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Chicken and biscuits is classic, down-home comfort food! Top the creamy chicken and vegetables with cheesy drop biscuits and then bake it off in a casserole dish or cast iron skillet.
Grandma’s creamy chicken and biscuits casserole is a childhood favorite! The perfect cross between my mom’s chicken pot pie and our favorite chicken and dumplings, it’s a chicken and vegetable biscuit-topped casserole that’s sure to satisfy even your pickiest little eaters.
How to Make Chicken and Biscuits | 1-Minute Video
Delicious! Made the recipe exactly as described and I was not disappointed. It made for a cozy fall evening meal and we had enough for leftovers the next night.
– Gabrielle
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- I use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, but you can also cook your own chicken at home. Both white and dark meat will work, but I think a combination of the two gives the casserole great flavor.
- If cooking your own chicken at home, you’ll need about 2 pounds of raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Boil the chicken for about 10-15 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Once it’s cool enough to handle, dice or shred the meat to use in this casserole.
- Another convenient shortcut — Bisquick mix — gets this chicken and biscuits recipe on the table fast! If you don’t want to use a box of Bisquick mix, you can substitute with a homemade Bisquick blend, or use your own favorite drop biscuit recipe from scratch.
- If you have a large (about 3-quart) oven-proof skillet or braiser, you can prepare the filling and bake the casserole all in the same dish. One less item to wash at the end! I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet here.
- For a thicker filling with biscuits that are closer together, use a smaller, deeper 2-quart baking dish.
Directions
I’ve included the detailed step-by-step instructions for this old fashioned chicken and biscuits casserole in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Prepare the creamy chicken and vegetables in a skillet on the stovetop. Do not thaw the frozen peas before adding them to the filling. This recipe yields a very thick, creamy filling, so you shouldn’t need to worry about thickening it much more. If you find that you’d like your sauce thicker, however, you can either sift in small amounts of flour (while the mixture is still in the skillet), or you can let the filling bake in the oven without a cover before adding the biscuit topping. If it looks like the creamy filling is too thick, gradually stir in half-and-half or chicken broth to thin until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Bake the filling.
- Prepare the buttermilk biscuits.
- Drop the biscuit dough on top of the hot chicken mixture. Use a smaller scoop (about ¼-cup or less) to make smaller biscuits, which will cook through easier than larger biscuits.
- Bake until the biscuits are done. Make sure that the biscuits are cooked all of the way through before pulling the casserole out of the oven. They should be golden brown on the outside and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. If the biscuits start to get too dark before they’re completely cooked through, tent the dish with foil and continue baking.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with garlic butter.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the chicken and biscuits with a house salad with candied pecans, roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, Brussels sprouts with bacon, Southern collard greens, or Southern-style green beans.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: To prepare the recipe in advance, make the filling as instructed, transfer to an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to bake the casserole, allow the filling to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Then transfer to a baking dish, cover, and heat in the oven until bubbly before adding the biscuit topping.
- How to Store: Wrapped tightly, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the cream-based sauce may “break” or separate when thawed.
- How to Reheat: To reheat the casserole, allow the dish to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, or just until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.
I made this tonight for my family and everyone went back for seconds (and thirds!). Delicious easy recipe. I will certainly be making this again. Thanks!
– Haley
More Chicken and Biscuit Recipes
PREPARE FILLING
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Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 2 ½ – 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth and half-and-half. Set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté for 10 minutes. Add flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 more minute. Reduce heat to medium and gradually stir in the chicken broth mixture. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring regularly, until thick and bubbly (about 5-6 minutes). Make sure that the mixture doesn’t boil. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add chicken and frozen peas. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes while you prepare the biscuit dough.
PREPARE BISCUITS
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Use a fork to stir together the Bisquick mix, buttermilk, cheese, and parsley until a soft dough forms. Start with ⅔ cup of buttermilk, and gradually add more (if needed) to bring the dough together. It shouldn’t be too wet, but you don’t want any dry pockets of flour.
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Remove the chicken mixture from the oven, take off the cover, and give the filling a stir. Use a scoop to drop about ¼-cup of the biscuit dough (or even slightly less) at a time onto the hot chicken mixture. You should have about 8 biscuits on top of the dish. You can use a larger scoop to drop 6 biscuits on top, but these larger biscuits will take longer to bake through.
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Return dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a biscuit comes out clean. If the biscuits start to get too dark on top before they’re cooked through, just tent loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking. Stir together melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits and serve.
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- If you have a large (about 3-quart) oven-proof skillet or braiser, you can prepare the filling and bake the casserole all in the same dish. One less item to wash at the end! I used this 12-inch cast iron skillet in these photos.
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- For a thicker filling with biscuits that are closer together, use a smaller, deeper 2-quart baking dish.
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- Do not thaw the frozen peas before adding them to the filling.
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- Use a smaller scoop (about ¼-cup or less) to make smaller biscuits, which will cook through easier than larger biscuits.
Serving: 1/8 of the casseroleCalories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1168mgPotassium: 590mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3356IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 186mgIron: 2mg
Chicken and Biscuits Recipe Variations
- Buttermilk helps tenderize the biscuits and gives them a nice slightly tangy flavor, but you can substitute with regular milk if that’s what you have on hand.
- If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in a 1 ½-quart dish. The rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Add more herbs to both the filling and the biscuits, if desired. Thyme, rosemary, chives, and parsley are all delicious options. Some garlic powder would also be great in the biscuits.
- Mix up the cheese that you use in the biscuits. For instance, try freshly-grated Parmesan, mozzarella, Colby, or Swiss.
- Use just about any veggies that your family enjoys. Frozen corn would be a great substitute for the peas, for example.
This recipe was originally published in September, 2020. It was updated in October, 2024.
