Perfect Fall Comfort Food: Chicken Stew With Biscuits

This recipe for chicken stew with biscuits is a staple in cooler weather. Some link in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

This is hands down one of my favorite wintertime recipes. My son wants it for his birthday dinner this coming weekend, in fact.

I hadn’t made it in a couple years, but I remembered it a few weeks ago. And I’ve made it three times for my family since then – at their request.

This recipe is hearty without being super heavy. It’s just as delicious the next day, which makes it perfect for a quick dinner here then lunch the next day.

I always make it with carrots, and I add celery whenever I have it in the house. Sometimes I add peas, so feel free to add your favorite veggies or leave out ones you don’t like.

Some great additions:

• parsnips
• mushrooms
• corn
• leeks

Are these really biscuits, or are they dumplings?

However, here’s the big controversy. I call this chicken stew with biscuits, but…they aren’t really biscuits.

If any Southerner – or even my German grandmother – saw me melt butter and then call the result biscuits, I feel like I would be banished.

They’re much more like a dumpling in that they get steamed atop the chicken stew. However, they’re nothing like my chicken and dumplings, and I called them biscuits when I started making this recipe, so I’ll stick with it.

It’s the taste that matters not the name, right? And this.tastes.good.

I promise. I do know how to make proper biscuits, but this recipe calls for something slightly different. Trust me.

Can I use leftover chicken?

Yes! This is a fantastic way to use up your leftover rotisserie chicken or other plain baked or poached chicken.

Simply shred it or cut it up into bite size pieces.

Start the recipe from heating the pan and adding butter, but go straight to the cooking the carrots and celery.

It’s fine to add the chicken cold from the fridge – or even straight from the freezer – once you have the chicken stock and other liquids added. If it’s really cold, it might take a few minutes longer to thicken, but you don’t need to heat leftover chicken first.

What pot should I use for chicken stew with biscuits?

I invested in a bouillabase pan – for braising – long ago, and this is the perfect pot to use. It’s fairly shallow but very wide, which is perfect for this recipe.

The shallow depth means it tends to come to a boil faster and then the stew also reduces more quickly. The width means you can put the biscuits over the stew without them touching so they bake properly.

If you don’t already own a pan like this, I would urge you to purchase one. It’s perfect for all sorts of recipes from Spanish rice to tuna and tomato pasta to honey habanero tacos to couscous salad and more.

If you don’t have a pot like this, make your stew in a soup pot. Then transfer the stew to an oven safe casserole dish just before you add the biscuits. 

Make sure you cover the pot with a lid regardless of what kind you use. If it doesn’t have a lid, use tin foil to cover the chicken stew with biscuits while it bakes.

Should I use fresh parsley or dried parsley?

This recipe will work with either, but it’s written for dried parsley. Just make sure your parsley isn’t old, as it loses flavor after six months or so.

If you use fresh parsley, you want to use triple the amount you would if you use dried parsley. The flavor isn’t as concentrated.

Just chop it roughly, but make sure you wait to add it to the chicken stew until it has finished simmering. Unlike dried herbs, you want to add them near the end.

How to Make Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Heat your large heavy pot over medium heat. While the pot heats, chop your chicken into bite size pieces.

Add four tablespoons of butter to the pot and the chicken. Cook until the chicken is white on all sides, stirring occasionally.

Remove the chicken, and set it aside, but keep the butter in the pan. Add carrot and celery and saute until softened, about four to five minutes.

Add onion and garlic and cook one minute longer. Stir in one-third cup flour to start to make a roux, cooking 2 more minutes.

Pour in chicken stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits as you add the stock. Add the cooked chicken back to the pot, along with the bay leaf, milk, and parsley.

Bring this to a boil, then turn it down to simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is like a thick soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper once it thickens.

While sauce thickens, make your biscuit dough and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix two cups of flour, baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt in large bowl. Heat three tablespoons of butter and one cup milk in small sauce pan just until the butter melts – you don’t want this hot.

Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture. Gently mix it all together until it just forms a ball.

Scoop out a bit of dough, a little larger than a golf ball. Shape it in your (clean) hands to make a slightly flat biscuit. Your goal is to make 10 from the dough.

Once the chicken mixture is ready, add biscuits atop the mixture. Don’t fill all the space (although some touching is fine), so that the biscuits will cook properly.

Cover the pot and place in the 350 oven. Cook 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are firm and puffy, then let cool for 10 minutes. Serve, and enjoy!

Pin this chicken stew with biscuits recipe so you can make it again and again!

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