Homemade Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits

Chicken and dumplings will always remind me of sick days as a kid. My mom would make a big pot whenever someone in the house had the sniffles. The warm broth and soft dumplings made everything feel better. Now I make it for my own family whenever we need some comfort food.

The thing is, homemade dumplings can be tricky. Sometimes they turn out tough, other times they fall apart in the pot. That’s why I started using drop biscuits instead. They’re so much easier to make and they taste just as good. Plus, they hold up better in the broth.

This recipe gives you all the cozy feelings of traditional chicken and dumplings without the fuss. The biscuits cook right in the pot with the chicken and vegetables. One pot, less cleanup, and dinner is ready in about an hour.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to use cooked, shredded chicken, and you have several great options to choose from. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is probably the easiest route – just pull off the skin and shred the meat with two forks. You can also use leftover roasted chicken, poached chicken breasts, or even chicken thighs that you’ve cooked and shredded yourself. Dark meat like thighs will give you more flavor and stay moister in the soup, while breast meat is leaner but can dry out more easily. If you’re starting with raw chicken, I’d recommend poaching it right in the broth at the beginning of the recipe – just add the raw chicken pieces when you add the broth, let it cook through, then remove and shred before adding it back in.

Options for Substitutions

This comfort food classic is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps and substitutions:

• Shredded chicken: You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked chicken, or even cook chicken thighs or breasts right in the pot. If using raw chicken, add it earlier in the cooking process and shred once tender.
• Refrigerated biscuits: Don’t have canned biscuits? You can make drop dumplings using 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup milk. Just drop spoonfuls directly into the simmering broth.
• Cream of chicken soup: Make your own by mixing 3 tablespoons flour with 3 tablespoons butter, then slowly whisking in 1 cup of the chicken broth until smooth and thick.
• Fresh vegetables: Frozen mixed vegetables work great here – just add them in the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can also swap carrots for parsnips or add frozen peas for extra color.
• Fresh parsley: Dried parsley, fresh chives, or even green onions make good finishing touches if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand.
• Dried thyme: Fresh thyme (use 1 tablespoon), dried sage, or poultry seasoning all work well in place of thyme.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making chicken and dumplings is adding the biscuit pieces to rapidly boiling liquid, which can cause them to fall apart or become gummy – instead, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer before dropping them in.

Another common error is overcrowding the pot with biscuit pieces all at once, so add them gradually and give each piece some space to expand properly.

Don’t lift the lid too often once the biscuits are cooking, as this releases steam that’s needed to cook them through, and resist the urge to stir vigorously since gentle movements will keep your dumplings intact.

Finally, make sure your chicken broth mixture is well-seasoned before adding the biscuits, because once they’re in, it becomes much harder to adjust the flavor without breaking up your dumplings.

What to Serve With Chicken and Dumplings?

Chicken and dumplings is already such a hearty, complete meal that you really don’t need much on the side! I love serving it with a simple green salad tossed with a light vinaigrette to cut through all that creamy richness. Some crusty dinner rolls or cornbread are perfect for soaking up any extra broth, and they make the meal feel even more homey. If you want to add some color to your plate, steamed green beans or roasted Brussels sprouts work great since they won’t compete with the main dish but add a nice fresh contrast.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This comforting chicken and dumplings keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The dumplings will absorb some of the broth as it sits, which actually makes it even more flavorful the next day. I always make extra because my family loves having leftovers for lunch!

Freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months, though the texture of the dumplings will change slightly after thawing. Let it cool completely first, then store in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Leave some room at the top since it will expand when frozen.

Warm Up: Gently reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You might need to add a splash of chicken broth or water since the dumplings soak up liquid over time. The microwave works too, just use 50% power and stir every minute or so to heat evenly.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	30-40 minutes
Total Time	40-55 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2000
• Protein: 80-90 g
• Fat: 70-80 g
• Carbohydrates: 220-240 g

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp olive oil (or any neutral oil like canola)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1-inch pieces)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 10.5 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 4 stalks celery, sliced (into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 32 oz chicken broth (I use Swanson chicken broth)
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced (into 1/4-inch rounds)

For the dumplings and garnish:

• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish, finely chopped)
• 16.3 oz can refrigerated biscuits (chopped into 4 pieces each, I use Pillsbury)

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Start the Aromatics

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Chop the onion into 1-inch pieces, peel and slice the carrots into 1/4-inch rounds, slice the celery into 1/4-inch pieces, and mince the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic along with the dried thyme, salt, and pepper.

Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly and become fragrant.

This initial cooking develops the flavor foundation for the entire dish.

Step 2: Build the Broth Base

• sautéed aromatics from Step 1
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 10.5 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Pour the chicken broth, condensed cream of chicken soup, and water into the pot with the sautéed vegetables from Step 1.

Stir well to combine, breaking up any lumps from the cream soup.

Add the shredded cooked chicken and stir to distribute evenly throughout the liquid.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, which should take about 5-7 minutes.

I like to let it come to a full boil before adding the biscuits to ensure the base is hot enough that the biscuits cook through properly.

Step 3: Add the Biscuits and Simmer

• broth mixture from Step 2
• 16.3 oz can refrigerated biscuits, chopped into 4 pieces each

Once the broth reaches a boil, cut the refrigerated biscuits into quarters—typically about 4 pieces per biscuit—and add them to the pot.

Stir gently to distribute the biscuit pieces throughout the liquid, making sure they’re submerged.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes without stirring.

The biscuits will cook through and break apart slightly, thickening the stew naturally while releasing starch that creates a creamy texture.

Step 4: Finish and Serve

• cooked chicken and dumplings from Step 3
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

After simmering for 20 minutes, remove the pot from heat and carefully taste the dish.

Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and garnish each serving with fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley for color and brightness.

I find that the fresh parsley adds a nice fresh note that cuts through the richness of the cream-based broth.