There are some meals that just wrap you up in a warm hug, and for me, this Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits recipe is at the very top of that list. It’s a dish I’ve tinkered with for years, aiming for that perfect balance of a rich, savoury chicken stew and unbelievably light, fluffy biscuit toppings that soak up all that glorious sauce. This isn’t just any recipe; it’s the result of countless Sunday afternoons spent in my kitchen. After testing this recipe five times, I finally got it just right, and the version I’m sharing today is the one that receives rave reviews every single time.

What makes this particular chicken and dumplings recipe stand out is the topping. Instead of traditional dropped dumplings that steam in the pot, we’re making proper, tender cheddar biscuits from scratch and baking them right on top of the stew. This creates a wonderful contrast in textures: the bottom of the biscuit is soft and doughy from the stew’s steam, while the top becomes golden brown and slightly crisp in the oven. The creamy chicken stew itself is packed with flavour, using bone-in chicken thighs for maximum richness, a classic vegetable base, and a touch of fresh thyme that makes the whole house smell incredible.

This is the kind of meal that works beautifully for a family dinner when the weather turns a bit chilly. It feels special and hearty, a true one-pan wonder that fills everyone up and leaves them feeling deeply satisfied. It’s a bit of a project, but every step is worth the final, delicious result. If you’re looking for other comforting chicken dishes, my Low Carb Chicken Casserole is another family favourite.

Recipe Overview

This Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits recipe delivers a deeply flavourful, creamy chicken stew finished with fluffy, golden-brown cheddar biscuits baked directly on top. The stew is rich and herby, while the biscuits are tender and cheesy. I found that using buttermilk in the biscuits is the key to making them exceptionally light and soft.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Servings: 6 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Why You’ll Love This Chicken And Dumplings With Biscuits Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The sauce is built from the ground up, starting with browning chicken thighs to create a flavourful base. The vegetables are softened until sweet, and the final stew is enriched with double cream and fresh thyme for a taste that is layered and genuinely satisfying.
• Comes Together in Just Over an Hour: For a dish that tastes like it has been simmering all day, it’s surprisingly efficient. From start to finish, you can have this on the table in about 70 minutes, which is brilliant for a weekend meal.
• Flexible Recipe: You can easily adapt this to what you have on hand. Stir in a large handful of spinach at the end until it wilts, or add 150g of frozen peas or sweetcorn with the cream. If you don’t have chicken thighs, breast meat will also work.
• Great for a Cosy Night In: This is the meal I turn to on a grey, drizzly Sunday. It’s nourishing, substantial, and feels like a real treat. It always gets compliments when we have friends over for a casual dinner.
• Family Tested: This recipe has my family’s official seal of approval. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often fighting over the last biscuit.

Chicken And Dumplings With Biscuits Recipe

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 65 min cook  •  👥 6 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For the best results, try to use good quality chicken stock, as it forms the backbone of the stew’s flavour. I often use Knorr stock pots. For the biscuits, ensuring your butter is very cold is essential for that light, flaky texture.

• For the Chicken Stew:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 900g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g unsalted butter
• 60g plain flour
• 1.2 litres good-quality chicken stock, warm
• 150ml double cream
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• For the Cheddar Biscuits:
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 115g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 175ml buttermilk, cold

Sara’s Tip: Don’t skip the buttermilk! Its slight acidity reacts with the baking powder to create an extra-tender, light biscuit. If you don’t have any, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 175ml of whole milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

How to Make Chicken And Dumplings With Biscuits

The process involves three main stages: preparing the stew base, making the creamy sauce, and then topping it with our homemade biscuit dough before baking everything together to perfection.

1. Sear the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You don’t need to cook them through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Create the Roux: Add the 60g of butter to the pot and let it melt. Once melted, sprinkle the 60g of plain flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. This paste is called a roux, and it’s what will thicken our stew.
4. Build the Sauce: Gradually pour in the warm chicken stock, about 250ml at a time, whisking constantly after each addition to ensure the sauce is smooth and free of lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as it thickens.
5. Simmer the Stew: Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot. Nestle them into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. While it simmers, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
6. Make the Biscuit Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheddar cheese.
7. Finish the Dough: Pour in the cold buttermilk and use a fork to mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Be careful not to overmix. I find that just bringing it together is enough; overworking it can make the biscuits tough.
8. Assemble and Bake: Remove the chicken from the stew and shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the double cream and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drop large spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the top of the hot stew.
9. Bake to Perfection: Place the Dutch oven (uncovered) into the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the stew is bubbling and the biscuits are tall, golden brown, and cooked through. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: The key to fluffy biscuits is cold ingredients. I often pop my cubed butter and even the bowl of flour into the freezer for 10-15 minutes before I start. This prevents the butter from melting into the flour, which creates steam pockets during baking and gives you that coveted flaky lift.
• The Secret Step: I learned that properly browning the chicken thighs is an unmissable step. That fond—the brown, crispy bits left in the bottom of the pan—is pure flavour. When you add the vegetables and later the stock, you scrape those bits up, and they dissolve into the sauce, adding incredible depth.
• Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire stew (up to step 8, before adding the cream and biscuit topping) up to two days in advance. Let it cool completely and store it in the fridge. When ready to serve, gently reheat it on the hob, stir in the cream and parsley, then top with freshly made biscuit dough and bake as directed.
• Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven at 160°C until warmed through. The biscuits will soften upon storage but will still be delicious.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon or spatula

Delicious Variations to Try

While this recipe is wonderful as is, it’s also a great base for your own creative twists. Here are a few ideas we’ve enjoyed:

• Herby Biscuit Twist: Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives or a teaspoon of dried herbs like rosemary to the biscuit dough along with the cheddar for another layer of flavour.
• Add Mushrooms: For a more earthy flavour, sauté 250g of sliced cremini mushrooms along with the onions, carrots, and celery. They add a lovely texture and depth. For another savoury dish, check out my Black Pepper Chicken recipe.
• Different Protein: This recipe works brilliantly with leftover roast turkey. Simply skip the chicken searing step and add about 600g of shredded turkey meat to the sauce along with the cream.

What to Serve With Chicken And Dumplings With Biscuits

This is a hearty, all-in-one meal, but a simple side dish can round it out beautifully. Here’s what I like to serve alongside it:

• Steamed Green Beans: A side of simple, crisp-tender green beans tossed with a little butter and lemon juice provides a fresh, green contrast to the rich stew.

– A Simple Green Salad: A salad of mixed leaves with a sharp, lemony vinaigrette helps to cut through the creaminess of the dish and cleanse the palate.

• Drink Pairing: A lightly oaked Chardonnay complements the creamy sauce without overpowering it. For beer lovers, a classic British bitter or a pale ale works wonderfully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken And Dumplings With Biscuits Recipe

A hearty and comforting one-pot meal featuring a rich chicken stew topped with fluffy, homemade cheddar biscuits, baked to golden perfection.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 890

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Chicken Stew

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 900 g bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 60 g plain flour
• 1.2 litres good-quality chicken stock warm
• 150 ml double cream
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Cheddar Biscuits

• 250 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 115 g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
• 100 g mature cheddar cheese grated
• 175 ml buttermilk cold

Method

 

1. Sear the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. You don't need to cook them through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Create the Roux: Add the 60g of butter to the pot and let it melt. Once melted, sprinkle the 60g of plain flour over the vegetables. Stir continuously for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. This paste is called a roux, and it's what will thicken our stew.
4. Build the Sauce: Gradually pour in the warm chicken stock, about 250ml at a time, whisking constantly after each addition to ensure the sauce is smooth and free of lumps. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as it thickens.
5. Simmer the Stew: Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot. Nestle them into the sauce. Bring back to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. While it simmers, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
6. Make the Biscuit Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheddar cheese.
7. Finish the Dough: Pour in the cold buttermilk and use a fork to mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Be careful not to overmix. I find that just bringing it together is enough; overworking it can make the biscuits tough.
8. Assemble and Bake: Remove the chicken from the stew and shred the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in the double cream and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drop large spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the top of the hot stew.
9. Bake to Perfection: Place the Dutch oven (uncovered) into the preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the stew is bubbling and the biscuits are tall, golden brown, and cooked through. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This dish is best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven to best preserve the biscuit texture.

This Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits recipe is pure, unadulterated comfort in a bowl. It’s the kind of cooking that feels both nostalgic and wonderfully satisfying to create. I really hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do. It’s a true labour of love that is worth every moment. Let me know how it turns out for you in the comments below! – Sara