Chicken and dumplings is a homey, comforting dish that's perfect for a chilly autumn or winter evening. This creamy soup is loaded with shredded chicken and individual dumplings, which are boiled right in the soup pot for the easiest prep. Onion, sage, and thyme give it a wonderful flavor that the entire family's sure to enjoy.
Unfortunately, wheat flour is the main ingredient in traditional dumplings. They’re high in carbs, and that is not suitable for people following a keto diet. A few revisions were necessary to bring you a recipe for keto chicken and dumplings. In addition to being low carb, it’s also gluten-free, grain-free, and suitable for paleo and Whole30 dieters.
To make the dumplings, wheat flour is swapped out for keto-friendly flours that are made with almond meal and coconut. Xanthan gum is the key ingredient that ensures they’ll hold together while boiling. The result is a dumpling that is tender, springy, and wholesome. Along with dishes like keto pulled pork, it’s bound to be a part of your low-carb winter staples.
“Keto recipes continue to impress, and this chicken and dumpling recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner. The herbs are excellent in the creamy broth, marrying that to the dumplings’ faint almond-coconut flavor. The dumplings stay together well, just be sure to stir gently and watch the cooking time.” — Colleen Graham
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
For the Dumplings:
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1 1/2 cups almond flour
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1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut flour
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1 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 large egg
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as almond milk
For the Soup:
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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1 cup diced onion
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1/4 teaspoon dry, rubbed sage
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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8 cups chicken broth
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3 cups shredded cooked chicken
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1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
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Add the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
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Add the egg, melted butter, and milk, and stir to combine.
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Once a dough has formed, using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dumpling dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Set aside while you make the soup.
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Add the butter to a large pot over medium-high heat. When the butter melts, add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
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Add the chicken broth, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
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Reduce the heat to medium-high, squeeze the dumplings to lightly pack then add the dumplings to the broth.
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Cook, stirring gently, until they have turned glossy and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Turn the heat to low. Add the cooked chicken and heavy cream. Stir gently to combine. Serve when the chicken is heated through.
The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
Recipe Tips
- The xanthan gum is imperative for the dumplings to hold together when boiled. If you don't have it on hand, you can try guar gum or another equally powerful thickener. These dumplings will not hold together without a food additive such as xanthan.
- Cooking time for the dumplings is key: anything over two to three minutes and they may begin to fall apart in the pot. Err on the side of slightly undercooking them, since they'll cook slightly further as the soup cools.
- Both chicken breasts and chicken thighs work well for this recipe. Feel free to use whichever type of chicken you have available; it's excellent with a mix of breasts and thighs. This recipe would make perfect use of leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Recipe Variations
- Chicken and dumplings is a moderately seasoned dish. You could kick this up with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or some extra herbs.
- If you'd like to make this dish in a crock pot, add the dumplings after the broth has simmered for an hour on low heat. Increase the heat to high, and once the broth is boiling, continue to cook for two to three minutes. Then return heat to low to incorporate chicken and cream. Avoid overcooking.
How to Store Chicken and Dumplings
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. While you can store the dumplings separately to make sure they don't break down, we found that as long as they were only cooked for a few minutes, they held up fine for several days.
Can you make keto chicken and dumplings ahead?
You can make this dish ahead. The dumplings will keep in a container in the fridge, uncooked, for several days. If you cook them, dumplings will hold well stored with the soup provided they weren't overcooked. If you're concerned, remove the dumplings from the soup and store them separately in their own container.
