Easy Chicken and Dumplings With Biscuits
When you think of Southern comfort food, I bet chicken and dumplings rank up there with the best. This recipe is simple, scrumptious, and packed full of flavor.
A Southern favorite, easy chicken and dumplings is basically a thick and creamy chicken stew paired with pillow-like dumplings. The dish, like most Southern comfort food, evolved out of necessity and practicality. Back in the day, chicken was a treat and not something offered or even available on a regular basis. Whenever it was, the chicken was more often than not on the scrawny side.
Thankfully, today chicken is a staple in many people’s diets. So for your next chicken dinner, why not try this homemade chicken dumpling recipe with biscuits? A family favorite, this recipe may be simple, but it’s also scrumptious and the perfect creamy dish for a cozy winter dinner (or as cozy as it gets around here).
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.
Recipe Ingredients
- 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.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings
Now, I usually stew a whole chicken but today I had boneless skinless chicken breast and no chicken so this is what we got. Feel free to drop a few chicken bouillon cubes into your water in place of the broth.
Sometimes I make crockpot chicken ahead of time in water, sometimes I cook it in the broth, sometimes I use , and sometimes I buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked. Go with your mood on this, just get your chicken cooked, 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.
Dip each layer into your flour mixture…
Make sure you coat both sides until they look like this.
Now, make sure you don’t skip this step. If you do, your dumplings will completely dissolve in the broth. That is exactly what I did the very first time I ever made a chicken and dumplings recipe. I ended up with a delicious dumpling-flavored soup!
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, what we are going to do is just gently push the dumplings down into the chicken stock as they cook.
This is going to take ten minutes or so. Your dumplings will take shape and stop looking doughy as they firm up a bit.
Continue simmering your dumplings while you shred the cooked chicken. If you want to know an easy way to shred meat you can find that here.
Drop your shredded chicken into the dumplings and very gently stir that up. I really just push it down a bit as I did with the dumplings. Just be gentle.
And there you go y’all! You just make an old-fashioned chicken and dumpling recipe your family will LOVE!
Storage
- 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.
Recipe Notes
- 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.
- If you prefer to make homemade dumplings with homemade biscuit dough, check out my recipes here and here.
- 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.
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.
Video
Nutrition
Oh.my.goodness…the tip about coating the biscuit pieces in four is awesome! I tried canned biscuits once and had the ‘dumpling flavored soup’. People had told me they did it, I had eaten them so I knew it was possible, but mine was certainly not dumplings. I’d never tried it again but no-one told me that I needed the flour. Thanks SO much for the tutorial!
Thank YOU so much Cyndy!!! I’m so glad you found something useful here! I believe I’ve had that dumpling flavored soup twice now… 😉
I used the cheapest biscuit the store has…those little ones that way back when you could buy 4 cans for a dollar! Yes, aging myself…also use these for doughnuts! But, anyway, I tear each biscuit into 3 pieces, I don’t coat in flour. As long as you do like Christy says and DONT stir, just push under the broth mine always turn out wonderful. If you like a fluffier dumpling, cover the pot and the biscuit pieces will fluff up nicely. You will still probably have to push down biscuit pieces in the middle. At least I do as we like more dumplings than anything else. If you have leftovers, put in casserole, add some veggies and cover top with biscuits and bake til biscuits are done. Chicken and Dumpling Pot Pie!
We are having chicken & dumplings tonight! Thank you. Whenever I am in need, I know I can always trust Christy!
Oh my goodness, you just made my day Beth! Thank you so much for having such faith in me!!
Hey Christy! Just had to let you know how much my hubby and I enjoy this recipe! (My daughters wouldn’t know a good meal if it slapped them upside the head, but that’s a tale for another day – they’re so picky!) So, as I said, my hubby and I really enjoy this, and so does the extended family and beyond. I made it to take to my sister-in-law’s house for SuperBowl Sunday, and it got rave reviews. She kept the leftovers and took them to school the next day for lunch and one of her co-workers got a little too curious and almost ended up eating her lunch for her, lol! When I asked my husband what he wanted me to make him for a special Valentine’s day dinner, (fully expecting him to tell me Sticky Chicken!), I was pleasantly surprised to have him ask for your Chicken and Dumplings and he wasn’t disappointed. The good thing is, thanks to those picky kids previously mentioned above, there will be enough leftovers for me and hubby for tomorrow’s lunch. Those kids don’t know what they’re missin’!
I have one of those kids myself Sharon. But she does love Chicken and Dumplings…thank goodness!! I am so glad y’all are enjoying the recipe and hopefully one of these days our kids will realize what good eatin is all about!
Christy you never suggest name brands but with this you said Philsbury biscuits. Why?
This was written before they had generic Pilsbury. You just need the flaky layer ones because they are easiest to split up to make dumplings. 🙂
I think that the pilsbury are easier to separate though. I got it going on the stove with store brand biscuits. Thanks. Have a good supper with your family!
Oh great! You are so sweet, thank you.
I’ve also found that the colder the biscuits are, the easier they are to separate. Sometimes I set mine out and forget and they are sticky as all get out 🙂
Christy, thank you for sharing this shortcut chicken & dumplings recipe. I make the messy old-fashioned kind but have been searching for something much simpler for my son to make. He has been on his own for quite awhile and does basic cooking. He told me he wanted to learn to make chicken & dumplings, but we’re sure he wouldn’t go to much effort. He doesn’t even care if they contain the chicken meat as long as there are dumplings. After other shortcut failures, I used your recipe yesterday while my son was visiting for the day. He was pleased and asked me to email the recipe to him. Thanks and God bless!
Oh my goodness!!! I am so glad it worked for him and I hope he enjoys MANY meals of chicken and dumplings to come!!
Do you have boards on Pinterest I can follow, I can’t seem to find you! Thanks!
Yes ma’am! I’m http://www.pinterest.com/southernplate
Hope to see ya there!
Thank you so much for the dumpling recipe. It was easy and delicious.
So glad you liked it Macey!!
Loved them! Thanks for sharing! 🙂