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If there’s one thing that screams pure comfort food to me it’s a hearty gluten free chicken casserole complete with gluten free suet dumplings.
Chunks of chicken thighs are cooked in a creamy, white wine sauce flavoured with thyme and sage.
Topped with stodgy, delicious suet dumplings, this is an all-in-one dish which is just delicious served up on a cold winter’s evening.
Plus as well as being gluten free, it’s actually dairy free as well.
Having a failsafe gluten free chicken casserole recipe in your repertoire is always a good thing for when you’re craving something that is pure comfort.
It’s also a really easy one-pan meal to make and great for serving to guests instead of something like a classic Sunday roast.
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How to make gluten free chicken casserole
Making gluten free chicken casserole is actually incredibly easy as it’s all cooked in one pan.
From browning the chicken thighs, to letting the sauce bubble and even cooking the dumplings, it’s all done in one place.
The casserole gravy is a simple mix of flavourings, white wine and chicken stock, thickened with gluten free flour.
And the dumplings only need a few simple ingredients for the best way to top off the whole dish.
I make my chicken casserole first on the hob, and then in the oven – but there are lots of different ways you can do it.
Technically a casserole is cooked in the oven, with the heat from all directions, in a casserole dish.
While a stew is cooked on the hob where it stews with the heat from below – though really, are we going to be pedantic if you cook this on the hob?
Hob, slow cooker or oven, either way it’s delicious – and I’ll detail options on how to cook it each way below now I’ve tested them all.
Ingredients
There’s a full list of ingredients and method in the recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need:
FOR THE CHICKEN CASSEROLE:
- 2 tbsp plain gluten free flour
- 4 large chicken thigh fillets
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 streaky bacon rashers (chopped)
- 2 large carrots (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 500ml gluten free chicken stock
- 185ml white wine
All of this is easy to find in the supermarket – you can use chicken thighs on the bone but you’ll need to increase the cooking time to ensure they’re cooked through.
Chicken thigh is definitely one of my favourite meats as it’s full of flavour.
Always double check you’re using gluten free stock (I tend to use Knorr as my go-to) and double check the mustard is fine too.
Most dijon mustards are usually gluten free.
If you want to omit the white wine then simply substitute with extra chicken stock instead.
How to make gluten free dumplings with suet
The full recipe and ingredients are in the printable recipe card below, but here is an overview on how to make gluten free suet dumplings.
Ingredients FOR THE GLUTEN FREE DUMPLINGS:
- 150g plain gluten free flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 75g gluten free vegetable suet
- 120ml cold water
- Salt and Pepper
I always tend to use FREEE’s gluten free plain flour because I buy it in bulk but any plain or all purpose gluten free flour will work.
Here in the UK finding gluten free suet can be tricky as most brands contain wheat.
However at the time of writing this (always double check!) the Morrisons Vegetable Suet is gluten free.
I always use this as it works really well and is nice and cheap.
Making these gluten free dumplings is actually really easy – simply mix all the ingredients together then leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
Then you just roll balls of the dough into dumplings and pop them, half submerged, into the sauce.
They’ll cook in the oven and absorb all those delicious flavours!
How to make slow cooker chicken casserole
If you want to make this recipe in the slow cooker it’s actually really easy to do.
I’d recommend following steps 1-4 of the recipe below to brown the chicken off, fry the bacon and soften the vegetables.
But then before adding everything back into the pan, pour the pre-fried food into the slow cooker.
Then add all the remaining ingredients – the mustard, herbs, stock and wine – and give it a good stir.
I cook this for 3-4 hours on high, or around 6 hours on low – and then add the dumplings in for the last hour.
This will ensure they’re cooked through and you’ll still have a super delicious casserole!
How to make chicken casserole on the hob
Making this gluten free chicken casserole on the hob is also really easy if you don’t have access to an oven.
Follow the recipe below up to step 5 where you’d ordinarily place it in the oven.
But instead of this, pop the lid on the casserole and reduce the heat to low, then follow the same cooking times and directions.
You may need to stir the casserole once or twice before you add the dumplings, but it should still cook just as well.
Technically this is a ‘chicken stew’ instead of a ‘casserole’ but hey, I’ve tried it both ways and it works!
I prefer the oven-based method of cooking this but this is definitely a good workaround if you don’t have an oven to use and want comfort food.
My gluten free chicken casserole recipe
Here it is, the best comfort food for winter – my gluten free chicken casserole recipe.
I’ve said this recipe serves four people with a serving on greens on the side, or two people if you’re feeling pretty hungry!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Chicken Casserole
This easy gluten free chicken casserole with gluten free suet dumplings is pure comfort food. A hearty one-pot meal which can be batch cooked and frozen too. This casserole is cooked in the oven but see the blog post above for slow cooker and on-the-hob options too.
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 2 tbsp plain gluten free flour
- 4 large chicken thigh fillets
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 streaky bacon rashers (chopped)
- 2 large carrots (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 500ml gluten free chicken stock
- 185ml white wine
For the dumplings:
- 150g plain gluten free flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 75g gluten free vegetable suet
- 120ml cold water
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4.
- Add the gluten free flour to a large plate and then season with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken thighs out on the plate and coat them well.
- Add a little olive oil to a large casserole dish and place on the hob on a high heat. Fry the thigh fillets for 7-8 minutes, turning half way through, until they have nicely browned.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the streaky bacon, carrots and onion and sauté, with the lid on, for 7-8 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken back into the pan then add the dijon mustard, dried thyme, dried sage, chicken stock and white wine. Stir well, bring to a simmer and then place the lid on the pan. Place the pan (lid on) in the hot oven for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the dumpling ingredients together until they form a sticky dough. Cover and leave for 10-15 minutes.
- When the casserole has had 35 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and roll the dumpling mixture into 8-10 even-sized balls. Place these into the casserole so they are half-submerged in the sauce and replace the lid.
- Cook for another 20 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot with mashed or roast potatoes and lots of yummy green veg.
Notes
- Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge and reheated thoroughly before eating. You can also freeze this casserole once cooled.
- For an easy one-pan meal option, you can also add 500g whole baby potatoes in at step 5.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 767Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 1192mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 46g
Need some more gluten free meal inspiration?
If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free dinner recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try?
They’re perfect for creating delicious comfort food when you need it!
- Butternut squash and chorizo risotto
- Gluten free spring chicken casserole
- Summer roast chicken
- Easy 10-minute gnocchi
- Gluten free steak and ale pies
Giving this recipe a go? Let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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Can I use a substitute for the suet? Cannot find it here in the US.
For the suet (makes 300g)
100g lard
200g gluten free plain flour
Simply cut the lard into cubes in a large bowl, add the flour and using your fingers or a pastry blender, work until you have a large breadcrumb texture.
Absolutely fantastic! So good I will be cooking it for friends at the weekend.