Easy Chicken and Dumplings With Biscuits
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
When considering traditional Southern cuisine, chicken and dumplings are surely among the top choices. This straightforward recipe is delightful, delectable, and bursting with an abundance of taste.
Easy chicken and dumplings, a beloved dish in the South, consists of a rich and velvety chicken stew accompanied by soft and fluffy dumplings. Similar to many comfort foods from the South, this dish originated from a need for practicality. In the past, chicken was considered a luxury and not readily accessible. When it was available, it was usually of meager proportions.
Fortunately, nowadays chicken is a fundamental element in the culinary habits of numerous individuals. Therefore, for your upcoming poultry feast, why not experiment with this homemade formula for chicken dumplings accompanied by biscuits? A beloved choice among families, this recipe may be uncomplicated, yet it is also delectable and serves as an excellent creamy dish for a warm and comforting winter meal (or as comforting as it can be in this vicinity).
If you’re in a dumpling mood, make sure you check out these other delectable dumplings from scratch recipes too: sweet potato dumplings and apple dumplings.
What You Need To Make Chicken and Dumplings
- Chicken
- One can of Pillsbury flaky layers biscuits
- Flour (self-rising or plain, doesn’t matter)
- Chicken broth
- Cream of chicken soup – here is a homemade recipe for cream of chicken soup if you prefer.
- salt and pepper
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
Normally, I cook a whole chicken, but today I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts since that’s what I had. You can add some chicken bouillon cubes to your water instead of broth if you want.
I like to prepare chicken in different ways. Sometimes I use a slow cooker, other times I cook it in broth, and occasionally I use chicken thighs. There are even times when I just buy a cooked rotisserie chicken. It’s up to you and what you feel like doing! The important thing is to make sure your chicken is cooked, and then set it aside.
Pour your broth into a pot.
Add cream of chicken soup.
Stir and let it come to a very gentle boil while you prepare the dumplings.
To prepare the dumplings, put a little bit of flour (about a cup) in a large bowl. Add some salt and pepper – about 1/2 a teaspoon each or whatever you prefer. Stir that up a bit.
Take all of your biscuits out of the can and set them on a plate.
Now, we’re going to take each canned biscuit and tear it into three layers like this.
This is what they should look like when they are all separated into 3 layers.
Dip each layer into your flour mixture, and make sure you coat both sides until they look like this.
Pay close attention to this step. If you skip it, your dumplings might disappear in the broth. That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I tried making chicken and dumplings. I wound up with a tasty soup that had a dumpling flavor!
Now, take each layer and tear it into three pieces.
Reduce heat so that your chicken stock is just barely barely barely boiling and drop dumpling pieces in one at a time.
It is important that you DO NOT STIR. We are not going to stir these as we don’t want our dumplings cooking up. If you do stir, you will basically cause your dumplings to dissolve.
Instead of stirring, we’re going to gently press the dumplings down into the chicken stock as they cook. This will take about ten minutes. You’ll notice the dumplings starting to take shape and they’ll stop looking doughy as they firm up a bit.
Put your shredded chicken into the dumplings and give it a very gentle mix. I mostly just press it down a bit like I did with the dumplings. Just remember to be gentle.
And there you go y’all! You just make an old-fashioned chicken and dumpling recipe your family will LOVE!
How Do You Store Chicken and Dumplings?
- Store your chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They’re even better the next day as the dumplings continue to soak up the broth. You can reheat the dish either on the stove or in the microwave.
- You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to five months.
Can I Add Vegetables To Chicken and Dumplings?
If you want to add some vegetables to this recipe, you can add a can of carrot and peas to the broth when you add the chicken. Another option is to add some sauteed onion.
Can I Make Homemade Dough?
If you prefer to make homemade dumplings with homemade biscuit dough, check out my recipes here and here.
Can I Add More Seasoning?
If you’d like to add some seasoning, cook the in , , or .
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with chicken and dumplings?
Pair this Southern main dish with other great Southern side dishes, like cornbread, fresh green beans, and fried okra. You could also just serve it with a simple side salad or some roasted brussels sprouts.
What type of chicken can you use for this recipe?
You can use either a whole chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or even a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Why is it important not to skip the step of pressing the dumplings into the broth?
Pressing the dumplings ensures that they cook properly and hold their shape. If you skip this step, the dumplings might dissolve in the broth.
How long does it take for the dumplings to cook?
It takes about ten minutes for the dumplings to cook. During this time, they will firm up and take on a proper dumpling texture.
What happens if you don’t handle the chicken and dumplings mixture gently when combining them?
If you’re too rough, the dumplings and chicken can break apart. It’s important to be gentle to keep the dish in good shape.
Can you use chicken bouillon cubes instead of broth?
Yes, you can use chicken bouillon cubes in place of broth if you prefer.
What can happen if you use doughy dumplings?
Doughy dumplings may not cook through properly and can result in an unpleasant texture in the final dish.
Can you make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the chicken and dumplings ahead of time. Just be sure to reheat it gently when you’re ready to serve.
You might also enjoy these other chicken recipes:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 chicken breasts
- 32 oz chicken broth feel free to use water with bouillon cubes added
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can Pilsbury layers biscuits 10 individual
- salt and pepper to taste
- flour
Instructions
- Cook chicken breasts in approx. 4 c. of water until fork-tender, about 45 minutes.3 or 4 chicken breasts
- Place broth in a medium to large-sized pot. Stir cream of chicken soup into gently boiling broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.32 oz chicken broth, 1 can cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper to taste
- Pull biscuits apart into three layers. Dip each layer into the flour and then tear each layer into three pieces and drop into gently boiling broth mixture.1 can Pilsbury layers biscuits, flour
- Do not stir biscuits a lot or they will cook up. Only gently push dumplings down into broth as they float to the top. Cook for about ten minutes after the last dumplings are added.
- Tear up the chicken and add it to the broth mixture. Turn to low until ready to serve.
Nutrition
HowToMe Oh you are so welcome! I like to have photos, too. I find that I very seldom try out any new recipe unless there are photos to look at! Thank you so very much!
Dreskir Oh honey thank you!!! That is so very sweet of you! I am thrilled they enjoyed it! Blackberry cobbler? You are singing my tune all around today, aren’t you? That is one of my all time favorites!
Emilywhitman Well welcome, welcome! Southerner in Seattle? Oh my you must be FREEZING! Lol. I find that our southern blood just doesn’t seem to acclimate very well, don’t you? Lol “It ain’t natural!”
I agree completely with the cold biscuit advice. I don’t ever mess with those little suckers unless they are straight from the fridge! Thank you for letting everyone know! I appreciate it so much as well as you taking the time to comment!!
Joan How wonderful!! Thank YOU so much!!! Making me grin from ear to ear! I could live on this stuff, couldn’t you?
Kelly Thank you, I am so glad you liked it!!!! ~GRINS~ I LOVE that you take the time out of your busy day to read the website!!! Every reader is like a winning lottery ticket! I just can’t get over y’all reading all my ramblings and then to have you trying my recipes to boot? It doesn’t get any better than this.
Anonymous Thank you so much, Emma!! I hope your daughter enjoyed them. Oh yes, I impressed my husband quite a bit with dumplings!
Sounds like your gal there has the savvy for world domination!
Matthews ~blinks~ To hear that any recipe pleased all of six children is something, to hear that it was one of mine that managed this feat is STUNNING!! WOW
I feel like I need a trophy! Lol Just kidding! My kids are SO picky, it is a rare thing to have both of them eat a single meal but wow…I have to believe it has a lot to do with their mother being such a great cook, too!! Your kids know they got a good thing!
Xasora oh yay! I am so glad you liked them!
You know, once I got some self rising flour (I use whatever flour I have on hand for these, it doesn’t really matter) and I noticed that the flour itself was exceptionally salty, but it was just that one bag. I am rambling but …yeah…so anyway my point was Thank you so much and I am so glad you liked them! Lol
Anonymous Oh honey, I AM THERE!! I actually have London on the top of my list of places I REALLY want to see before I die. I’ll just drop by with a selection of my family’s favorites!! Could you have some Earl Grey tea on for me?
Factory In the blog switchover, your name was lost and this comment ended up looking like the author of this blog made it, how odd! I stew my chickens for about an hour but you can stew it for longer and it only gets better. Whenever I make chicken noodle soup (recipe on this site), I stew my chicken for SEVERAL hours. This helps break down the bones and gets all of the flavor out in addition to providing gelatin (which occurs naturally from boiling bones) and that really makes a wonderful thickener for your soup or stew the next day. If you are having problems with your broth not being rich enough, either stew your chicken longer or add a few bouillon cubes to the brother to flavor it up a bit. I add bouillon cubes a LOT, lol. To just make it a bit richer, add two or three. It really helps.
Michele Oh wonderful! Thank you so much!!!!!
Jennifer lol, well it was you and me both , but now we know better, huh? Lol
I am telling you, that chicken dumpling flavored soup was awfully good though! I am so glad this helped and you liked it!
Micha I tried the frozen dumplings once but I just tend to keep canned biscuits on hand more so I use them. My kids LOVE making monkey bread with them (recipe on this site) and they also come in handy for quick breakfasts on school mornings and as a dinner bread for cozy evenings. Gosh, I am lazy…. I am like you though, much in this world depends on my mood! Lol
JMom Oh thank you so much, you are so sweet! Let me know if you get to try it and how it turns out!
You are JUST LIKE ME! I double, then I triple, then it just grows and grows. You’d swear I was feeding an army every time I cook! Double it, double the broth and the soup and it will be just fine! I like a lot of the liquid in mine, too, but the old husband doesn’t.
This will do JUST FINE though if you double it. If you want it to be a bit thicker, just sprinkle in a tablespoon of the flour you dredged your biscuits in while it cooks and you’re good to go!!
Thank you all so very much!
Gratefully,
Christy
Hi there,
I made this last night and it was my first attempt at ever making chicken and dumplings. My husband and I both loved it. My mother probably wasn’t too thrilled with the fact that I wanted use someone else’s recipe but yours seemed pretty easy so I thought…why not? I unintenionally as a child hurt my mother’s feelings when I told her I liked Sweet Sue’s Chicken and Dumplings better than hers 🙁 I was just a little kid…didn’t know any better…lol.
I’m curious about the broth. I like a little more broth than most people and wonder how doubling the broth and soup will hender it setting up properly. This will likely turn out like my batches of beef stew…they just keep getting bigger and bigger. At least folks like it so I don’t have any trouble getting rid of it. 🙂
Best,
Amber
I have been married for 8 years and my husband has always bragged about “MOM’s Chicken and dumplings”. I have tried several times and aways came out with broth. This recipe works great!!! My husband approves. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I love the pictures for each step, I used them while cooking. YOu have to try this it is fool proof!!
This is a favorite at our house especially this time of year. I love the idea of using canned biscuits! I’ll try out your version next time. It looks delicious!
Chicken and dumplings are soooooo good and one my favorite meals of all time. Matter of fact I am making them this week I do pretty much the same thing but I use the frozen dumplings a bit more than the canned biscuits. Just depends on my mood.
I’m so happy to have found your site. This recipe is a winner! I’ve tried and tried to replicate my Momma’s chicken and dumplings. I always ended up with soup and now I know why. Who knew stirring had such a negative effect.
I made this for dinner last night and my family LOVED it! This recipe is a keeper for us.
I tried this recipe and it was scrumptious!!! The flour makes the difference with the dough and also not stirring. It doesn’t fall apart and are fluffier. Their so good I’m going to try them with some friends. Thank-You for such a good recipe.