hello, I just wanted to say that I loved this recipe. I don’t like any of the other non dairy options so I used Oatmilk instead and it turned out great.
I’ve made this recipe twice and the flavor and consistency is everything we DF/gf people dream of. Has anyone mentioned the bottom of the pot burning? It’s happened twice in 2 different pots so I’m assuming it’s a user error. Any tips?
I made this recipe last night for dinner. It was absolutely delicious. I have tried several dumpling recipes (regular and gluten-free) and none if them compare to this in the least!!! The broth was nice and creamy and the dumplings were light and fluffy on the inside. Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes.
This was phenomenal!!!! The flavors were spot on! I made this vegetarian using Sweet Earth, Mindful Chik N Strips. So many vegetarian meats have gluten but this brand is GF and absolutely delicious with this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
This was wonderful! I used oat milk and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake mix and was impressed with the taste and consistency. Also, my hubby who isn’t GF or DF thought it tasted fantastic. Thanks!!
I LOVE every one of your recipes! They always turn out and taste great! Thank you!
This was delicious! I was a little leery of the cornstarch thickening technique. Seems like it hasn’t always worked for me in the past. This was GREAT tho! The only issue I had was, I had to cook much longer to get the dumplings cooked. I think this was because the diameter of the pan was too small. When I put the scoops of dumplings in they completely covered the top surface. I would have preferred a little room around them to cook faster. I am getting a new stock pot that should work great. Anyway I was happy that just cooking longer did the trick. Normally I wouldn’t try a gluten free/dairy free version of a cream sauce and dumplings – its just asking too much. But after making your biscuits I thought I would give it a try. You aced this one too.
This absolutely was the very best recipe for chicken and dumplings. I enjoyed it very much. I used Bob’s 1:1 gluten free flour and it has the xantham gum in it. It was great. I bet if I had not said it was gluten free, no one would know the difference. Do you have a gluten free white country gravy recipe? I am about to try your gluten free pecan pie recipe. Even though I am using an already made pie crust that is gluten free and the mix is naturally gluten free, I am using your recipe for the filling because of all the recipes online, yours has the highest ratings and stars with awesome reviews. gluten free or not; thank you for putting them online. You are my gluten free rock star recipe gal!!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh Wow! Made this tonight. It was fantastic! I made your homemade “Bisquick” using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks. I know when you use shortening to create the mix you don’t need to refrigerate it but should mine be refrigerated as it contains the Earth Balance? Thanks so much for this recipe-I haven’t had dumplings since my mother’s-so many years ago.
We have tried GF dumplings several times, some better then others, but this recipe was the BEST by far!! I used Bob’s Redmill 1 to 1 blend and I truly believe no one could have told the difference between it and a gluten flour recipe. A true keeper.
I noticed your ice cream scoop and wouldn’t have believed you posted a link! Thank you for sharing all the little bits with us!
Audrey,
I love this recipe!! I recently had to take dairy and gluten out of my diet for a time here. And being pregnant as well with our 4th little one coming here in March, I needed good recipes to have and enjoy food again! Thank you. I will have to post on a couple of your other recipes too. Love the Cinnamon rolls and I did make my own bisquick from your recipe as well
Jen
Thank you so much Jen for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings and the other recipes you have tried. I really appreciate your leaving a review, they mean a lot to me. Congratulations on your 4th little one! I have four children and well. Thank you again!
Excellent recipe! My family loved it so much! We’re making this again for our Christmas dinner since it’s easy to adapt to everyone’s dietary restrictions. Thank you for the delicious recipe! Looking forward to trying more!
Thank you so much Christina for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that your whole family loved the chicken and dumplings. You are so welcome, I love helping others by sharing what I make for my family. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas. Thank you again!
I made this yesterday for dinner, never made this soup before and so I’m happy it came out so well! My husband loved it! I used unsweetened almond milk and my vegan butter and my flour mix was a Living Now brand of baking/pancake flour mix. Everything went well. Prep and cook time for me was a very long time because I was nervous lol, but now I know how yo make it, Audrey’s instructions are so clear and helpful!
Thank you so much Alyssa for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your husband loved the chicken and dumplings. Thank you for sharing what brand of mix and the dairy-free ingredients you used, as I know it will help others. I am so glad that you found my instructions to be clear and helpful. Thanks again!
Just tasted it after it melded. It is AMAZING. Don’t. Change. Anything.
Thank you so much Mikaela for your awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings. Thanks again!
I absolutely loved this recipe the only problem I had and it’s probably my fault is the dumplings didn’t “form”. But rather made it into a dumpling mush lol. It still tastes great just wondering if you had any suggestions as to what I might have done wrong. The dumpling batter was pretty runny so maybe that’s it? Thanks
Thank you so much Brandy for the 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you loved the chicken and dumplings. I use a greased ice cream scoop to make the dumplings and once I drop them in the pot I don’t stir them. Using the ice cream scoop makes really big and fluffy dumplings. You can see in photo 10 how thick the batter should be. I hope all of this helps. Thanks again!
As an individual who reluctantly joined the GF community due to being diagnosed with an intolerance I began desperately searching for recipes that I could take comfort in and stumbled across this one. And all I have to say is WOW. This recipe is comforting and filling. I will definitely be making this again. I’m glad to know that this is a recipe I can keep in my back pocket that will never fail with my family and when I have guests over.
Thank you so much Samantha for the awesome 5-star recipe review. I am so happy that you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings and it was comforting and filling. I understand how important it is to find recipes that are comforting. Thank you again!
Just curious, how can advertise dairy free if using eggs? I am dairy & lactose intolerant, gluten & wheat intolerant. Among other things my ibsc will refuse to let me eat… red meat, most veggies, onion & garlic
(Fresh or powder) the list goes on & on. What would you suggest for replacing eggs?
Hi Tara! Eggs are not a dairy product. Dairy is any foods made from the milk produced from milk products of animals, with cow’s milk being the main source of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc…) Eggs are a product form birds like chickens. If you also need to be egg-free (or Vegan-eats no animals products) I would recommend using Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer in place of the eggs in the recipe. Some of my favorite dairy-free products to use in this recipe is cashew or almond milk and Smart Balance butter. I hope you enjoy the chicken and dumplings!
This has quickly become a family favorite! It’s comfort food done right. Lots of flavor, very moist, and easy to pull together. Plus you can easily modify it to suit your taste. For example, I prefer dark meat so I use boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Plus I add extra peas and corn to make it heartier.
At first I could not find the GF Bisquick, so I made it from scratch using the recipe she provides. It came out delicious. Since then, I found the GF version in the store, and am pleased with both outcomes.
Thank you so much Monique for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that this recipe is becoming a favorite for your family. I am glad to hear that the recipe for gluten-free Bisquick worked well in the recipe. I have used both the recipe and the boxed mix for the recipe and my family always enjoys it. Thank you again!
Any recommendations on an alternative for corn starch? I have a corn allergy as well as gluten.
Thanks ????
Hi Megan! Can you use arrowroot powder? You could also try using gluten-free flour instead of the cornstarch. I whisk it right in with the milk when I make my cream soups. I hope this helps and you are able to try the recipe!
Potato starch or Tapioca starch may work as an alternative as well.
Hi Tricia! Thank you for the alternative search recommendations. I hope you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings.
Which milk alternative do you think taste best or you use for this recipe?
Hi Jenna! I like either almond or cashew milk the best. I hope you enjoy it!
Awesome. Making it for the second time. I did use a cup less water this time but not for any reason just our preference.
Thank you so much Janet for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chicken and dumpling and that you are making it a second time. It’s one of my family’s favorites. Thank you again!
Of all the recipes for Chicken & Dumplings I can tell you this is the VERY BEST one of all!! I used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 – 1 all purpose flour and my own homemade chicken broth. But it was so easy, fast and wonderful. I have been doing Paleo for about 4 years and I’ve never found anything that tasted like my old comfort food but without cheating!! BRAVO!!
Thank you so much Debbie for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings. I bet your homemade chicken broth was really amazing in the recipe. Chicken and dumplings are one of my family’s all-time favorite meals. Thank you again!
This was such a great comfort food meal! I will be making it all winter long! This is by far the best gluten free chicken and dumplings recipe I have tried over the past 7 years. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you so much Joansy for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I can’t tell you how happy it makes me hear that you enjoyed the chicken and dumplings. Thank you so much for your kinds words on your blog post about the recipe, it really made my heart happy when I read it! Thank you so much for the encouragement. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
Wondering if soy milk can be used as we have a gluten free, dairy free, nut free child in the house!
Hi Jennifer! Yes, soy milk will work as a dairy-free alternative. I cannot use soy milk because I have a sensitivity to soy but, I have lots of food allergy blogger friends that use soy milk. I hope you enjoy the chicken and dumplings.
Amazing recipe. New favorite. Whole family loved it!
Thank you so much Missy for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that your family enjoyed the chicken and dumplings. They are one of my family’s favorite meals. Thanks again!
Is there no salt in this recipe?
Hi Dez! The gluten-free chicken broth is pretty salty, so I only use 1/2 teaspoon but you could always up the amount to 1 teaspoon. Thank you so much for catching that. I added it to the recipe. I hope you enjoy the chicken and dumplings.
I have tried several recipes for chicken and dumplings since going gluten free seven years ago, but this is the only one that tastes like REAL dumplings! Delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I will be making this again!
Thank you so much Micki! It makes my heart so happy to hear that you enjoyed them. Chicken and dumplings are one of my family’s favorite meals.
Thank you for sharing! Chicken and dumplings is one of our favorite meals. Excited ro give gluten free dumplings a try. I do want to point out that Wal-Mart rotisserie chicken is not gluten free. I found that out the hard way! My son has Celiac and became ill after eating it. When I looked at the ingredient list they coat the chicken in flour and spices. His diagnosis is new and I am learning everyday. Costco is a safe bet!
Hi Teri! I hope you enjoy the chicken and dumplings. I am so sorry to hear that your son got sick after eating the Walmart rotisserie chicken. What flavor did he eat? The Walmart traditional rotisserie chicken (has the purple label) is gluten-free and has no gluten-containing ingredients listed on it’s label (no flour-wheat, barley or rye). Spices are also safe. Some packaged spice blends include flour in them, so that’s why they are not safe. Walmart is very good about listing any food allergens on their labels. I have been eating their chicken for years and I have never had any problems and I am super reactive. I actually had one for dinner last night. I do prefer the Costco chickens. Here’s a website that confirmed that the traditional rotisserie chicken is safe, but always read your labels because they change all of the time. https://theglutenfreebar.com/blogs/gluten-free-food-list/are-marketside-rotisserie-chickens-walmart-gluten-free Thanks again!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Hi Jeannette! I have not frozen the chicken and dumplings. I have reheated leftovers and it reheated up perfectly. If you freeze it will you please let me know if it freezes well? Thank you for asking.
Are the thyme and sage fresh or dried. I’m assuming fresh because it seems like a lot for dried. Making this for sick friend who wants comfort food.
I have no rating for it yet, but it looks good.
Hi Dave! It’s dried thyme and sage. I hope that your friend feels better and enjoys the chicken and dumplings.
This Gluten-Free Chicken and Dumplings looks like an amazing, healthy twist on a classic recipe I grew up with! Excited to try it out!!
I hope you enjoy it Kasey! Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe rating.
One of our favorite comfort meals!
It’s one of my family’s favorite meals also. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe rating Wilhelmina!
When do you add the vegetables? Directions do not include.
Hi Esther! You add the vegetables at the same times as the chicken. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I have updated the recipe. I hope you try it and enjoy it!