Keto Chicken and Dumplings (Whole30 + Paleo)
Published Oct 23, 2020 Updated Jul 11, 2023
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Ok y’all, this may be my favorite recipe to ever hit the blog. I have worked and worked to make this Keto Chicken and Dumplings perfect and I finally got it right. I grew up eating chicken and dumplings on most fall and winter weekends growing up. Oh my goodness, my momma would make her dumplings using Bisquick and it was like eating a bowl of pure heaven.
My mom always kept her recipe pretty simple and didn’t include veggies like a lot of other recipe. Simply, broth, chicken, dumplings with salt and pepper. Y’all, it was simply amazing. So warming and comforting with very few ingredients. My goal was to create a recipe that would give me the same cozy feeling and I succeeded. This recipe is Whole30, Keto, Paleo, and Gluten/Dairy Free.
Click here to watch the FULL Keto Chicken and Dumpling step by step cooking video!
Ingredients needed for this Keto Chicken and Dumplings:
- Chicken breasts
- Onion
- Chicken broth
- Ghee
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Thyme
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Xanthan gum*
- Parsley
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Coconut milk
- Egg
How to make:
Stove Top Chicken Soup:
Soup:
Add a large pot of water with the chicken breast along with salt and pepper over medium/high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and lower the heat slightly. Allow this to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. The internal temperature should be 165F. (Make sure not to over cook them or they will become rubbery).
Remove the chicken from the pot and pour out the water. Set the pot to the side. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Once cool, transfer the cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl and shred using a hand held mixer or a fork. (I find that the hand held mixer is a much easier way to shred chicken quickly). Transfer the large pot back over medium heat along with 2 tablespoons of ghee, minced garlic and the chopped onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, around 3 minutes or so. Once the onions are cooked, add the shredded chicken, chicken broth, coconut milk and salt/pepper (I use 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper). Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Dumplings:
While the soup is simmering, to a large mixing bowl, add the almond flour, coconut flour, parsley, baking powder and salt/pepper. Mix together. Once combined, add in the large egg and coconut milk. Mix until it becomes a dough like mixture. Use your hands to form and pack the dough into 18-24 small or medium dumplings. Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Make sure not to overcook or they will dissolve. Just heat them enough to cook through. Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Version:
Add a small skillet over medium/high heat. Place the ghee, minced garlic and chopped onions in the skillet and cook until the onions are translucent, around 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken broth, raw chicken, salt/pepper, cooked onions, and garlic to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and allow to cool. Shred the chicken and then turn the heat up to high and add the coconut milk and dumplings to the slow cooker, allowing them to cook for 15 minutes, or until they’re cooked through. Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
- Make sure not to boil your chicken too long. This will make it rubbery.
- Use a hand held mixer for easy shredded chicken.
- When making the dumplings, you may have to press it in your hands a few times and pack it together to get a perfect ball. It may be crumbly at first but the more you pack it together, the better the ball form will be.
- Don’t cook the dumplings too long or they will dissolve. I always cook between 5-7 minutes.
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Keto Chicken and Dumplings (Whole30 + Keto)
Ingredients
Chicken Soup
- 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoons ghee
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Thyme for garnish
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk unsweetened
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Dumplings:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum*
- 1 tablespoon ghee melted
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup coconut milk canned unsweetened
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Stove Top Chicken Soup:
- Add a large pot of water with the chicken breast along with salt and pepper over medium/high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and lower the heat slightly. Allow this to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. The internal temperature should be 165F. (Make sure not to over cook them or they will become rubbery).
- Remove the chicken from the pot and pour out the water. Set the pot to the side. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Once cool, transfer the cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl and shred using a hand held mixer or a fork. (I find that the hand held mixer is a much easier way to shred chicken quickly).
- Transfer the large pot back over medium heat along with 2 tablespoons of ghee, minced garlic and the chopped onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, around 3 minutes or so. Once the onions are cooked, add the shredded chicken, chicken broth, coconut milk and salt/pepper (I use 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper). Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add in the 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. Mix together.
Dumplings:
- While the soup is simmering, to a large mixing bowl, add the almond flour, coconut flour, parsley, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt/pepper. Mix together. Once combined, add in the large egg, ghee and coconut milk. Mix until it becomes a dough like mixture. Use your hands to form and pack the dough into 18 medium dumplings.
- Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup (on low heat) and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, uncovered. Keep an eye on them as they cook and make sure not to overcook or they will dissolve, low heat is a must) Just heat them enough to cook through.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Version:
- Add a small skillet over medium/high heat. Place the ghee, minced garlic and chopped onions in the skillet and cook until the onions are translucent, around 3 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken broth, raw chicken, salt/pepper, cooked onions, and garlic to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and allow to cool. Shred the chicken and then turn the heat up to high and add the coconut milk and dumplings to the slow cooker, allowing them to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they’re cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure not to boil your chicken too long. This will make it rubbery.
- Use a hand held mixer for easy shredded chicken.
- Feel free to sub tapioca or arrowroot flour for the xanthan gum.
- When making the dumplings, you may have to press it in your hands a few times and pack it together to get a perfect ball. It may be crumbly at first but the more you pack it together, the better the ball form will be.
- Don't cook the dumplings too long or they will dissolve. I always cook between 5-7 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe has quickly become one of my go to favorites. It is delicious and comforting. 💜
Any ideas for an egg replacement here? We have an egg allergy in the house.
Was difficult to find when and how to add xanthan gum. I dissolved it in some hot broth before adding it too the pot and stirring well to distribute it evenly. Avoiding those little white blobs throughout. The dumplings turned out perfectly! I used an 1/8 cup to measure out before rolling into balls. Gently set them in the top of the simmering broth, no lid, set the timer for seven minutes. No stirring! After seven minutes I gently scooped them out with a slotted spoon and set aside in their own dish so they wouldn’t over cook or get smooshed when scooping out the chicken and sauce. Then set them on top of the dished chicken and sauce. Perfect! My boyfriend and I ate this for dinner the following night too! I’m wondering if these would make a good gnocchi? Been looking for a pasta like dough that actually has a pasta texture.
Thanks for your write up. Glad you liked it. But, under step one for “dumplings” it clearly states where to add xanthan gum. Thanks so much.
And I also have a step by step video for this recipe.
Could you use almond/cashew milk?
I really recommend canned coconut milk because it is thick. I’m not sure it would turn out the same with almond or cashew. Canned coconut is best
Could I make this for 2 and would I just divide the ingredients by 4? Looks so delish!
Absolutley!
Great recipe! It was perfect for us. The dumplings held together well. Everyone enjoyed the treat. I mixed the dumpling ingredients well then shaped into 18 dumplings rolling each one by hand. So I did handle them a lot. This might be one reason mine stayed together so well. I also made sure my broth was not bubbling. I think this might be the culprit as to why they are falling apart for some. Enjoy!
Can you substitute white milk or heavy whipping cream for the coconut milk
Hi Erin,
You absolutely can if you are not focusing on Whole 30 or Paleo. Thanks for your message.
This is SO yummy! Almost as good as granny’s. Hubbs says the dumplings taste like the ones he remembers growing up (he’s from Alabama. I’m from Georgia. This is HIGH praise lol) My granny made the noodle-kind of dumplings tho. So while this is really yummy, it’s not quite the chicken n dumplings I remember. Still looking for those.
That said, I noticed lots of trouble with the dumplings falling apart so I made mine early in the process and allowed them to dry. I even baked them a few minutes- 350 for like, 5 mins. They browned a smidge on the bottom but FWIW, mine are still in tact after spending the night in the broth in the fridge lol.
Thanks so much for such a yummy recipe!
Is there anything we can sub for ghee?
You can use butter
I loved this recipe, I add fresh chopped asparagus, celery and carrots for my husband. I cooked my chicken with chicken bouillon and strained it for my soup base. The dumplings have a fluffy, light matzo ball consistency. I was cautious to barely simmer the soup and the dumplings stayed solid. My husband had two bowls, so delicious!