Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Recipe Ingredients

This easy chicken and dumplings recipe uses just 7 simple ingredients.

Chicken Broth: We love Progresso™ Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth for this recipe, because it has delicious, homemade flavor and prevents the dish from being overly salty.

Cooked Chicken: Use leftover chicken, shred a rotisserie chicken, or buy pre-shredded rotisserie chicken to save time.

Cream of Chicken Soup: We’ve found that condensed soups are a great way to get to a thicker sauce without a lot of ingredients or time. Use it straight from the can without adding any additional water or milk.

Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Biscuits: Using these biscuits is such a simple way to make dumplings without needing to mix several ingredients together to make them from scratch. In testing, we found Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits were the perfect match for this Southern-inspired recipe, however, Southern Homestyle or Southern Homestyle Butter Tastin’ Biscuits would also work well.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Poultry seasoning, carrots, and celery.

Cookware You’ll Need

This canned biscuit chicken and dumplings recipe only needs a few special pieces of equipment.

Dutch Oven: This large, deep pot will hold all the ingredients while also having enough room for the dumplings to rise and cook under the lid.

Rolling Pin: It’s easy to roll the biscuits to an even 1/8-inch thickness using a rolling pin. Otherwise, you can press them with your hand.

Pizza Cutter: In testing, we found that a pizza cutter makes quick work of cutting the biscuits into strips. If you don’t have a pizza cutter, use a sharp knife with a long blade.

Other Cookware You'll Need: Measuring cups and spoons, chef’s knife, cutting board, large wooden or silicone cooking spoon.

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings

Here are tips for how to make chicken and dumplings.

1. Heat Soup Ingredients in Pot

The ingredients need to cook together for their flavors to blend. You can crank the heat to medium-high to get to the boiling stage (bubbles continue to break the surface even when stirred). Then, turn down the heat to simmer (bubbles occasionally rise to the surface but don’t break the surface) for sauce flavors to blend.

2. Cut Biscuits into Strips

The right-size pieces of biscuits are necessary for them to cook all the way through. Right from the fridge, roll the biscuits to an even 1/8-inch thickness and cut them into 1/2-inch-wide strips. You should get 7 strips from each biscuit. 

3. Add Biscuit Strips and Veggies

It’s important to increase the temperature again to a low boil before the strips are added, as well as during the entire time they are cooking, so the dumplings cook through. This may be low to medium-low on your stove dial, but it will depend on your heat source and the size burner you are using. Add the strips one at a time to help keep them separate from one another. Then, add the carrots and celery.

4. Simmer and Stir

Simmer with the lid on to help the biscuit strips cook properly. Stir the mixture occasionally to keep the biscuit strips from sticking to each other as they rise and expand.

5. Cook and Serve

The dumplings should have a light and airy texture inside when ready to serve. Remove one and open; if it is gummy, cook for a little longer.

Possible Variations

With a quick change of an ingredient, you can make this recipe in other scrumptious ways.

Substitute Turkey: Shred leftover holiday turkey instead of the chicken.

Change the Condensed Soup: Substitute any “cream of” condensed soups for the cream of chicken soup. Try cream of celery soup for more veggie flavor or cream of mushroom for an earthy flavor. Also, substitute a lower-sodium or lower-fat version of these cream soups without any change in the dumpling texture.

Add Herbs or Seasonings: We’ve heard from you that you’re also using garlic and onion powder, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Try adding 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano leaves with the poultry seasoning, too. A splash of red pepper sauce adds a hint of spicy heat.

Stir in Cream: You’ve told us you like to add heavy cream, which gives the sauce a creamier flavor with a similar consistency.

For a cheesy dumpling version, try Cheesy Chicken and Dumplings. Or if you have a multicooker, you’ll love this Instant Pot® Chicken and Dumplings. For a sweet take on dumplings, try our cinnamony-sweet Apple Crescent Dumplings.

Storing and Reheating

After trying different methods, we found that the dumplings have their absolute fluffiest texture when served freshly made. If you do find yourself with leftovers, here are pro tips for storing and reheating. Remember to store leftover chicken and dumplings within 2 hours of serving to prevent food borne illness.

Refrigerator

Place stew and dumplings (in a single layer) in separate food storage containers with tight-fitting lids. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Freezer

Freezer storage is not recommended as the dumplings will lose their fluffiness, becoming gummy in texture.

Reheating

Place a serving of the stew in a microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave on Medium-High (70%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until hot. Place dumplings on top of hot stew. Cover and microwave on Medium-High 30 seconds to 1 minute longer or until dumplings are heated through. Dumpling texture will be heavier than when first prepared.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

With over 400 reviews and counting, this recipe gets 5 stars from our fans. It’s a comfort food recipe they return to time and time again, especially on cold nights. And because everyone, including children and picky eaters, loves it.

Many users appreciate how simple and quick the recipe is to make. It's perfect for those who want a comforting meal without spending too much time in the kitchen. People tell us using precooked chicken and refrigerated biscuits makes it convenient and praise the delicious flavor. Shookie326 says, “I’m far from being a cook. This recipe is so easy to make. It is amazing and delicious! I sent the recipe to my aunt who then shared it with her friend. I will definitely make this again and again!”