Here’s a recipe for Chicken and Drop Biscuits that comes together quickly and will satisfy everyone’s appetite. It reminds me of being at grandma’s house for Sunday dinner but you can easily make it for a weekday meal.
Easy Chicken and Drop Biscuits
It’s a creamy combination of a tasty white sauce with chunks of chicken thighs, diced onion, carrots, and peas. Buttermilk biscuit dough is then dropped into the chicken stew and gets baked until browned and fluffy.
Everything gets cooked in the same pot so clean-up is easy. You can make the whole dish, start to finish in around 45 minutes. Perfect if you are in the mood for a comforting, warm meal.
Drop Biscuits Versus Dumplings
Now, you may think that this is just chicken and dumplings, but it’s actually easier and (we think) better.
Dumplings start out the same by dropping dough onto the stew in the pot, then you put a cover on the pot and cook it for 15 minutes or so, hoping the dough gets thoroughly cooked without becoming soggy. The results can be hit or miss. Too often, the dumplings are still raw in the middle.
But in this case, we’re dropping the dough onto the stew, then putting the casserole into the oven without a cover.
It gets baked without a cover so the biscuits come out fluffy, golden brown, and dry every time.
Yes, you could bake the biscuits separately on a sheet pan. Then you’d have something else to wash and these drop biscuits for stew come out just beautifully.
Steps To Make The Chicken And Drop Biscuits
First of all, use a large, deep, oven-safe skillet big enough to hold all the ingredients. A dutch oven or stainless steel skillet would be perfect.
On medium-low temperature, melt the butter and then add the onion and carrots. Cook them for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Then add in the basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let those spices toast and throw out their flavors for a of couple minutes.
Then, throw in the chicken thigh pieces and stir them occasionally until they are cooked through and not pink. This will take 6 to 8 minutes.
Next, add 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir to coat the chicken. This will cause the oils of the chicken to stick to the bottom of your skillet. Cook the flour for a minute or two.
Add the chicken stock and half and half next. The fond that was created on the skillet bottom can be scraped up with a wooden spoon. Use the spoon to clean the bottom of the skillet to add all of the great flavors from the oil and flour. Bring to a boil to thicken and then add the frozen peas and then keep the skillet warm.
Mix The Biscuit Dough
Turn on your oven to 350°F convection or 375°F non-convection.
Place 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined.
Then add in 4 tablespoons of cold butter that is cut into pieces. Pulse the food processor 6 or 8 times until the butter is incorporated.
Slowly add the buttermilk and pulse until a sticky dough is formed.
Use a number 30 cookie scoop or spoon to drop about 2 tablespoons of the dough into the chicken casserole.
Keep some distance from the dollops of dough since it will expand slightly.
Place the skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until slightly browned and a toothpick stuck into the dough comes out clean.
Sprinkle the finished chicken and drop biscuits casserole with some chopped parsley, green onion, or chives.
In under an hour you could be serving this tasty chicken dish. Perfect for a Sunday dinner or as a nice weeknight meal.
Here are a few more tasty chicken recipes to try:
- Simple Chicken Brine for Grilling
- Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- Stovetop Italian Chicken
- General Tso Chicken Recipe
- Orzo and Chicken Casserole
Chicken and Drop Biscuits Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 3 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, trimmed of excess fat and chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup half and half
Biscuits
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Using a large, oven safe skillet or casserole and melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat and add the diced carrots and onion. Cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the seasonings; basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and black pepper.
- Add the chopped chicken thighs and cook stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked through and not pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Then sprinkle 6 tablespoons of flour over the chicken and stir to coat and cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
- Next, stir in the chicken broth and half and half and bring to a boil to thicken, then stir in the frozen peas. Reduce the heat and keep warm while you mix the biscuit batter.
Biscuits
- Preheat oven on convection bake to 350°, 375° for non-convection.
- Place all the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse to mix. Then add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the butter is broken down into pea sized pieces.
- Run the food processor and pour the buttermilk in through the feed tube until a sticky batter is formed.
- Use a small ice cream scoop, (#30, 2 tablespoon size), and drop the dough into the casserole leaving space between each drop for expansion.
- Place the casserole in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the biscuits begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- You may substitute whole milk or 2% for the buttermilk. In this case, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder and no baking soda.
- Leftovers should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a microwave.
- Recipe inspired by Food and Wine.
Nutrition
Brooke
Just made it for the first time, yum!!! I made a couple mistakes (forgot to add the flour onto the chicken) and I used a dutch oven, next time I’ll use a casserole dish when it goes into the oven so the biscuits don’t sink as far. I added chopped celery and mushrooms to the initial veggie sautée, and roasted broccoli in the stew with the peas. Excited to make this again!
Joe
Hi Brooke.
Thanks for the nice comment. Glad that you liked the recipe.
Joe
Brenda Teese
thanks, Joe
just the recipe I’m looking for
I want to make a beef stew with drop biscuits instead of dumplings
do you think the stewed beef cubes would stand up to the hot oven at the end?
should I use a lower over temp?
Joe
Hi Brenda,
You should be fine with the 350° convection or 375° non-convection oven temperature especially if your pan is pretty much covered with the biscuit dough. It is only for 12 to 14 minutes to bake the biscuits. I think that making the drop biscuits in beef stew sounds fabulous. Let me know how it works out.
Joe
Brenda Teese
thanks for weighing in
I’ll let you know
:>)
sandra axelrod
Another fabulous recipe. This sounds like comfort food at its best! Can’t wait to make this. All I need is the half and half.
Alan
This is a perfect winter (or even a rainy day spring) meal. Thank you for this quick and easy recipe!
Kristin Nelson
This is on our meal plan this week! Yum!
MaryJo
This is an easy one-pot meal that’s satisfying and so delicious. It’s comfort food at it’s best.