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Deliciously seasoned chicken and vegetable soup with savory buttermilk dumplings. This Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings recipe is quick and easy to make in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker!

Buttermilk

I am a firm believer that buttermilk makes most things taste better. And by most, I mean most baked goods …. I’m not going to start making buttermilk hot chocolate or anything.

Often times, when I’m making a cake or cookie recipe in which I want to use buttermilk, I’ll make my own buttermilk. I do this by stirring together 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 cup of milk, and letting it sit for ten minutes.

However, if I’m going to be using a lot of buttermilk in a week, I’ll buy a quart of it. And honestly, I prefer pre-made buttermilk as it’s so creamy and delicious!

Cold Weather

A few weeks ago I had some extra buttermilk in the fridge. It was right when the weather was starting to turn cold, and I was craving soup.

I was thinking about what to make with the extra buttermilk, when I decided that it would be quite tasty in dumplings. I was correct.

I made the soup and it turned out really well, but I was unhappy with the photos. That was okay though because my family and I liked the soup so much, that I had no problem making it again the next week. Plus, with the weather staying cold, I want as much soup as possible.

Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings

For years I was on a quest for the perfect chicken and dumpling recipe. I made MANY versions. Most were all fine, but none were my version of warm, tasty perfection.

In some of my attempts, the broth was too bland, other attempts didn’t have enough vegetables, and some were lacking in the taste of the dumplings. Over time I took things I liked from each recipe until I made my family’s favorite version of the perfect chicken and dumpling soup.

For this recipe I took my version of chicken and dumpling soup, changed the dumplings to incorporate buttermilk, and made it in an Instant Pot. It was a win.

Given that you have to pressure cook the soup and then pressure cook the dumplings, this Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings recipe is NOT super quick to make, but it can be done in just over and hour, and it is totally worth each minute. It is delicious and perfect for dinner on any cold night!

October 2020 Update: This recipe is one of the more popular recipes on my website, so I have updated it to include new photos. Also, after hearing lots of feedback on people loving to double the dumplings, have doubled the dumplings in the recipe.

Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings

Deliciously seasoned chicken and vegetable soup with savory buttermilk dumplings. This Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings recipe is quick and easy to make in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker!

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 439

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Ingredients

Soup

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 cups celery chopped (about 4 large stalks)
• 2 cups carrots chopped
• 4 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2-1 teaspoon black pepper depending on spice level preferred
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 8 cups chicken broth

Dumplings

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

• Turn Instant Pot to saute mode and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Then add flour and saute for 1 more minute. Turn Instant Pot off.
• Add chicken broth, pepper, salt, and dill weed. Stir, then add chicken. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes. Remove chicken and shred with two forks, then return to pot.
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cut in butter with a pasty cutter or two knives. Stir in buttermilk and continue stirring until a soft dough forms. Drop dough in teaspoon sized drops evenly over top of soup.
• Turn Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Let natural release for 5 minutes, then use a wooden spoon to open valve to finish releasing (the spoon is so that you don't burn yourself on the hot steam escaping). Serve with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Pepper Note: I use 1 teaspoon of pepper for this soup as I prefer a little kick. If you do not, use 1/2 teaspoon.

Dumplings Update: I heard lots of feedback from people saying that they liked the dumplings so much, they doubled them. I tried it out, and liked it, so I have doubled the dumplings from the original post. 

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1933mg | Potassium: 1299mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7622IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 4mg

Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.

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If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings, you should check out these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
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North Carolina Sourdough Bread
Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Crust