There’s nothing better than a big bowl of warm Chicken and Dumplings Soup when you’re craving something cozy and comforting. This recipe has a rich, creamy broth filled with tender shredded chicken, carrots, garlic, and fresh rosemary, then it’s finished with soft, fluffy dumplings made from refrigerated biscuits.

The best part? You get all the comfort of homemade chicken and dumplings without having to make dumpling dough from scratch. Using Pillsbury butter biscuits keeps this recipe incredibly easy while still giving you those pillowy dumplings everyone wants in a classic chicken and dumplings recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Dumplings Soup

This is one of those recipes that tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking it, but it’s actually surprisingly simple.

The combination of butter, flour, evaporated milk, and chicken broth creates a thick and creamy base without needing heavy cream. Fresh rosemary, garlic, paprika, and chicken bouillon add plenty of savory flavor, while the carrots add a little sweetness and texture.

And instead of making homemade dumplings, refrigerated biscuits go straight into the simmering soup. They cook in the broth, soaking up all that flavor while becoming tender and fluffy.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this easy chicken and dumplings soup, you’ll need onion, carrots, fresh rosemary, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, evaporated milk, chicken broth, cooked shredded chicken breasts, chicken bouillon, paprika, and Pillsbury butter biscuits.

Using already-cooked chicken makes this recipe even easier. You can cook and shred your own chicken breasts ahead of time or use leftover chicken.

How to Make Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Start by heating olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced fresh rosemary and let it cook for about 30 seconds. This helps release the flavor and aroma of the rosemary into the oil.

Add the chopped onion and carrots and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic, salt, and pepper and cook just until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Next, add the butter. Once it has completely melted, stir in the flour. Continue stirring until the flour begins to turn golden and the mixture thickens. This creates the roux that gives the chicken and dumplings its creamy consistency.

Slowly pour in the evaporated milk while stirring. Once the mixture begins to thicken, add the chicken broth.

Stir in the shredded chicken, chicken bouillon, black pepper, paprika, and whole rosemary stalks. Cover the pot and allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove the rosemary stalks before adding the dumplings.

Quarter the refrigerated biscuits and carefully add the pieces to the soup. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the biscuit dumplings are completely cooked through.

Then it’s ready to serve!

The Secret to Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Refrigerated biscuits are what make this recipe so easy.

Traditional chicken and dumplings recipes often require making and rolling homemade dough. While delicious, that turns a relatively simple soup into a much bigger project.

Quartering Pillsbury butter biscuits gives you fluffy, tender dumplings with almost no additional prep.

Just make sure the dumplings are fully cooked in the center before serving. Depending on the size of your biscuit pieces and how strongly your soup is simmering, they may need slightly longer than 10 minutes.

How to Keep the Dumplings From Getting Doughy

Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil once you add the biscuits.

After adding the dumplings, cover the pot so the trapped steam helps cook them through. Avoid constantly stirring once they’re in the soup, since too much stirring can cause the biscuits to break apart.

Before serving, cut into one of the larger dumplings to make sure the center is cooked and no raw dough remains.

Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?

Absolutely. Rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest shortcuts for this recipe.

Simply remove the skin, shred the meat, and add about the same amount you would get from two cooked chicken breasts.

It’s also a great recipe for using leftover chicken you already have in the refrigerator.

Can I Make Chicken and Dumplings Ahead of Time?

You can prepare the soup base ahead of time, but I recommend waiting to add the biscuit dumplings until you’re ready to serve it.

Prepare everything through the first simmer, then cool and refrigerate the soup. When you’re ready to eat, bring the soup back to a gentle simmer before adding the quartered biscuits.

This keeps the dumplings from becoming overly soft while sitting in the broth.

How to Store Leftover Chicken and Dumplings

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

The soup will continue to thicken as it sits because the dumplings absorb some of the broth. When reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or milk if you’d like to loosen the consistency.

Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until the chicken and soup are steaming hot throughout.

Can You Freeze Chicken and Dumplings Soup?

For the best texture, I recommend freezing the soup without the biscuit dumplings.

Prepare the creamy chicken soup base, allow it to cool completely, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to about 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat it on the stovetop. Once the soup is simmering, add fresh quartered biscuits and cook according to the recipe.

This gives you freshly cooked, fluffy dumplings instead of biscuits that have become soggy during freezing and reheating.

What to Serve With Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is hearty enough to be a complete meal on its own. If you want something alongside it, keep things simple with a green salad, roasted vegetables, or another light vegetable side.

Since you already have those fluffy biscuit dumplings in the soup, you really don’t need bread on the side.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings FAQ

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes. Cooked and shredded chicken thighs work great and can actually add even more flavor.

Can I use homemade dumplings instead of biscuits?
Absolutely. The refrigerated biscuits are simply an easy shortcut.

Why is my chicken and dumplings soup too thick?
The flour and dumplings both thicken the broth. Stir in additional chicken broth a little at a time until you reach your preferred consistency.

Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?
You can, although evaporated milk creates a richer, creamier consistency and is less likely to separate.

How do I know when the dumplings are finished?
Cut open one of the largest dumplings. The center should look fluffy and cooked rather than wet or raw.

The Ultimate Cozy Chicken and Dumplings Soup

This easy Chicken and Dumplings Soup recipe has everything you want from classic comfort food: tender chicken, carrots, plenty of savory garlic and rosemary flavor, a rich creamy broth, and fluffy buttery dumplings.

And because refrigerated biscuits do most of the work for you, it’s an approachable recipe you can make whenever the craving hits.

Whether you’re looking for a cozy fall dinner, an easy winter soup, or simply an old-fashioned comfort food recipe the whole family can enjoy, this creamy chicken and dumplings deserves a spot in your dinner rotation.