Creamy Chicken Biscuit Topping (Printer View)

Tender chicken and veggies in creamy sauce topped with golden, flaky biscuit crust.

# Components:

→ For the Filling

01 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 cup whole milk
09 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
10 - 1 cup frozen peas
11 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ For the Biscuit Topping

14 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
15 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
16 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
17 - 1 teaspoon salt
18 - 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
19 - 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
20 - 1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
03 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until flour is fully absorbed.
04 - Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring until thickened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
05 - Stir in chicken, peas, thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
06 - Pour the filling into a 9x13-inch baking dish or large pie dish.
07 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
08 - Add buttermilk and gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
09 - Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough evenly over the filling. If desired, brush the tops with beaten egg for a glossy finish.
10 - Bake for 25-30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbling at the edges.
11 - Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow filling to set.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy filling stays silky and never breaks, because you'll learn the trick that actually makes it work.
  • Those biscuits puff up golden and buttery, and honestly, they're almost better than the pie itself.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes fancy enough for guests but honest enough for a quiet Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the biscuit dough—I learned this the hard way when I treated it like regular cookie dough and ended up with hockey pucks instead of fluffy clouds.
  • Keep your butter cold for the biscuits; if it warms up, your biscuits won't be as light and tender.
  • The filling will thicken more as it cools, so if it looks slightly looser than you'd expect right before serving, that's actually perfect.
03 -
  • If your filling is too thin, simmer it uncovered for a minute or two while you finish the biscuit dough—it'll thicken as it cooks down slightly.
  • Use a spoon rather than a scoop for the biscuits; rough shapes actually look more homemade and rustic than perfect circles.
  • Let the biscuits bake until they're darker than you think they should be—that's when the bottoms are cooked through and everything stays moist inside.
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