Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Paleo Option
Shredded chicken and tender bites of vegetables in a thick, creamy broth make the perfect base for these made from scratch dumplings to soak up! Your family will love this healthier, allergy friendly take on a classic American comfort food. Plus, it's under 600 calories per serving!

Why I Love This Recipe
A quintessential American comfort food, Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings is filled with tender chicken breasts and vegetables simmered in a rich, creamy broth. It's a buttery, herby dish that's topped with light and fluffy dumplings. The bottom of this homemade dough soaks up the creamy soup while developing a outer crust.
This easy, wholesome chicken soup can be made on the stovetop or in a crock pot/slow cooker and is packed with savory, buttery flavor. Elevated by the homemade dumpling dough that takes less than 2 minutes to create, this rustic meal will soon become one of your favorites! Plus, it's ready to eat in under an hour.
While this dish is a complete meal in a bowl, I love serving it with a side salad for a crunchy, extra helping of vegetables!
Cooking Tips
These dumplings were inspired by Nana's homemade dumpling recipe that I'll share below. The quantities had to be altered for this gluten free version, however the spirit of the recipe is the same. I'm grateful to be sharing Nana's comfort food, not only with the next generation of my family, but all of you!
- Nana's Original Dumpling Recipe:
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup self rising flour
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup or less neutral oil
- ¼ cup milk
- some broth from chicken
How to make oven baked dumplings
Moreover, the dumplings can also be oven baked. Drop 1 tablespoon scoops of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until dumpling are cooked through and fluffy on the inside.
Tips for a paleo friendly version
Additionally, you can make Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings paleo friendly:
- In place of dairy free butter, use ghee.
- Replace brown rice flour with cassava flour.
- For dairy free milk choose lite coconut milk.
Furthermore, it is not a Whole30 compliant dish. The replacements above are all acceptable on a Whole30 diet. However, Whole30 does not allow for any baked goods.
Crock pot/slow cooker directions
- First, follow steps 2-8 and add to a slow cooker/crock pot.
- Then, add whole, raw chicken breasts.
- Next, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Then, remove chicken breasts and dice or shred with two forks. Place back into crock pot. Stir in coconut milk.
- Finally, drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the soup. Cover and cook on high an additional 20-30 minutes. As long as the soup is simmering when dough is dropped it should take closer to 20 minutes to cook through fully. Serve warm.
- Or, bake the dumplings ahead of time as directed in the cooking tips above and scatter on top when chicken soup is finished cooking. Serve warm.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings {Dairy Free, Paleo Option}
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 dutch oven
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 2 forks
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon dairy free butter or ghee
- 1 large onion small diced
- several pinches salt
- 2 celery stalks small diced
- 3 large carrots small diced
- 1 large green bell pepper small diced
- ⅛ teaspoon dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
- 5-6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
Dumplings
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- ⅔ cup brown rice flour or cassava flour for paleo
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 pinches salt
- 2 tablespoon dairy free milk lite coconut milk for paleo
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place raw chicken breasts in medium pot and cover with cold tap water. Cover with lid and place over burner on HIGH heat until boiling. Remove lid, reduce heat to MEDIUM or MED-LOW to maintain a moderate simmer. Cook 6-8 minutes per pound until the internal temperature is 165℉. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Then, dice or shred with 2 forks. While chicken is cooking, begin preparing the other ingredients.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven add dairy free butter or ghee. When butter is fully melted and pot is hot, add onions, celery, and 2 pinches of salt. Sauté 2-3 minutes until they start to become tender.
- Add carrots and a pinch of salt. Sauté 5-7 minutes until carrots begin to soften.
- Add green bell peppers. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add spices and sauté until fragrant about 30 seconds stirring constantly.
- Sprinkle arrowroot powder over vegetable mixture. Cook stirring constantly for 30 seconds-1 minute. Mixture will become very thick and will start to stick to the pan.
- Add broth in 1-2 tablespoon at a time stirring constantly, scraping up anything stuck on the bottom of the pot as it begins to sizzle. Continue this process until mixture is thick and smooth.
- Stir in the rest of the broth.
- Increase heat to HIGH and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to MED-LOW to maintain a moderate simmer. Allow vegetables and broth to simmer while you make the dumplings.
- Make dumplings: In a medium bowl add almond flour, brown rice flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add milk, oil, eggs, and apple cider vinegar and stir until fully combined.
- Add chicken and coconut milk into the pot. Bring back to a simmer.
- Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot.*
- Cook 10 minutes covered, remove lid and cook an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Serve warm.
Ann Goodman
This was delicious. I don’t have any allergies but we have family that does. I didn’t even notice it was gluten free and dairy free. My husband who doesn’t usually eat dishes like this ate it and loved it too. Makes me want to make it again.