Cajun-Style Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings {Grain Free}

My brand new Cajun-style gluten free chicken and dumplings is the kind of comfort food that hits you all the way down to your toes, y'all! My Trinity Roux base sets the deep flavor stage, while peas, carrots and the perfect south Louisiana seasonings form the body. Quick-brined chicken breasts bring melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness to the party pot. And grain free cassava flour dumplings cover the comfort food top, yielding a meal-in-one home run that soothes your soul as it warms your bones. Yep and yay...

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And Now I Know What All the Fuss is About...

Every fall, the Internet blows up with personal pics of everyone's favorite comfort food dishes. And here lately, I've been scrolling through a bunch of homemade chicken and dumplings shots.

But, the only time that I've ever had the dish was when I was very, very young. And truth be told, I wasn't that impressed. The dough was well, doughy. And the broth wasn't southern, so it wasn't flavor-filled at all.

Since then, I've avoided chicken and dumplings like the plague. But all the social media pics of the iconic dish got me wandering again if I could actually like the soup if I prepared it my own way. After much back and forth in my head, I decided to give Cajun-style gluten free chicken and dumplings a serious try. 

And, after eating it twice now, I can finally understand what all the fuss is about. Yep. My version takes some thought and planning. However, it produces a south Louisiana flavor-injected soup with super tender chicken and light, fluffy dumplings. 

How to Make Cajun-Style Gluten Free Dumplings

Start the Cajun-style gluten free dumplings by making the cassava flour dumpling batter. Cover, and then rest on the countertop until ready to use. When ready, the batter will have doubled in the bowl by about half:

Now, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces: 

And gather the ingredients for the hot/sauce and salt brine: 

Combine the brine ingredients and pour over the chicken in a bowl: 

Now, get the Cajun trinity of chopped onion, bell pepper and celery with butter or oil going in your Dutch oven:

When the Trinity Roux is ready, add the broth, seasonings, carrots and peas. Then cook down for 15 minutes: 

Next, drain the chicken breast cubes, then pour them into the soup. And, use a scoop or large spoon to drop the dumplings onto the top of the soup: 

It will look something like this when you do: 

Finally, put the cover on the pot. And, do NOT lift the lid for at least 15 minutes. You have to give the dumplings time to cook through, and if you open the lid too soon you may end up with a doughy mess. So, don't lift the lid, and if the dumplings don't look cooked through at the 15-minute mark, then give them another 5 minutes before checking on them again. (See recipe card notes.)

And that's it y'all! The Cajun-style gluten free chicken and dumplings are now ready for sharing. The first thing you notice is the perfectly flavored gravy that pops from the deft Trinity Roux and seasonings mixture. Then, you find yourself happy with the way the super-tender chicken breasts literally melt in your mouth. And, once you bite into a dumpling, you'll get that old-school comfort food feel rush you all over you.

Share these Cajun-style gluten free chicken and dumplings with those who never, ever stop cheering you on in your endeavors. And see y'all on the yum side...

Cajun-Style Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings

The Trinity Roux injects a deep, earthy flavor while light-as-air cassava flour dumplings make this a grain and gluten free family comfort meal treat.

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: cajun chicken and dumplings, cajun style gluten free chicken and dumplings, gluten free chicken and dumplings, new orleans chicken and dumplings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4 people

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner | A Sprinkling of Cayenne

Ingredients

For the Grain Free Cassava Flour Dumplings

• 1 ½ cups cassava flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup half n half
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

For the Brined Chicken Breasts

• 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup salt
• 2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce

For the Cajun Style Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings Base

• 1 batch Trinity Roux
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups frozen or canned carrots
• 1 14.5-ounce can peas, drained
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• ½ cup half n half
• salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

• Pour all of the cassava flour dumpling ingredients into a bowl, then stir just until well-combined. Do not overwork the dumpling dough or it will harden.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Pour the water, salt and hot sauce in a large bowl.
• Submerge the cubed chicken breast pieces into the bowl.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Make a batch of the Trinity Roux in a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat using the gluten free chicken broth.
• When the roux is ready, add the five cups of GF chicken broth, peas, carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, paprika and salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to the pot.
• Turn heat down to medium-low heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Drain chicken.
• Pour the chicken into the broth.
• Use a spoon, ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to drop the batter over the top of the soup to make the dumplings. Do not let the dumplings touch.
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
• Check the dumplings after 15 minutes. If they are cooked through, remove from heat.
• If the dumplings are not cooked through, simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
• Carefully remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

The soup will thickens as it stands. If you like thicker soup, let it stand uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. (It will still be very hot.)

It's very important to make the cassava flour dumpling dough first. Since it's not a natural flour but a starchy root vegetable that's been ground into a flour-like consistency, the batter needs to rest for about 45 minutes to achieve the soft, cooked-through texture that you'll want in your soup. I tested the recipe again and only rested the batter for 15 minutes. It wasn't at all long enough, and I was really unhappy with the dumplings. So, if you forget to make the dumplings early on, you probably want to set the soup to the side, rest the dumplings to time, then heat up the soup and then finish it off with the chicken breast cubes and the rested dumplings dough. 

I used cream of tartar and baking soda in place of my usual gluten free baking powder, as the baking powder has cornstarch in it. I didn't want any heaviness in this dish, so I excluded it. The cream of tartar/baking soda combination does indeed make the dumpling dough rise to double its size. 

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