If you’re craving a warm, comforting, homemade dinner that tastes like it simmered all day—but only takes a fraction of the time—this Easy Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits is about to become your new favorite recipe. It’s rich, creamy, hearty, and unbelievably satisfying. And the best part? It uses canned biscuits for dumplings, which makes the entire process quick, simple, and practically foolproof.

Chicken and dumplings is a Southern classic. Traditionally, dumplings are made from scratch, rolled out, and simmered in broth. But when you’re hungry now, busy, or don’t want to deal with dough, refrigerated canned biscuits make perfect, pillowy dumplings with almost zero effort.

This shortcut version delivers all the cozy, nostalgic comfort of traditional chicken and dumplings — tender chicken, soft vegetables, creamy broth — without the hours of prep. It’s the ideal weeknight comfort food, and once you make it, you’ll want it on repeat all fall and winter.

Today we’re going deep: flavor tips, best biscuits for dumplings, thickening tricks, storage, variations, serving ideas, and more. This is EVERYTHING you need to make the best quick chicken & dumplings ever.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick & easy: Ready in about 30 minutes.
• Comforting: Creamy, cozy, hearty, nostalgic.
• Uses canned biscuits: Zero kneading, rolling, or mixing.
• One-pot dinner: Minimal cleanup.
• Family-friendly: Kids and adults love it.
• Flexible: Add veggies, swap seasonings, use rotisserie chicken — easy.

Ingredients Breakdown

Chicken

Cooked shredded chicken—rotisserie chicken works perfectly. You can also use leftover baked chicken, boiled chicken, or poached chicken.

Vegetables

Classic chicken soup mix:

• carrots
• celery
• onion

Broth

Chicken broth creates the base for the soup and dumplings.

Creaminess

Milk or heavy cream is added to thicken and enrich the broth.

Dumplings

Refrigerated canned biscuits are cut into small pieces and simmered until pillowy soft.

Seasonings

A blend of:

• garlic
• thyme
• parsley
• salt and pepper

These add savory depth that balances the creamy broth.

Ingredients

Soup Base

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley

Dumplings

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits (8-count)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–6 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook 1 minute to remove raw taste.
5. Pour in chicken broth gradually while stirring to avoid lumps.
6. Add milk or cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Stir in shredded chicken, salt, thyme, pepper, and parsley.
8. Cut biscuits into small 1-inch pieces.
9. Drop biscuit pieces into the simmering soup (do NOT stir vigorously).
10. Cover and simmer 10–12 minutes until dumplings are cooked and fluffy.
11. Gently stir once to thicken broth and coat dumplings.
12. Taste and adjust seasoning.
13. Serve warm and enjoy!

Easy Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits

A quick and comforting homemade chicken and dumplings recipe using canned biscuits for easy, fluffy dumplings in a creamy chicken broth.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Southern

Calories: 380

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Soup Base

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 0.25 cup flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• 3 cups shredded chicken cooked
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley

Dumplings

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits 8-count

Equipment

• Large pot
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Measuring cups

Method

 

1. Melt butter in a pot and sauté onion, carrots, and celery.
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
4. Add chicken broth gradually while stirring.
5. Pour in milk or cream and bring to a simmer.
6. Add shredded chicken, salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley.
7. Cut biscuits into small 1-inch pieces.
8. Drop biscuit pieces into simmering soup without stirring.
9. Cover and simmer 10–12 minutes.
10. Gently stir once to thicken, adjust seasoning, and serve.

Notes

Keep heat low while dumplings cook to prevent breaking.

How to Make the Dumplings Perfectly Soft

• Don’t stir immediately after adding biscuits — they’ll break apart.
• Keep the pot covered while simmering — steam makes fluffy dumplings.
• Cut biscuits small so they cook evenly.
• Don’t boil too hard — simmer gently.

Add-In Variations

• Peas: Add ½ cup during the last 5 minutes.
• Corn: Adds sweetness and color.
• Mushrooms: Adds meaty texture.
• Herbs: Add rosemary, thyme, or sage for depth.
• Cajun Seasoning: For spicy Southern-style dumplings.

Protein Variations

• Turkey (great after Thanksgiving!)
• Leftover shredded pork
• Rotisserie chicken
• Chicken thighs (extra tender)

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with crusty bread
• Add a side salad
• Sprinkle fresh parsley on top
• Add cracked pepper or red pepper flakes

Storage

• Fridge: 3 days
• Freezer: Not recommended (biscuits get mushy)
• Reheat: Low heat on stovetop with a splash of broth or milk