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    Chicken and Dumplings

    January 12, 2017 By Meagan 28 Comments

    Chicken and Dumplings | Paleo chicken and dumplings that tastes just like the original. Made with nourishing, flavorful chicken bone broth. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    Chicken and Dumplings | Paleo chicken and dumplings that tastes just like the original. Made with nourishing, flavorful chicken bone broth. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    To skip straight to the recipe, click here.

    Don't let the cooking time scare you away from this recipe. I've included a short version in the recipe notes that cooks in about a half hour!

    It's been a long time since I've had chicken and dumplings but these really taste just like I remember.  Probably because I took my mom's exact recipe, simmered the chicken longer with ACV (that's how you make bone broth!), and substituted flour with two grain-free flours.  That would explain it.  When I first tried Penzeys Bicentennial Rub, I started adding that to the recipe which made it even better.

    Chicken and Dumplings | Paleo chicken and dumplings that tastes just like the original. Made with nourishing, flavorful chicken bone broth. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    I'm enjoying recreating all these family recipes.  It's funny because I don't get frustrated about losing bread or family recipes or anything along those lines to my gluten intolerance.  I get frustrated that I can't just go out to eat anywhere I want and pick off the bun and not get sick.  Or that my friends and family can't cook for me and share their new creations with me while I get to share all my recipes with them.  Or the fact that I've been taking my own soap to work ever since I realized the it was the gluten in the new soap making me sick from washing my hands before lunch each day.  Not eating certain foods is the least of my concerns! Regardless, I'm so happy to have chicken and dumplings back on the menu. It's amazing what you can do with some of these "non-traditional" ingredients. A lot of recipes, such as pancakes and muffins end up tasting even better than the original version. It kind of makes sense though - I don't exactly remember flour having a taste that was to die for ;)

    Note: This post was originally published on 7/15/2014 and I've since republished it on 1/12/2017 with new photos. I make this recipe quite often and the last time I made it, I figured I'd redo the photos since my photography has gotten better since then. Don't worry, the recipe is the same. You can view the original photo here, if you're curious.

    Print

    Recipe

    Chicken and Dumplings | Paleo chicken and dumplings that tastes just like the original. Made with nourishing, flavorful chicken bone broth. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

    Chicken and Dumplings

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
    • Prep Time: 25 mins
    • Cook Time: 8 hours 30 mins
    • Total Time: 8 hours 55 mins
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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    Ingredients

    • 2 chicken backs
    • 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts or tenders
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 3 stalks celery, diced
    • salt and pepper for broth (to taste)
    • 2 tsp Penzeys Spices Bicentennial Rub (optional)
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 C tapioca starch, plus extra to keep dough from sticking
    • 1 C almond flour
    • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1-2 tablespoon water or broth

    Instructions

    1. Place chicken backs in a large pot and cover with water. Add apple cider vinegar along with some salt and pepper.
    2. Bring the water to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 8 hours (or longer if you like) and skim off any foam that rises to the top. I’ll occasionally add more water as the broth gets lower in the pot. It always gels and is very flavorful even with the water added but you can skip this if you like.
    3. A few minutes before broth is finished, start making dumplings. Whisk together tapioca starch, almond flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Make a dent in the dry mixture to add your eggs. Use a fork or biscuit cutter to combine. The mixture should start to form pieces that can be kneaded together. Add water or broth a half tablespoon at a time, if needed.
    4. Dust a rolling pin and a clean counter or other flat work surface with some tapioca starch. Knead dough until you can form it into a smooth ball. Use the rolling pin to roll out dough into a large square. It can be as thick or thin as you like. I like to make a combination of thick and thin dumplings.
    5. Using a plastic spatula, cut dough into squares. I prefer to make mine very large but a normal size is probably closer to 1×1 inch squares. Use the same spatula to loosen the dumplings off of the counter.
    6. When broth has finished simmering, strain out the bones and return broth to the same pot. Reserve any meat you can from the chicken backs and add that back to the pot as well (I wasn’t able to save much – all the meat and bones break down into little tiny pieces). Taste the broth and add any salt or pepper, if needed.
    7. Bring broth back to a boil and add uncooked chicken, Bicentennial Rub (optional), onion, and celery. Boil for about 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
    8. Reduce to a simmer. Pull out the chicken pieces to shred them, then add back to the pot. Add dumplings and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked all the way through. It may take more or less time depending on how thick you made them.
    9. Serve. Yum!

    Notes

    Short version:
    Use 8-10 cups pre-made bone broth or chicken stock. Omit chicken backs and apple cider vinegar from ingredient list. Skip steps 1, 2, and 6. Allow 30 mins cooking time for the quick version.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @eatsomethingdelicious on Instagram and hashtag it #eatsomethingdelicious

    Chicken and Dumplings | Paleo chicken and dumplings that tastes just like the original. Made with nourishing, flavorful chicken bone broth. | eatsomethingdelicious.com

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Charlene

      July 16, 2014 at 9:59 am

      This looks really good. Where is the shout out to my AC for hooking me on Penzeys and their Bicentennial Rub?

      Reply
      • Meagan

        July 16, 2014 at 12:06 pm

        Haha thanks AC! You're the best :)

        Reply
    2. Marina

      February 15, 2018 at 11:18 am

      Could arrowroot starch/flour be used in place of the tapioca?

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        February 15, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        I've always considered those two to be interchangeable but I haven't tried it with this recipe which can be a little finicky. I used potato starch once and the dough was impossible to roll out without cracking so I guess not all starch is the same. However it was fine for dumplings since the shape doesn't have to be perfect. I think it would be safe to try arrowroot but if you would rather not risk ending up with a dough that's difficult to work with, I'd stick with tapioca starch if you can. It's actually a lot cheaper than arrowroot too which is why I tend to use that in most of my recipes.

        Reply
    3. Cheri Stuart

      March 10, 2018 at 11:27 am

      Made this today using chicken thighs and rich, homemade broth I had frozen. Chicken and dense dumplings was always a favorite but due to food allergies I hadn't found a recipe worth making in nine years. That's all changed now. These are amazing dumplings! Far and above a new favorite. Thanks so much!!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        March 11, 2018 at 12:19 pm

        So happy you liked the recipe and thanks for the feedback! I know there are a lot of different ways to make dumplings so I didn't know if this version would appeal to everyone but they taste exactly "how mom used to make" for me!

        Reply
    4. Angela S

      September 15, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      This recipe is magical!! I only followed the dumpling portion, since I picked up a rotisserie chicken! But holy cow, can't even tell it's keto!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        September 16, 2018 at 5:59 pm

        Thanks, Angela! I’m not sure if the recipe is keto friendly or not with the 2 cups of starch but I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
      • badgergrrl

        October 21, 2020 at 10:43 am

        Tapioca starch isn't keto. It's starch. Sorry :)

        Reply
        • Meagan Fikes

          October 21, 2020 at 11:25 am

          Thanks for clarifying! I’ve noticed this recipe on so many keto boards on Pinterest and I’m not sure where the confusion is coming from or what I wrote that would imply it was keto. I might have to go back and mention this in the recipe notes.

          Reply
    5. Judi Barton

      September 24, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      Have you ever tried this recipe as a drop dumpling rather than rolling them out?

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        September 24, 2018 at 1:01 pm

        I haven’t but I’ve seen other readers try it with success. I just wouldn’t be able to tell you how big to make them or how long they should simmer.

        Reply
    6. Tammy

      January 26, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Just made these. Love them! My daughter has missed dumplings so she is super excited today! Thank you for a great recipe!!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        January 26, 2019 at 1:59 pm

        That makes me so happy to hear, Tammy! I’m glad you both enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    7. Kaitlyn

      April 05, 2019 at 5:26 pm

      This recipe is incredible. We add some almond milk to the broth to make it creamy and I have even done different veggies and seasoning to do a "zuppa tuscana". LOVE the dumplings. We are paleo due to my son's allergies and man do I miss bread, but this is the real deal!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        April 06, 2019 at 1:34 pm

        Thanks so much for the comment, Kaitlyn. I really feel like this tastes just like my family recipe for chicken and dumplings did. I love your idea for adding the almond milk and varying the spices and veggies. Such a great idea!

        Reply
    8. Elaine

      January 20, 2020 at 9:18 am

      This is amazing, thank you! I only loosely followed the recipe. Didn't use vinegar, subbed arrowroot starch for tapioca starch, etc. And when shaping the dumplings, I made thick half-inch cubes, because I like the dumplings to be a lot like thick country biscuits. It was fantastic! Going on my regular meal rotation!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        January 21, 2020 at 1:30 pm

        So glad you like it! It’s on our regular rotation too and I also prefer slightly thicker dumplings. Good to know the arrowroot starch worked instead. I never tried it because I worried they would be more crumbly and delicate

        Reply
    9. Loren

      October 06, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      Have you tried freezing leftover dough in squares?

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        October 07, 2020 at 8:51 am

        I’m sorry, I haven’t tried it. I know after the dough has been baked in other recipes, it will get wet and sticky when it gets thawed out. I’m not sure if this would happen to uncooked dough too but I think it would cook ok. It might be messy thawing it out though.

        Reply
    10. Lois s.

      March 19, 2023 at 1:52 pm

      I looked on Penzys no bicentennial rub listed. Please give substitute spices to use. Husband is gf free 1st time making this.

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        March 19, 2023 at 2:25 pm

        Hi Lois. Bicentennial Rub is now called Revolution. Sorry for the confusion, I wrote this recipe a while back. Here’s the link: https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/penzeys-revolution/c-24/p-339/pd-s

        Reply
    11. ALH

      April 26, 2023 at 5:52 pm

      Are the dumplings supposed to be chewy/gummy? I don’t know what I did wrong.

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        April 27, 2023 at 12:31 am

        I've always made mine thick and chewy (I would describe the texture as similar to gnocchi) but they don't turn out gummy or elastic in any way. Tapioca starch can turn gummy and stretchy when cooked so it could be due to using excess starch/not enough almond flour or possibly due to overcooking as well. The only other thing I can think of is if baking soda was used by mistake instead of baking powder, there would be nothing to activate the baking soda so the dumplings wouldn't puff up much, affecting the texture.

        I hope this helps. I'm sorry to hear it didn't turn out better. I know the recipe is quite a bit of work and I appreciate you giving it a chance.

        Reply
        • ALH

          May 05, 2023 at 9:57 am

          Mine puffed up like pillows which I think is why they were chewy. I actually like my squares to be thin and flat but not sure how I’d accomplish that other than rolling the dough out even more but I had it pretty thin, I thought.

          Reply
          • Meagan Fikes

            May 17, 2023 at 11:12 pm

            I'm actually just reading that a lot of people enjoy thinner, almost noodle-like dumplings. I've never tried them this way so maybe the recipe just didn't work out due to personal preference. I typically enjoy a thick, dense dumpling and these about double in size. One reader even made them into half inch thick cubes which is thicker than I've ever tried! So it sounds like there's a pretty big range of dumpling thickness that people enjoy. I remember my mom always making half of them thin (by her standards) and half thick to please everyone in the household lol. If you'd like to avoid them puffing up so much, you might try omitting the baking powder or possibly just reducing it and rolling very thin. Keep in mind the thinner dough may be more fragile and using all of the baking powder will approximately double the thickness of the rolled out dough. Again, I'm sorry the recipe didn't go as planned.

            Reply
            • Sharon

              June 30, 2024 at 5:57 pm

              Can you use cassava flour for the tapioca starch

            • Meagan Fikes

              July 01, 2024 at 12:38 am

              Hi Sharon. I haven't tried it with cassava flour but I don't think it will work easily. Cassava flour is very different from tapioca starch and I believe you'd need to reduce the amount of cassava compared to the starch quite a bit. Arrowroot starch will work in place of tapioca starch but not all starches can be substituted - for example, I tried using potato starch once and it completely ruined the entire batch of dough.

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    About Meagan

    About Meagan

    I started out with a passion for creating unique recipes and decorating cakes. In June of 2012, I discovered I was not only severely gluten intolerant but also, many of the foods I was eating I simply couldn't include in my diet anymore. Fortunately, my love for trying new recipes, ingredients, and cooking methods made re-learning how to cook seem more like a fun challenge than an unfortunate circumstance. I'm so happy to say that my dietary restrictions haven't stopped me from doing what I love. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

    Some links on this site are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase at one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products and services I personally recommend and believe will benefit my readers. These links help to cover some of my blogging expenses. I appreciate your support!

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    I was going to write some jokes about logging but I was going to write some jokes about logging but you wooden get them. Because they’re super dumb. Ok, I’ll share anyway.
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How do lumberjacks find a missing exponent?
By using LOGarithms
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What did the lumberjack wear to work on casual Friday?
His favorite Tree-shirt
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When is the most stressful time of year for a tree?
Sept-timber
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I told you they were bad, right? 😅 Cut me some slack, they were for a kids birthday party. Oh, and I have more…
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Why did the logger get a gym membership?
He wanted to get lumber jacked 💪
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Why couldn’t the tree answer the riddle?
He was stumped
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What kind of beer do lumberjacks drink?
Loggers 🍻
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Why did the logger have back pain?
He didn’t have enough lumber support
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Embarrassingly enough, I have a bunch more but I’ll save them for a project in a later blog post. For now, I just have the cake.
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This is a 2 part, absolutely massive blog post on making this logging scene cake from start to finish. The cake is chocolate and vanilla layers with cookies & cream filling. And as always, gluten free and dairy free.
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The recipe is at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
Thanks for chopping by 👋
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #dessert #foodallergies #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious #cakedecorating #foodbloggerpro #cake
    Big news: I cleaned my house the other day 😅 Bu Big news: I cleaned my house the other day 😅 But seriously, it’s amazing how much having a clean space can help. My energy levels are completely uncalled for considering we’re well beyond a month of Erika barely sleeping at night and at least one family member dealing with a cold. I’m so tired of snot 😩 And being responsible for 3 peoples noses. We’re trying to graduate one nose to self-care but apparently the art of nose blowing takes a lot more boxes of tissues to master. We’ll get there.
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Ok enough gross stuff. My finally clean again space has made me so much more focused and motivated to get things done. I’ve burned through most of my work to-do list and made it to the fun stuff that I don’t have to do but just want to. And since I was at that point, I decided to do something for myself by working on my blog. And I went a little overboard by working on 5 blog posts at once. I probably won’t get through them all but I have 3 ready so far.
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This first post is a 30 minute ground beef stroganoff that I made almost 3 years ago. I didn’t do a great job writing down the recipe so I wasn’t able to post it until I figured out what I forgot to write down. Figured it out the other day and it was so good!
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You can get the recipe at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #celiac #eatsomethingdelicious #30minutemeals #foodallergies #foodbloggerpro #glutenintolerant
    Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th b Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th birthday cake on the blog today. Also wrote a recap on everything that’s been going on for the past year since I would normally write about it in my blog posts but haven’t written anything! I don’t know when I’ll be back on there. I’ve only had time for site maintenance and I really miss blogging but I’ll be back on once things slow down. The link to the new post is in my profile!
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #cakedecorating #foodallergies #celiacdisease
    I almost didn’t make this into a casserole becau I almost didn’t make this into a casserole because the sauce and pasta combined made a delicious side dish on their own! @beldolcefood #sponsored my most recent blog post and provided me with their new gluten free fusilli and penne to try out. I used the fusilli in this recipe and the sauce is a creamy, cheesy enchilada sauce made from just 3 ingredients.
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I ended up adding taco meat, fire roasted tomatoes, corn, black beans, and dairy free cheese to make a taco noodle casserole. Then we ate it all and I made it again! This is one of those recipes that will be going in our regular meal rotation.
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This is a pretty versatile recipe. It can be made vegan just by leaving out the meat and it’s just as good. And as I said earlier, the pasta with just the sauce makes a really good side dish. You can also top it with whatever you like such as cilantro, jalapeños, sour cream, scallions, or salsa.
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The recipe and details on @beldolcefood new gluten free pasta is linked in my profile:
@eatsomethingdelicious
Let me know if you try it!
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #glutenfreefacility #pasta #casserole #beldolce #foodallergies #f52grams #foodbloggerpro #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious
    I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers t I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers that makes cakes for their blogs “birthdays”. Or uses the blog birthdays as an excuse to make yet another cake recipe....yeah, that’s probably more accurate.
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Definitely felt like I needed a good excuse for this one because it’s my fifth variation of gooey butter cake! However, my site is seven years old so maybe I should have had seven gooey butter cakes ready to go? Guess I’d better get caught up before year eight 😉
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Anyways, I really enjoyed this carrot cake variation of gooey butter cake. The cake layer/crust swaps out the yellow cake mix with spice cake mix and I added in some shredded carrots and raisins. I kept the “gooey” top layer the same except that I topped it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and additional raisins before baking.
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If you want to try the recipe, the link is in my profile: @eatsomethingdelicious
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#gooeybuttercake #foodallergies #glutenfree #dairyfree #foodbloggerpro #baking #celiac #f52grams #f52sweets #glutenintolerant #carrotcake
#glutenfreelife #eatsomethingdelicious
    Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The carame Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The caramel stuffed crispy rice treats recipe is written below. The other recipes (gooey butter cookies, salted caramel turtles, and pumpkin snickerdoodles) can be found at the link in my bio!
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CARAMEL STUFFED CRISPY RICE TREATS
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INGREDIENTS
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• ¼ C dairy free butter, divided
• 4 C mini marshmallows (regular and vegan both work), divided
• 6 C gluten free rice cereal *see notes*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 10-11 oz dairy free chewy caramels
• 11.25 oz can sweetened condensed coconut milk
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DIRECTIONS
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1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the dairy free butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cups of marshmallows and stir until they are melted with no lumps.
2. Remove from heat and stir in ½ tsp of vanilla then gently fold in 3 cups of cereal until it is well-combined with the marshmallows.
3. Using wet hands, press this mixture evenly into the bottom of a 7x11 inch casserole dish and set aside.
4. Unwrap the caramels and add them along with the sweetened condensed coconut milk to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often to avoid burning. Once this has turned to a completely smooth sauce, pour over the cereal layer.
5. Make your top cereal layer by repeating steps 1 and 2. Distribute this evenly over the caramel layer and pat down with wet hands.
6. Once the treats have cooled down, they will firm up and hold their shape when cut. Cut into squares and serve.
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NOTES
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• Potential allergens contained in this recipe may vary due to brands of ingredients used, product reformulations, etc. Please verify that all your ingredients are safe for you to consume and always be mindful of allergen cross contamination while cooking.
• Double check that the cereal you use is gluten free. At least one brand carries 2 different versions of rice cereal and only one is GF.
• Don't make both cereal layers in one large batch then divide it up. The top layer will cool and firm up before you can layer it on which will make the caramel seep out when you press it down.
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