Chicken pie is delicious and chicken with biscuits is awesome. What happens if we can somehow combine those two ideas into a single dish? Chicken Dumpling Biscuits is what happens! An amazing combination of a rich baked chicken pie filling, topped with biscuit dough…
What’s the Difference between Biscuits and Dumplings?
Biscuits and dumplings are both made from the same type of dough, starting out by rubbing fat into flour with some kind of leavening agent, usually baking powder or baking soda. Enough liquid is then added to make a dough. The main difference between biscuits and dumplings is in the way they are cooked.
Biscuits are cooked with dry heat, usually baked in the oven, although occasionally pan fried over direct heat. Dumplings are cooked in liquid, partially submerged so that they absorb flavor from the stew as they puff up. You can make the whole thing on the stove top, in which case your dumplings will come out pale and fluffy in texture. I like this version for beef stews, but for chicken dumplings, I prefer to bake in the oven, so the dumplings brown on top. This gives the best of both worlds – a plump moist dumpling on the underside with the tops risen and browned, like a biscuit.
How to Make Chicken Dumpling Biscuits Dough
I see so many people getting their biscuit dough out of a can. This is just crazy to me! Sure, many things are time-consuming or diffcult to make at home. But biscuit dough is not one of them. You don’t need any special equipment, and it doesn’t take very long. And best of all, when you make your own biscuit dough, you can choose exactly what goes into it – allowing you to sneak in delicious extras like cheddar cheese…
All you need to do is rub the butter into the flour and baking powder, before adding any extra flavor boosters, and finally the liquid, to bring it all together into a dough that you can roll out and shape into the perfect dumpling biscuits to top your chicken pie filling.
Rolling the dough out is a cinch, and then you just use a sharp knife to cut it into triangles. Make sure to flour the surface to stop it sticking, but it is really a very simple dough, soft, pliant, and easy to work with.
The Filling
If you already have your own favorite chicken pie filling, go ahead and use that. Pretty much any chicken stew type recipe will work as a base to float your dumpling biscuits in. This filling is my favorite. I love leeks, and they go super-well with both chicken and the cheddar in the dumplings. And even though they are a cheap and widely available vegetable, something about their sweet silkiness always feels luxurious to me. Perhaps it is because they are so frequently used in French cooking.
In any case, it only takes a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes at the stove to make.
Get the Timing Right
Although there are quite a lot of steps to the recipe, it all works out with timing beautifully. Start by turning on the oven to preheat. Make the filling and while it’s simmering, make the dumpling biscuit dough. By the time the oven has preheated, all you need to do is transfer the filling to an ovenproof pot, float the biscuits on top, scatter with the extra cheese, and then bake until everything in golden brown and smells wonderful.
Serving
One of the reasons why I like this recipe even more than chicken pie is that you can serve such neat portions. My grandmother used to say “the first bite is with the eye,” and she wasn’t wrong! When the dish in front of you looks incredible, you are already primed to enjoy it before you’ve even tasted it. (Especially good to know when it comes to picky children!)
Flaky, crumbly pie crust tastes amazing, but there’s no denying that it doesn’t look so beautiful once you cut into it to serve. Chicken dumpling biscuits can be scooped out entire onto the serving bowls, and the filling spooned up and placed alongside – making for a much neater presentation.
And More…
Looking for more healthy fall dinner recipes with chicken? Try out one of these!
- Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Sheet Pan Chicken
- Chicken and Snow Pea Stir Fry
- Chicken Florentine Soup
- Pomegranate Chicken
Conclusion
If you’ve only ever made biscuits from a can before, I urge you to give this recipe a try. You wont believe how easy it is to make biscuits yourself – and then you can use the recipe for a whole range of delicious dishes, including chicken dumpling biscuits.
Chicken Dumpling Biscuits
Ingredients
For the chicken filling
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 leeks trimmed and sliced
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.5 cup white wine
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
For the dumpling biscuits
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp butter cut into small cubes
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 0.25 cup milk
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
For the filling
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and fry for about 6-8 minutes, until softened but not colored.
- Add the chicken, mustard, and white wine. Cook until the alcohol has burned off.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes until it has thickened slightly, then stir in the sour cream and season to taste.
For the dumpling biscuits
- Place the flour, baking powder, and a good pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it in, until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add three quarters of the cheese and rub that in roughly.
- Add the milk and bring together into a soft dough. Roll on on a floured surface and cut into triangles.
To assemble and bake
- Place the filling in a deep, ovenproof dish. Float the dumpling biscuits on top and scatter with the reserved cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the dumpling biscuits have risen and are golden on top, and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
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