diff --git a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.cpp b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.cpp
index c48e6ec3881..71e3d50a848 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "vcpkg_test.h"
 
+#include "vcpkgmanifesteditor.h"
 #include "vcpkgsearch.h"
 
 #include <QTest>
@@ -114,4 +115,67 @@ void VcpkgSearchTest::testVcpkgJsonParser()
     QCOMPARE(ok, success);
 }
 
+void VcpkgSearchTest::testAddDependency_data()
+{
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("originalVcpkgManifestJsonData");
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("addedPackage");
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("modifiedVcpkgManifestJsonData");
+
+    QTest::newRow("Existing dependencies")
+        <<
+R"({
+    "name": "foo",
+    "dependencies": [
+        "fmt",
+        {
+            "name": "vcpkg-cmake",
+            "host": true
+        }
+    ]
+}
+)"
+        << "7zip"
+        <<
+R"({
+    "dependencies": [
+        "fmt",
+        {
+            "host": true,
+            "name": "vcpkg-cmake"
+        },
+        "7zip"
+    ],
+    "name": "foo"
+}
+)";
+
+    QTest::newRow("Without dependencies")
+        <<
+R"({
+    "name": "foo"
+}
+)"
+        << "7zip"
+        <<
+R"({
+    "dependencies": [
+        "7zip"
+    ],
+    "name": "foo"
+}
+)";
+}
+
+void VcpkgSearchTest::testAddDependency()
+{
+    QFETCH(QString, originalVcpkgManifestJsonData);
+    QFETCH(QString, addedPackage);
+    QFETCH(QString, modifiedVcpkgManifestJsonData);
+
+    const QByteArray result = addDependencyToManifest(originalVcpkgManifestJsonData.toUtf8(),
+                                                      addedPackage);
+
+    QCOMPARE(QString::fromUtf8(result), modifiedVcpkgManifestJsonData);
+}
+
 } // namespace Vcpkg::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.h b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.h
index 8175e28d594..2bc386e7aa1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.h
+++ b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkg_test.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ public:
 private slots:
     void testVcpkgJsonParser_data();
     void testVcpkgJsonParser();
+    void testAddDependency_data();
+    void testAddDependency();
 };
 
 } // namespace Vcpkg::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.cpp b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.cpp
index 6b5364463d1..0335f39af71 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 #include <texteditor/texteditorsettings.h>
 
 #include <QDialogButtonBox>
+#include <QJsonArray>
+#include <QJsonDocument>
+#include <QJsonObject>
 #include <QPlainTextEdit>
 #include <QToolBar>
 
@@ -97,8 +100,11 @@ public:
         m_searchPkgAction = toolBar()->addAction(vcpkgIcon, Tr::tr("Add vcpkg package..."));
         connect(m_searchPkgAction, &QAction::triggered, this, [this] {
             const Search::VcpkgManifest package = Search::showVcpkgPackageSearchDialog();
-            if (!package.name.isEmpty())
-                textCursor().insertText(package.name);
+            if (!package.name.isEmpty()) {
+                const QByteArray modifiedDocument =
+                    addDependencyToManifest(textDocument()->contents(), package.name);
+                textDocument()->setContents(modifiedDocument);
+            }
         });
 
         const QIcon cmakeIcon = Utils::Icon({{":/vcpkg/images/cmakeicon.png",
@@ -153,4 +159,14 @@ VcpkgManifestEditorFactory::VcpkgManifestEditorFactory()
     setUseGenericHighlighter(true);
 }
 
+QByteArray addDependencyToManifest(const QByteArray &manifest, const QString &package)
+{
+    constexpr char dependenciesKey[] = "dependencies";
+    QJsonObject jsonObject = QJsonDocument::fromJson(manifest).object();
+    QJsonArray dependencies = jsonObject.value(dependenciesKey).toArray();
+    dependencies.append(package);
+    jsonObject.insert(dependenciesKey, dependencies);
+    return QJsonDocument(jsonObject).toJson();
+}
+
 } // namespace Vcpkg::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.h b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.h
index c7762d69df9..3d88ba79655 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/vcpkg/vcpkgmanifesteditor.h
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@ public:
     VcpkgManifestEditorFactory();
 };
 
+QByteArray addDependencyToManifest(const QByteArray &manifest, const QString &package);
+
 } // namespace Vcpkg::Internal