Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings
Warm, fluffy Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings that taste just like the original! Easy comfort food recipe perfect for busy weeknights and family dinners.
You know that feeling when you walk into your grandma’s kitchen and smell something bubbling on the stove? That’s exactly what this Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings recipe brings back—pure comfort in a bowl.
I’ll never forget the first winter after going gluten-free. My daughter asked if we could still have “the dumpling soup” for her birthday dinner, and my heart just sank. But here’s the thing: gluten-free dumplings can be every bit as fluffy and satisfying as traditional ones, and I’m about to show you exactly how to make them.
This recipe has become our family’s go-to for chilly evenings, sick days, and those moments when you just need a warm hug in bowl form. The dumplings? Light as clouds. The broth? Rich and savory. And the best part? It comes together in under an hour, making it one of my favorite gluten free recipes for dinner.
Table of Contents
Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings
Equipment
- Large pot
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Cookie scoop
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 large carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup warm water for yogurt
- 3 ½ cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- fresh parsley chopped, for topping (optional)
Gluten-Free Dumplings
- 2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon parsley
- 1 Tablespoon minced chives
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add your diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté everything for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
- While the veggies are cooking, grab a small bowl and whisk together the plain yogurt with 1/4 cup of warm water. This helps the yogurt blend smoothly into the broth without curdling.
- Add the cooked chicken, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and your yogurt mixture to the pot. Give it a good stir and bring everything to a low boil.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs until they’re well beaten and slightly frothy.
- Add the gluten-free flour, chicken broth, baking powder, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper to the eggs. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth, sticky dough.
- Lightly spray a small or medium cookie scoop with cooking oil, then drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough directly into your simmering soup. If the dough starts sticking to your scoop, give it another quick spritz of oil.
- Let the dumplings simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes. They’ll puff up beautifully and start to look like little pillowy clouds.
- Cover the pot and simmer for an additional 5 minutes to ensure the dumplings cook through completely. Remove the bay leaves, ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Ingredients
Soup Base
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Yellow onion (diced) | 1 medium |
| Carrots (diced) | 4 large |
| Celery (diced) | 2 stalks |
| Olive oil | 2 Tablespoons |
| Plain yogurt | 1/2 cup |
| Warm water (for yogurt) | 1/4 cup |
| Cooked chicken (shredded or cubed) | 3 1/2 cups |
| Chicken broth | 4 cups |
| Bay leaves | 2 |
| Dried thyme | 2 teaspoons |
| Fresh parsley (optional topping) | Chopped to taste |
Gluten-Free Dumplings
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gluten-free flour | 2 1/4 cups |
| Large eggs | 2 |
| Chicken broth | 3/4 cup |
| Baking powder | 1 Tablespoon |
| Parsley | 1 Tablespoon |
| Minced chives | 1 Tablespoon |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add your diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté everything for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Your kitchen should start smelling amazing right about now!
Step 2: While the veggies are cooking, grab a small bowl and whisk together the plain yogurt with 1/4 cup of warm water. This little trick helps the yogurt blend smoothly into the broth without curdling—trust me on this one.
Step 3: Add the cooked chicken, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and your yogurt mixture to the pot. Give it a good stir and bring everything to a low boil. The broth will start developing that rich, creamy color that makes chicken and dumplings gluten free so irresistible.
Step 4: Time to make the magic happen! In a mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs until they’re well beaten and slightly frothy.
Step 5: Add the gluten-free flour, chicken broth, baking powder, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper to the eggs. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth, sticky dough—it should look thick and cohesive, kind of like a cross between batter and traditional dumpling dough.
Step 6: Lightly spray a small or medium cookie scoop with cooking oil, then drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough directly into your simmering soup. You can make them bite-sized or go for bigger, more substantial dumplings—we’re not judging either way! If the dough starts sticking to your scoop, just give it another quick spritz of oil.
Step 7: Let the gluten free dumplings simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes. They’ll puff up beautifully and start to look like little pillowy clouds floating in your soup.
Step 8: Cover the pot and simmer for an additional 5 minutes to ensure the dumplings cook through completely. Remove the bay leaves, ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if you’re feeling fancy.
Substitutions
Flour Swap: If you don’t have a gluten-free all-purpose blend on hand, you can use a mix of almond flour and tapioca starch (1 cup almond flour plus 1 1/4 cups tapioca starch works wonderfully). Just know that different gluten-free flour blends can affect texture slightly, so stick with a good quality all-purpose blend for best results.
Dairy-Free Option: Swap the plain yogurt for unsweetened coconut yogurt or cashew yogurt mixed with the warm water the same way. You can also check out my complete dairy-free comfort food collection for more creamy, cozy recipes that skip the dairy.
Chicken Alternatives: Leftover rotisserie chicken is my absolute favorite shortcut here, but you can also use turkey, or even make this vegetarian by swapping in chickpeas and using vegetable broth. Well… it won’t be chicken and dumplings anymore, but it’ll still be delicious!
Fresh Herbs: Don’t have fresh chives or parsley? Dried herbs work fine—just use about 1 teaspoon of dried for every tablespoon of fresh.
Troubleshooting
Dumplings Too Dense: If your gluten free dumplings turn out heavy, you likely overmixed the batter or used a flour blend without enough starch. Next time, whisk just until combined and make sure your blend includes starches like tapioca or potato starch for that light, fluffy texture.
Soup Too Thin: If your broth seems watery, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes before adding the dumplings. The vegetables and chicken will release their flavors, and some of the liquid will reduce naturally. According to trusted culinary science resources, simmering also helps develop deeper, more complex flavors.
Dumplings Falling Apart: This usually happens when the dough is too wet or the soup is boiling too vigorously. Make sure you’re at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) when you drop in the dumplings, and they’ll hold together beautifully.
Sticking Issues: Keep that cooking spray handy! A quick spritz between each scoop prevents the sticky dough from clinging to your spoon and makes the whole process so much smoother.
Storage & Meal Prep
Store leftover Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dumplings will absorb some of the broth as they sit, so you might want to add a splash of extra chicken broth when reheating—it brings everything back to life.
For meal prep, you can make the soup base ahead and store it separately from the raw dumpling batter. When you’re ready to eat, just heat the soup, whisk up fresh dumplings, and drop them in. This keeps the dumplings from getting too soggy and maintains that just-made texture everyone loves.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your chicken and dumplings gluten free in deep bowls with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and maybe a crack of black pepper on top. I love pairing this with a simple green salad or some crusty gluten-free bread for soaking up every last drop of that creamy broth.
This dish is perfect for Sunday dinners, bringing to neighbors who need a meal, or serving at Thanksgiving when you want something cozy alongside (or instead of) turkey. Man, oh man, does it hit the spot on a cold November evening!
Variations
Kid-Friendly Version: Make mini dumplings using a small cookie scoop so little ones can eat them easily with a spoon. You can also dial back the herbs if your kids are picky about green flecks in their food—the dumplings will still taste amazing.
Dairy-Free & Vegan: Use coconut yogurt instead of regular yogurt, swap chicken for white beans or tofu, and use vegetable broth. You’ll end up with a plant-based version that’s just as warming and satisfying as the original.
Extra Veggie Boost: Toss in some frozen peas, green beans, or diced potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. It adds color, nutrition, and makes the soup even heartier—perfect for stretching the recipe to feed a crowd.
Slow Cooker Method: Prepare the soup base in your slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours, then drop in the dumplings during the last 30 minutes of cooking. It’s a great hands-off approach for busy days when you want dinner waiting for you.
Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings FAQs
Can I use gluten-free flour for dumplings?
Absolutely! Gluten-free all-purpose flour works beautifully in dumpling recipes when you add baking powder for lift. The key is choosing a blend that includes starches like tapioca or potato starch, which give you that light, tender texture you’re craving.
Can you have gluten-free dumplings?
Yes, and they’re honestly just as good as traditional dumplings! The right gluten-free flour blend creates fluffy, pillowy dumplings that soak up all that delicious broth. This recipe proves you don’t have to miss out on comfort food classics just because you’re avoiding gluten.
What is a good thickener for chicken and dumplings?
The yogurt in this recipe adds a subtle creaminess and helps thicken the broth naturally without feeling heavy. If you want an even thicker soup, you can whisk a tablespoon of gluten-free flour with some cold broth and stir it in before adding the dumplings.
Can you use gluten-free Bisquick for dumplings?
You can, though the texture will be slightly different since Bisquick contains additional leavening and shortening. If you go this route, reduce the baking powder in the recipe and skip any added fats—just mix the Bisquick with eggs and broth until you get a thick, sticky dough.
What’s the best way to prevent soggy dumplings?
The secret is maintaining a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, and not overcooking them. Follow the timing in this recipe (10-12 minutes uncovered, then 5 minutes covered), and your gluten free dumplings will be perfectly tender without turning mushy.
How do I know when the dumplings are done?
Your dumplings are ready when they’ve puffed up to about double their original size and look fluffy on top. If you’re unsure, cut one open—the center should be cooked through with no raw, doughy spots.
Final Tips
This Gluten-Free Chicken & Dumplings recipe has become a staple in our house because it delivers all the comfort and nostalgia of the classic version without any gluten. Whether you’re new to gluten free recipes for dinner or you’ve been cooking this way for years, I think you’ll love how simple and satisfying this dish is.
For more cozy gluten-free comfort foods, check out my creamy dairy-free pumpkin pie or my easy vegan pumpkin pie—both are perfect for rounding out your fall and winter menus.
Now grab your biggest pot, gather your ingredients, and get ready to fill your kitchen with the most amazing aromas. Your family’s going to be asking for this one on repeat—I promise!
