Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
Nothing says love more than a homecooked meal. In the South, we all know that Chicken and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food. Our version is quick and easy to make, thanks to the use of canned biscuits. Give it a try and you’ll see why it’s love at first bite.
Chicken and Dumplings are a staple in the deep South. It’s like a thick, creamy chicken stew with pillowy dumplings. The dumplings are cooked in a broth and seasoned, usually with a lot of pepper.
The easiest and fastest way to make chicken with dumplings is to use a can of biscuits. It’s true, canned biscuit dough makes excellent dumplings in this classic Southern comfort food dish. Our family loves this quick and easy recipe, and we’re confident yours will too!
This recipe is an adaptation of my mother-in-law’s recipe in which she used canned biscuits to make the dumplings. Let’s take a look at just how easy it is to make this classic Southern chicken dinner.
Ingredients
There are only a few items that you need to make this super delicious one-pot dish:
- Chicken – you’ll want to use chicken that has been cooked and shredded.
- Chicken broth – you can also use chicken bone broth. Bone broth will impart a richer flavor and darker color.
- Cream of chicken soup – this helps to make it nice and creamy, naturally.
- Canned biscuits – use either two cans of regular biscuits or one large can of Pillsbury Grands will do the trick.
- Pepper – good old black pepper is all you need.
How To Make Chicken and Dumplings Using Canned Biscuits
It doesn’t take special equipment to make these quick and easy chicken and dumplings – a nice large pot will do the trick.
Heat chicken broth in a pot on medium-high heat and cook until it starts to gently boil.
Add chicken. Remember – you’ll want to use chicken that has already been cooked.
Cut biscuits into small pieces and place in chicken broth mixture. Stir well.
Add cream of chicken soup and stir.
Put a small layer of pepper over the dumplings.
Stir well, reduce the heat, and let the chicken and dumplings simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Tip
The dough will expand once it is placed in the warm broth so cut the dough into small pieces. Smaller dumplings cook better than larger dumplings.
Some people may find that canned biscuits work better if you coat the biscuit dough with a small amount of flour. (Flour will help to keep the biscuits from completely dissolving in the broth. Once you get used to making them, you will learn how to tell when the dumplings are done and won’t need to flour them.)
You can use regular chicken broth or chicken bone broth. Bone broth will impart a richer, darker color to the dumplings.
For the chicken, you can cook chicken ahead of time and shred it. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work really well in this recipe. You can also purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off the bones and use it. If you are in a pinch, you could purchase pre-cooked chicken chunks in the meat section of your grocery store and use them.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Are chicken and dumplings supposed to be thick or soupy?
Chicken and dumplings should be thick, somewhat like a stew
Can you make chicken and dumplings in an Instant Pot? How about in a Crockpot?
Yes and yes. Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings for making them in America’s favorite pressure cooker. Using a Crockpot, you can make them using uncooked chicken, butter, water, Grands, cream of chicken soup, and pepper. We have a Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe you might like on the blog.
Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 32 ounces Chicken broth
- 10.5 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 2 cans refrigerated biscuits
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat chicken broth in pot on medium-high heat and cook until gently boiling. Add chicken.
- Cut biscuits into small pieces and place in chicken broth mixture. Stir well.
- Add cream of chicken soup and stir.
- Put a small layer of pepper over dumplings.
- Reduce the heat, stir well, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this family favorite. It’s a great recipe with simple ingredients that you can pick up at the grocery store. It’s perfect all year round, but especially on a cold night.
You left out the #1 important rule of cooking chicken n’ dumplings – the dough should only be put in when the broth mix is boiling. If you don’t, the dreaded dough separation will happen. Learned this from my granny many, many years ago.
Thanks for the tip!
I have always made my true southern dumplings by boiling bone in chicken until all the goodness from the chicken is released into the broth. Canned biscuits does not sound appetizing. Sorry but I am a old school southern cook.
I think chicken and dumplings are on the menu tonight. Yum
Then why even comment? At what point did you think “Quick and Easy” was going to be everything from scratch? I’m making this right now and it’s perfect for the 30 minutes I have to make something my sick kid asked for.
If the only thing one can say is criticism, then often it is best to not say.
My thoughts exactly. It did not say “homemade from scratch” so keep your negative comments to yourself. Oh by the way, my grandmother made chicken and dumplings with canned biscuits (she worked and did not have the luxury to spend hours on dinner) and the were REALLY good!
I was looking for a recipe for my brother when I saw this – I also make them from scratch, but not everyone can do that and it’s very rude and unnecessary when someone like you feels compelled to criticize them! Who’s to say this recipe is not VERY good??? Not you ! Try minding your own business next time!
Very good but next time I will use low sodium broth and cook my own chicken too improve the overly salty result I got with rotisserie chicken and store brand chicken broth
Sorry to hear it was too salty. Hopefully, with those changes, it will turn out perfect for you!
Very salty maybe the Safeway rotisserie Rosemary chicken .maybe the cream of chicken soup
Delicious !!!
Really tasty but have made twice once with only one can of biscuits and the other time with two , the two was overwhelming. And tasted only biscuits . Also added mixed veggies . Delicious !
I was wondering if I could use canned chicken. I don’t have the time to cook the chicken to obtain the broth and cooked chicken. Plus, I am moving, and most things are packed. I have been craving chicken and dumplings forever.
I don’t see why you couldn’t use canned chicken. I use chicken that has already been cooked, so it should be fine. That being said, it might not taste quite the same because of the “canned meat” taste.
I have used canned chicken and it does taste just as good. Use with water not oil tho.
Don’t make the mistake I did once.
I used the buttery Pillsbury biscuts. They dissolved when heated! I also think it is better to start with an uncooked chicken. Tried making it with boneless breast and it is not the same.
So you substituted ingredients, got mediocre results, and then left a 4 star review? Wow.
Been hankering chicken & dumplings and so glad I found your recipe. Just a bit of prep & wowzers good eats right away! Those pepper layers are amazing.
Since I am the only one in the house that loves C&D, I made the full recipe
then into individual servings. Waiting until I’m going for leftovers to pop in those biscuit dumplings.
Love easy peasy yummy recipes.
Thank you for sharing Lynda
This comment makes my heart happy! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving it. Hope 2022 is full of wonderful surprises for you!
Canned biscuits and cream of chicken soup? Lmao
Don’t knock it until you try it!
Good quick recipe, but the pilsbury grands added a bit of sweetness that wasn’t expected. I recommend adding a tablespoon of mustard powder to counter the sugar pilsbury adds to the grands recipe. Other then that the recipe is great if your in a pinch. A rotisserie chicken and some grands from Wal-Mart on your way home from work, and you got supper in 30 minutes.
I wanted to make chicken and dumplings for dinner the other night and I came across your site. I did everything by your recipe and it turn out great it was gone in no time. What I love is that my brother in law never had chicken and dumplings before and he filled his bowl up and love it. Thanks for sharing!!!
So glad that you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your experience.
So so yummy! I added onion and celery for a little extra.
Do u add the 1 can if easier to the cream of chicken soup and stock or just the can of soup Making now please reply as soon as you can…. anyone lol! Thank you so much
I did not see your message until after you had made this. How did it turn out?
Normally I make my own dumplings since I have been making them for 30 years. However, this is my go to fast recipe when someone says I want chicken and dumplings tonight at 3:00 in the afternoon. If you are like me and don’t like thick dumplings all you have to do is roll them paper thin on a floured surface. It takes about 15 minutes longer but you will end up with a pot of chicken and dumplings very similar to Cracker Barrel’s.
I am so tickled that this is your go-to recipe for quick chicken and dumplings. Thanks for your advice about rolling them out to make them like Cracker Barrel’s Chicken and Dumplings.
WOW 🤯 I’m Jana from TN and I have to put this up there with my Great Grandmother’s and Grandmothers C/D on every level. The best C/D recipe I have ever tasted to date in such a very short time & I have ate over 50 versions and this is a 5 ⭐ meal & no excuse recipe that’s almost impossible to go wrong. Just finished cooking it for my husband and our 5 kids with a house full of our family and friends and there’s not 1dumpling left and there asking me when am I going to make this again lol. Thank you so much such a smart fool proof recipe
Please accept a heartfelt THANK YOU for your kind comment. We are so glad you and your family have enjoyed my mother-in-law’s version of chicken and dumplings.
I saw a recipe for chicken and dumplings and got hungry for it. The others required so many ingredients and time. I found yours and made it, it was so easy, quick and delicious. It’s a great base so anyone can change to their own taste and what you have on hand. Great recipe, thanks for sharing.
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I found your recipe a few years back and have been making it ever since. It is a winner every time! I normally make it with leftover turkey. It is so easy, flavorful and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for your comment – it made my day. If you have an Instant Pot, be on the lookout. I will be publishing a post today or tomorrow with instructions on how to make chicken and dumplings in a pressure cooker.😀 It tastes just as great as this recipe.