Need Chicken and Dumplings fast? This deliciously creamy stovetop recipe made with canned biscuits is what you need! Ready in 30 minutes!
Looking for more chicken and dumplings recipes? Try this recipe with homemade dumplings, or this easy crockpot chicken and dumplings recipe.
Quick 30-Min Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Any time there is a slight chill in the air, you can guess what I am making for dinner…Chicken and Dumplings. It’s the perfect stick to your ribs kind of dinner that my whole family loves and begs me to make often.
We start with a creamy chicken soup base, loaded with big chunks of chicken, carrots, celery, onion. Then we add some big fluffy dumplings to round it out. This recipe is made in just 30 minutes or less, from start to finish, so what are you waiting for?!
Easy Chicken and Dumplings vs From Scratch
I have many recipes for Chicken and Dumplings on this blog and I believe you need to try them all to find your personal favorite. This particular version is for my favorite easy recipe version, made with canned biscuits for the dumplings. The other big swap in this recipe is the use of canned Cream Of Chicken instead of making your own soup gravy.
I know this recipe isn’t for everyone, but this is the 90’s/2000’s version so many of us grew up enjoying. So if you are looking for your Mama’s Easy Chicken & Dumplings recipe that she made with canned biscuits, this recipe is probably very similar!
And for all of my Chicken and Dumplings purists, I really recommend you check out my from scratch version with easy homemade dumplings: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings.
Dumplings Made with Biscuits
There are a few important tips to making dumplings out of biscuits for Chicken and Dumplings.
- First, make sure you buy buttermilk biscuits. You do not want the flaky style or any other version.
- Buy the large biscuits (16.3 oz can size), not the small biscuits and cut them into fourths. Otherwise you will run the risk of your biscuits cooking down to nothing and disappearing on you.
- Toss the cut biscuits in all purpose flour. This helps keep them from sticking to each other and thickens the soup slightly as well.
- Lastly, do not leave your chicken and dumplings simmering on the stove for a long time. If you do, you run the risk of your dumplings evaporating into nothing.
Ingredients for this Easy Recipe:
For this recipe, the goal is delicious, quick and easy chicken and dumplings. We aren’t looking to spend a lot of time. In fact, we just have 30 minutes to get it made! So with that in mind, we use already cooked and shredded chicken in this recipe.
You can make your own shredded chicken or you can purchase a rotisserie chicken — both will work great.
Plus, I have one secret ingredient that is KEY to making the creamiest chicken and dumplings…evaporated milk! Evaporated milk is creamier when compared to whole milk, but not as thick as heavy whipping cream (and a lot less fattening as well).
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?
Yes and No. Confused? Let me explain.
If you make this recipe completely ahead of time, there is a good chance your biscuits will evaporate into nothing and your soup will then become extra thick.
However, you can make the soup base ahead of time and keep it on very low heat until just before you are almost ready to serve dinner.
Then you can crank the heat back up and get the soup simmering again. If it’s reduced down, you can add a little more chicken broth back to it to loosen it up. Then you can go ahead and cook those dumplings and serve it hot and fresh!
This Easy Chicken and Dumplings with biscuits is how I grew up eating this classic recipe – and I bet many of you did too! Enjoy the comfort food flashback in a bowl with this deliciously creamy — and oh so easy — chicken and dumplings recipe.
Please share how it turns out for you, I can’t wait to hear what you think! I bet your kids LOVE it. Mine do. ;-)
Easy Chicken and Dumplings
Need Chicken and Dumplings fast? This deliciously creamy stovetop Chicken And Dumplings recipe is made with canned biscuits in just 30 minutes is what you need!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 8 oz evaporated milk
- 1 (10.5 oz) can of cream of chicken
- 40 oz chicken broth
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 (16.3 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour, optional
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add vegetables - onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring often until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the shredded cooked chicken, chicken broth, evaporated milk, and can of cream of chicken and bring to a simmer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cut the biscuits into quarters (each biscuit will be sliced into 4 equal pieces) and lightly toss them in flour.
- Add them to the pot and cook for about 8-9 minutes. Test one of the biscuits to ensure they have cooked through and are not raw in the middle. Once the biscuits are cooked through, serve immediately!
Notes
You can also use a rotissierie chicken to speed up this recipe!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 servingsServing Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 1382mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 7g
Categories
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This was absolutely delicious!! I did need to make some changes with what I had on hand. I only had 32 oz of chicken broth so I added the whole 12 oz can of evaporated milk. Didn’t have cream of mushroom soup but had some leftover kale pesto with white cheddar pasta sauce ( Sonoma brand. ) I made a rue with cornstarch and some of the sauce. Used a deep 12″ skillet which fit the biscuits perfectly but only 1 can of Grands.
Thanks for posting this quick recipe! I’m happy to have a choice of a quick dinner with canned biscuits when running short on time, and then your other made from scratch version with fluffy biscuits when I have the time. I’m excited to try both!
We had half of a rotisserie chicken leftover. I turned it into the creamiest chicken and dumplings my family ever ate. I didn’t change anything except added a few more spices. I love the texture of the broth.
Hey there,
I just want to preface this comment with I LOVE THIS RECIPE! It is absolutely delicious and has made plenty anytime I’ve made it for family or friends.
I will agree with Kyrsten above though, that the recipe calorie count needs to be adjusted. I did a few simple calculations just from the ingredients I had and found that one batch consists of over 2,200 calories (and I only put in one can of biscuits, instead of 2).
Please know, I’m not trying to be ugly and will continue to follow you for more delicious meals. But please updated the calorie count for those who are trying to watch their calorie intake.
Hi Hattie! Thank you for letting me know, I will work on trying to calculate it myself and update it. But just a heads up, I do not personally calculate the nutrition for each recipe. I pay for a program to automatically calculate it to give an idea of the nutrition for each recipe since I know it is helpful to readers. The program is the best one on the market and it uses the most popular brands for recipe ingredients, but it’s never 100%. I wish it was!
Hi. I live to make a few meals ahead of time and heat up. Not sure if this will work, but trying tonight. Any additional suggestions if I want to do it this way?
This soup will thicken as it cools and then is refrigerated after cooking because the dumplings will continue to soak up the broth. It really is best fresh. One way I know some people make/prep ahead is to make the soup portion and then refrigerate it or freeze it. When ready, bring it back up to a simmer on the stove and add the dumplings. That way it is mostly all done ahead, but everything taste great and fresh!
I made this but it wasn’t very creamy. Is there something that can add to it to thicken it up?
The evaporated milk should make it plenty creamy, but if it is not creamy enough for you, swap it out for heavy cream!
This has become my favorite chicken and dumpling recipe. I did add frozen peas.
I made this for someone who was under the weather. They loved it so much they said I should market it and sell it! I lost my original recipe and this one is even better. I questioned the melted butter in the dumplings but they came out outstanding and a lot easier than cutting the butter in!
Could I simply double recipe and follow same instructions
Yes! As long as your pot is big enough – you will need an extra large pot for double the dumplings!
Hubby wanted chicken and dumplings for dinner on this chilly, snowy day. Second time I used my new Rockcrok dutch oven. We both loved it! I used self rising flour instead of flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the biscuits. Soooo, so good.
I can never get the biscuits fully cooked. I cut them in 1/8 instead of 1/4 and kind of stir them halfway through cooking. Please help!!
Hi Haley! Have you tried putting the lid back on top to help trap the heat in the pot? This can help them cook through!
This was a failure on your part!I followed the directions to a T , except I only added one can of biscuits. The biskits plumped up like no tomorrow. I think the biskits should have been from a small can as opposed to 16.3 oz!
Hi Michael, yes, the biscuits “plump up” when they cook. That’s what makes the dumplings. If you want less dumplings, of course use a smaller can of biscuits.
You have to break the biscuits up. I use the grands and cut them into quarters. They don’t get that big, and if you like teenie tiny dumplings that’s your personal preference.
I’m wondering how you calculated the nutritional value. I used multiple recipe calculators and ALL of them had this anywhere from 750-over 1000 calories PER serving due to the amount of biscuits. It was delicious, but after I did the calculations myself I am bummed that I made it as it’s way outside what I usually allow myself for a single meal.
Made this and loved it!! Doing it again today, two weeks later :) thank you!
This recipe is delish!
We absolutely loved it❤️
Made this and must say it’s very close to what my Grandmother used to make. Delicious. (Don;t forget the seasoning)
My family loves this recipe, I personally can’t stand chicken and dumplings. Thankfully this is a quick recipe or they wouldn’t be getting this.
Are you kidding?!! Calling Pizza Hut.
Hi! What went wrong?
Do you cook with a cover after adding the biscuits? I feel like I still had a bunch of raw pieces? My 1st time making it. It was super delicious!
Hi Stephanie! You can add the cover and they will cook a little quicker, or leave it uncovered and they will need a couple of minutes longer to cook through!
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Sadly the dumplings do not freeze well. They get gummy and soak up too much of the soup. However, some people will make the soup up until the point of adding the dumplings. Then they freeze the soup portion (or half of the soup portion) and make a half batch of dumplings!
This is my go to chicken and dumplings recipe!! My entire family loves it!!
Has anyone made this in the InstantPot? How long did you set the timer for? Thanks
I don’t think it should go in a instant pot. It’s very fast on stove top. And not sure how biscuits would do in it…
This was delicious! I added some herb de Provence and used one can of biscuits and cooked for an extra 10 minutes, covering the pot last few. Thank you!
Does this recipe freeze well? Its a large batch and only two of us at home. If it freezes well, I will freeze some for my youngest away at college! We loved it!
Thanks!
Sadly it doesn’t, the dumplings tend to soak up all the extra liquid and they become very gummy when thawed. :-(
Can you bake the biscuits first then add?
No, they should be added raw. If you cook them first and then add them, they will not be the correct texture as dumplings and will also become extremely soggy.
My biscuits are falling apart and I covered them in flour any tips?
Hmm. Did you happen to grab flaky biscuits by accident? The kind with the layers? Those always fall apart. :-(
I am planning to make a double for a family lunch. Should I put in 2 separate skillets, or can I put all in one big stew pot?? Thanks!!
Hi Carla! I would use two pots because you will need space for the dumplings to be able to cook!
Thanks for sharing great recipe with us.
This is really good! I used a rotisserie chicken, 1/2 a bag of frozen peas and carrots. I added 2 bay leaves and thyme. I used only one can of butter biscuits and it was plenty. I also used half and half instead of the condensed milk. I made it early in the afternoon and reheated to add and cook the biscuits 10 minutes before we were ready to eat. This is great and easy recipe and with my few tweaks I will make it again! Thank you!
My daughter made this and sent it to me. I made it tonight but didn’t use 2 cans of biscuits, only one. I’m glad I did! I don’t recommend using 2 it’s too crowded and since you’re dividing them into 4 pieces that is plenty! It came out delicious, my husband loved it.
Great recipe but 2 cans of biscuits are way too much!
I’m in Heaven! This recipe was so easy year has so much flavor! I did add a cup of frozen peas just because I had them, but this is better than any restaurant meal I’ve had! Thank you!!!!
5* Delicious!! I make this all the time as it’s one of my fav dinners but never did it the speed way. I used rotisserie chicken, half n half milk (didn’t have evaporated) and Cream of Celery (didn’t have Cream of Chicken.) I also added chicken bullion for flavor since I was out of the c of chicken. It was wonderful! So fast and tasty. I will def be making it this way again.
Oh my Goodness this was great!!! My whole family cleaned their plates!!! Such a easy recipe to fix and really yummy. Thank you for sharing it!!! I am excited to try another one of your dishes. Thank you again!!!!
This was amazing!! I tried it with butter biscuits…holy moly! This momma loved your quick & easy recipe.
I’m so glad to know you used butter biscuits and it was great! That’s all my grocery store had in stock, so they are in the crock pot now. :-)
I have to say that I normally make everything from scratch. I had a perfect situation of only 30 min to cook the meal and I had all the ingredients (including leftover chicken) available. You could NOT tell this wasn’t from scratch. We loved it .
I don’t like chicken and dumplings and I was sure the biscuits would not work, be gummy and mess up. No one can make chicken and dumplings like my mother in law. be a rather plain dish, however, this recipe is amazing! It cut my cooking time and was easy to make. Surprisingly my husband liked it and I did too!
I boiled my chicken on stovetop so it was real juicy and I use more dark meat than white. I also added a splash of heavy cream, along with some parsley and thyme and when it was cooked I added a can of sweet peas to it.
The sweetness of the evaporated milk, the buttermilk biscuits and the chicken flavor produced an easy flavorable dish. Thanks
After you make the recipe for the chicken stuff and put biscuits in, can you bake in oven so biscuits are brown
You have no idea what dumplings are, do you?
Yes thanks s what I do too!
Made this tonight for my family and OMG it was AMAZING!!! I used store bought rotisserie chicken and followed the recipe exactly as it said. My husband said add it to our rotation…it was just that good and fast!
I made this tonight. I felt like I was putting too much biscuit in the pot so I didn’t put the whole two cans, still seemed to be about 85% dumplings. Next time I will probably cut them smaller than into quarters. That said, The dish tasted great and I will be making it again.
This recipe just didn’t turn out for me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed the directions and after cooking it for an hour, the dumplings never cooked in the middle. Evening though it was boiling.
I do remember being told to put the biscuits on the bottom before everything else, with two other recipes, and they turned out fluffy. I will try that next time. ::sighs::
I think you cooked it too long but I noticed one time when I made it my biscuits weren’t cooking all the way because I use two cans and I put it in the oven so the top could bake and that it and now I actually preferred it
I flattened my biscuits and cut into slices. Cooked fast and perfect. Only 1 can. Don’t need 2.
I don’t know what happened but this made so much and was so filling I feel like it could feed 10 people. I used the Grands biscuits which look as big as in your pictures but I think I’d use regular sized ones next time. I didn’t have any problems with them shrinking or dissolving. I used peas instead of celery and only used 32 oz of broth since that’s how big the box came and it tasted great.
Try using 1/2 biscuits at a time and put the lid on(not in directions) I cooked mine for 10 min. Push pieces in juice so tops are not dry.
This was fabulous! My husband is a huge chicken and dumplings fan, while I’ve never had it before! I used whole milk because it’s whats i had and added a few other seasonings (cayenne, Italian, paprika) For a little more pep. Thank you. I’ve booked marked this recipe and will be using it in the future!
What can you use in place of evaporated milk?
I would recommend half and half in place. Evaporated milk is thicker than whole milk.
II make this a LOT and to be honest I don’t use milk at all. I due use broth and water. If you cook your chicken you can’t beat that broth. Another thought, if I have left over chicken and no broth I add a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of mushroom (or celery, you get the idea) plus whatever water or store broth i need
I used half and half and will also next time. I also put 1 can of cream of chicken soup. It was amazing.
great idea! I will try it this weekend.
Hope it could come out great like this because i am not a good cook.
I was wondering how many serving this recipe would make. This is one thing that I wish was on each recipe since sometimes I have to cook for 6 people. Recipe was simple and great.
Hi Angelica! It is always on each recipe, right above the recipe name! For this particular recipe, it servers 6 people! Hope this helps!
How big is a serving?
I do not have an exact size amount because I did not measure out the completed soup. This recipe feeds 6 people or 4 really hungry people! Hope that helps!
This is the default recipe for chicken and dumplings that I feed my family. It’s always a hit and there’s never any leftovers that last more than a day or two. I’m actually 13 weeks pregnant now and was laying in bed, craving this last night – lol. I use a store bought, rotisserie chicken and it compliments it wonderfully. It’s a total time saver, especially when I easily get tired from standing for too long. This recipe is actually what’s for dinner tonight!
I like chicken dishes. Your recipe is great. This is a good idea for me. I will try it. Thanks you!
How does this thicken up? Or is it soupy ??
People (or the ONE person) talking about making it from scratch ***takes deep calming breath*** Not everyone can afford a whole chicken. Not everyone has the time to bake a whole chicken, then let it cool, then pull the meat off all the tiny little bird bones. This recipe didn’t claim to be from scratch. It wasn’t false advertising. It told you what it was immediately. A shortcut to chickens and dumplings. I’ve made both from scratch and the shortcut ways, and not a soul can tell the difference. When you work 12 hours a day and come home and have to cook dinner, clean house, do laundry, referee toddlers and argue with teens, while trying yo get them to their soccer practice and valley recitals…a 30 minute meal is a GOD SEND! Bless your heart you make it from scratch but this never claimed to be so.
Girl you should not have to explain yourself to ANYONE!! It’s all about making a nice home cooked quick meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen cooking. I think your recipes are AMAZING! I cannot believe how rude people can be. If they don’t like it…then just keep on scrolling until you find one you do like. Don’t criticize. GEEZE! I Greatly appreciate you sharing your fabulous recipes. I have made this twice and we all just LOVE it. Thank you for helping me make a great meal. ❤️♥️
Thanks for the kind words Christine!!! I’m so glad you all enjoy it as much as we do!
If “said person” “always makes then from scratch…,why is she trolling a recipe blog for a shortcut to them”..,..she apparently can’t be taken at her word!!! Btw, I made these last time, amazing!!!! Keep your head up, your recipes are great….
This was incredible! Thank you so much! I added bit of heavy cream, two bay leaves, and frozen peas. Absolutely delicious. Never made chicken and dumplings before, and this will be my go-to recipe.
I was raised on made from scratch chicken & dumplings (yes, home made). I have tried a few different canned versions of chicken & dumplings over the years. Haven’t found one I like yet. I always end up making my own chicken & dumplings.
Folks, just go out & by a whole chicken and bake it. Then let it cool a little. Remove the meat from the bones (yes, throw the bones in the trash) & put the meat and meat juice (broth, yes, that is homemade broth there) in a pot. While it is heating up, find a recipe for dumplings and make them. Cook according to directions.
I see you :)
That’s all fine and dandy, but shortcuts are welcome when you work 50 hours per week, commute and try to feed your family decent.
I made this recipe omitting the garlic and celery (not my thing). Added some peas and carrots instead. And baked in the oven for 10 minutes. Baking gives rise to the biscuits and a slight crunch. I had not used evap milk before and this was the best I have ever made. Great recipe.
WOW, I think it is the most tast dumplings wich I ate.
And I also added grated cheese on top.
Thank you!!!
I made the Chicken and dumplings and it was a huge hit!! My grown children ate it with gusto lol…..thanks!
great dish, thank you, and 30 minutes too, nice
I have this recipe saved in my phone. I love this dish. Easy, fast and very flavorful!
came out really tasty.
It is a wow dish!! It is yummy to see. I love yummy look dishes. Good work.
What do you mean each can had 10 dumplings? Love your site!
i am not able to add this recipe to my recipe book. ):