Keto Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

By
Ariane Resnick
headshot for ariane resnick
Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/11/22
Keto Chicken and Dumplings
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 8 bowls
Yield: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
376 Calories
27g Fat
13g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 376
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 98mg 33%
Sodium 1402mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 132mg 10%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 419mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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. Unfortunately, dumplings are high in carbs, since wheat flour is their main ingredient, and aren't suitable for people following a keto diet. So, we've made some revisions to this comfort food dish 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, we swapped out wheat flour for keto friendly flours made with almond meal and coconut, and used xanthan gum to hold them together for 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.

Ingredients

For the Dumplings:

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut flour

  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as almond milk

For the Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion)

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/4 teaspoon dry, rubbed sage

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 8 cups chicken broth

  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Add the flours, xanthan gum, salt, and baking powder to a medium bowl and stir well.

  3. Add the egg, melted butter, and milk, and whisk to combine.

  4. Once a dough has been formed, use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dumplings onto a lined cookie sheet. Set aside.

  5. Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and saute over med-high heat for five minutes.

  6. Add the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, and saute for an additional two minutes.

  7. Add the chicken broth, cover, and turn heat to high to bring to a boil.

  8. Once boiling, add the dumplings.

  9. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until they have turned glossy and opaque.

  10. Turn the heat down to low and add the cooked chicken and heavy cream. Stir to incorporate. Once heated through, remove from heat and serve.

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 we only cooked them for 2-3 minutes they held up fine for several days.


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 2-3 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. We loved this with a mix of breasts and thighs together. This recipe would make perfect use of a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
  • If you want to prep this dish ahead of time, the dumplings will keep in a container in the fridge, uncooked, for several days.

Recipe Variations

  • Chicken and dumplings is a moderately seasoned dish. You could kick this up with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or with 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 one the broth is boiling, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then return heat to low to incorporate chicken and cream. Avoid overcooking.


Can you make keto chicken and dumplings ahead?

Yes, you can definitely make this dish ahead. We found that the dumplings held fine when 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.