Chicken and Dumplings with Bisquick
Chicken and Dumplings with Bisquick is an easy one-pot comfort food dinner made with tender chicken, vegetables, savory broth, and soft, fluffy drop dumplings. The dumplings come together with just Bisquick baking mix and milk, making this a simple way to get homemade chicken and dumplings on the table without making dough from scratch.
This version is a little different from the other chicken and dumpling recipes here at Southern Kissed. Instead of canned biscuits, it uses classic Bisquick dumplings dropped directly into the simmering broth.
The recipe comes from Ashley Schoenith’s cookbook, The Heirloomed Kitchen, a collection of Southern recipes inspired by treasured family recipes and traditions. I’m sharing her chicken and dumplings recipe here with attribution to the cookbook and have included my own cooking tips and serving suggestions below.
How to Make Bisquick Dumplings
The dumplings in this recipe require only two ingredients:
- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- ⅔ cup whole milk
Combine the Bisquick and milk just until a soft dough forms.
Do not overmix the dough. Stirring too much can make the dumplings dense instead of light and fluffy.
Drop small spoonfuls of dough directly into the gently boiling chicken broth. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the centers of the dumplings are cooked through.
That simple Bisquick-and-milk mixture is what gives this recipe its soft, fluffy drop dumplings.
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 onion diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Parsley for garnishing
- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- ⅔ cups whole milk
Directions
- In a Dutch oven or other large pot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat, and then add the diced onions, carrots, and celery.
- Add the chicken breasts, cover, reduce the heat, and boil gently until the chicken is fully cooked, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into cubes, then return it to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a soft, rolling boil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick and milk to form a soft dough. Take small spoonfuls of the wet dough and drop them into the boiling mixture until all the dough has been used. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the dumplings are fully cooked in the center.
The finished dumplings should be soft and fluffy, and the broth should be slightly creamy from the starch released as the dumplings cook.
If you love chicken and dumplings, you might also like my Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings, Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, and Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings.
Chicken and Dumplings With Bisquick
Ingredients
Method
- In a Dutch oven over high heat, bring the stock to a boil and then add the onion, carrots, and celery.
- Add the chicken breasts, cover, reduce the heat, and boil gently until the chicken is fully cooked, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into cubes, then return to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a soft, rolling boil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick and milk to form a soft dough. Take small dollops of dough and drop into the boiling mixture until all of the dough has been used. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for approximately 8 minutes, or until the dumplings are fully cooked in the center. The dumplings should be fluffy and the broth should be creamy.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Keep Bisquick Dumplings Fluffy
A few small details make a big difference when making drop dumplings.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Stir the Bisquick and milk only until combined.
- Keep the dough soft. It should be moist enough to drop easily from a spoon.
- Make the dumplings similar in size. Smaller, evenly sized spoonfuls cook more consistently.
- Keep the pot covered while they simmer. The trapped steam helps cook the tops and centers of the dumplings.
- Check one before serving. Cut a dumpling open to make sure the middle is no longer doughy.
If your Bisquick dumplings turn out heavy or dense, overmixing is often the culprit.
Bisquick Dumplings vs. Canned Biscuits
Both are shortcuts, but they produce very different chicken and dumplings.
Bisquick dumplings are soft drop dumplings made from baking mix and milk. They cook directly in the broth and have a tender, almost biscuit-like interior.
Canned biscuits create larger pieces of dough with a chewier texture. Depending on how they are cut and cooked, they can resemble thick dumplings or biscuit pieces.
If you prefer soft, fluffy dumplings, Bisquick is the better fit for this particular recipe.
For an even quicker version using refrigerated biscuits, try my Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings.
Can You Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes. Rotisserie chicken is a handy shortcut when you don’t want to cook chicken breasts from scratch.
Cook the onions, carrots, and celery in the broth until tender, then stir in shredded or chopped cooked chicken before adding the dumplings.
Because the chicken is already cooked, it only needs enough time to heat through.
How to Make the Broth More Flavorful
The original recipe is intentionally simple, but you can add more seasoning to suit your taste.
Good options include:
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Bay leaf
- Poultry seasoning
- Fresh parsley
- Additional black pepper
Taste the broth before adding extra salt, especially if you are using boxed or canned chicken stock, which can already contain quite a bit of sodium.
How to Make Chicken and Dumplings Creamier
The Bisquick dumplings naturally release some starch as they cook, which helps give the broth a slightly creamy consistency without requiring cream soup.
If you want an even richer broth, you can stir in a small splash of heavy cream near the end of cooking.
You can also add cream of chicken soup, but it is not necessary for this recipe.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. The dumplings will continue absorbing liquid as they sit, so the broth may be much thicker the next day.
Add a splash of chicken stock while reheating if needed to loosen it.
Chicken and dumplings are best eaten within a few days because the dumplings gradually soften in the broth.
Can You Freeze Chicken and Dumplings?
You can freeze chicken and dumplings, but the texture of the dumplings may change after thawing.
For the best texture, freeze the chicken, vegetables, and broth without the dumplings, then make a fresh batch of Bisquick dumplings when you reheat the soup.
If freezing leftovers with the dumplings already included, cool the dish completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently.
(I do NOT recommend freezing chicken and dumplings.)
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free Bisquick if needed, following the package directions for dumplings.
- Vegetables: Peas, corn, or green beans can be added along with the carrots, celery, and onion.
- Extra herbs: Thyme, parsley, or poultry seasoning add more savory flavor.
What to Serve With Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is already a hearty one-pot meal, so simple sides work best.
Try serving it with:
- Green beans
- Steamed broccoli
- Collard greens
- A simple green salad
- Roasted vegetables
- Fried green tomatoes
And yes, cornbread works too, although serving bread alongside dumplings may be approaching peak Southern carbohydrate. Nobody said that was a bad thing.
The Heirloomed Kitchen
This recipe was created by Ashley Schoenith of Heirloomed. She is a true Southerner with deep roots in Florida. In her cookbook, The Heirloomed Kitchen: Made-from-Scratch Recipes to Gather Around for Generations, she transports us to a cozy gone-by era and tantalizes us with rich aromas and wholesome, homemade meals crafted with love.
Through nostalgic-style photography, this carefully curated cookbook not only showcases tasty dishes but also honors heirloom cookware, serving vessels, and utensils, embodying the gracious charm of Southern hospitality.
With over 100 recipes with family memories drawn from treasured handwritten recipe cards passed down through generations, Schoenith invites us to slow down and savor the simple pleasures of gathering around the table.
From Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits to Fried Green Tomatoes and Chicken and Dumplings, every dish beckons us to partake in the timeless joy of food, family, and memory-making. [Look for the cookbook at your local bookstore. Feel free to use my affiliate link and get it at Amazon.com.]
FAQs
Classic Bisquick drop dumplings are made with Bisquick baking mix and milk. For this recipe, use 2 cups of Bisquick and ⅔ cup whole milk.
The dumplings in this recipe simmer, covered, for about 8 minutes. Check one before serving to make sure the center is fully cooked.
Dense dumplings are often caused by overmixing the dough. Stir the Bisquick and milk only until a soft dough forms.
Yes. Add cooked rotisserie chicken to the broth after the vegetables have softened, then proceed with the Bisquick dumplings.
Yes. This recipe uses chicken stock and does not require cream of chicken soup. The Bisquick dumplings release starch as they cook, which helps thicken the broth naturally
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well and add a slightly richer chicken flavor.
Last Bite
Chicken and dumplings doesn’t have to be complicated. A pot of chicken, vegetables, broth, and simple Bisquick drop dumplings makes a cozy dinner with very little fuss.
Which kind of dumpling did you grow up eating: fluffy drop dumplings or flat rolled dumplings? Let me know in the comments.
I used a rotisserie chicken from Costco, which I debone. I also added about a teaspoon of Pampered Chef’s Rosemary Herb Seasoning to the broth, and mixed about 1/2 teaspoon into the Bisquick before I added the milk! I will be making this many times over during these cold, winter months in Idaho!
I am so delighted you enjoyed it. Your take on the recipe sounds delish!
The Bisquick box indicates you should cook the dumplins 10 min. uncovered and 10 on low heat covered. is 8 min. long enough?
That’s a great question and it would depend on the temperature of the broth and how well one’s Dutch oven retains heat. This is why the instructions include “or until the dumplings are fully cooked in the center.” I know when I make chicken and dumplings using canned biscuits, it doesn’t seem to take more than 10 minutes for the dumplings to be cooked to the right texture/firmness/etc.