This One Pan Chicken and Biscuits recipe features tender chicken and mixed vegetables in a savory, creamy gravy, topped with golden-brown biscuit bites. A one-pan family favorite that solves the ‘what’s for dinner’ panic, using smart pantry shortcuts like frozen veggies and refrigerated dough.
What makes this recipe great
Between the laundry piles and the school run, we don’t have time for a “project” meal. This skillet chicken and biscuits is the one that actually makes it to the table in my house without me losing my mind. It’s that perfect middle ground where you feel like a kitchen rockstar but didn’t have to spend three hours hovering over a stove.
- Everything happens in one pan: You aren’t boiling chicken in one pot and making gray in another. If your skillet can go in the oven, you’re golden.
- The “Goldilocks” Gravy: Most recipes end up like soup or library paste. This ratio gives you a sauce that actually clings to the chicken.
- Zero-stress biscuit topping: Cutting the biscuits into bite-sized pieces means it bakes through faster and you get more flaky layers — no more digging through a giant, soggy biscuit middle.
Let’s see how we make this:
Ingredients we’re going to use
This is about swaps and notes – jump to the ingredient list for the measurements etc.
The chicken: I usually grab boneless chicken breasts because that’s what’s in the freezer, but honestly? Boneless chicken thighs work almost better. They don’t dry out if homework runs long and the casserole sits in the oven a few minutes extra.
The wine: Use the dry white you already have open in the fridge, or just sub in more broth. The wine just cuts through the heaviness of the creamy gravy.
The Biscuits: If you have the energy for a Pinterest-worthy homemade biscuits, go for it. But the “blue tube” from the store works perfectly. Just cut them up so they cook through at the same rate as the sauce.
The Veggies: I keep a bag of the “peas and carrots” mix in the freezer just for this. No chopping needed, and they add that pop of color that makes it look like you tried harder than you did. If you want to go fully hands-off, use 3 cups frozen mirepoix and ½ cup frozen peas to replace the onion, celery and frozen mixed vegetables!
Recipe walkthrough
This is about tips and hints, and the process photos if you need a visual guide. Jump to the instructions for the precise steps.
1: Sauté the vegetables.
Stick to medium heat here – you’re just looking for them to get soft and translucent. If they start getting dark and crispy, your final gravy is going to look a little muddy.
2: Add the chicken.
When you toss the chicken in, don’t worry about cooking it all the way through. Just get the pink off the outside. It’s going to spend 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven anyway; overcooking it now just makes it rubbery later.
3: Make the gravy.
When you stir in the flour, it’ll look like a messy paste. That’s normal. When you start adding the liquid, do it a little at a time. If you dump it all in at once, you’ll be chasing flour lumps for ten minutes.
4: Let the filling cool a little.
This is the most important part. Let the skillet sit for a couple of minutes before you drop the biscuits on. If the sauce is screaming hot, the bottom of the dough melts into the sauce instead of baking up.
5: Add the biscuits.
Most recipes add biscuits whole, but I prefer them cut up so you get way more flaky layers, and they bake through much faster and better.
You want those gaps between the pieces so the steam can get out — otherwise, you’re making steamed dough, not biscuits.
6: Bake and serve.
Bake until the biscuits are flaky and golden and the filling is bubbly.
Allow the casserole to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving, to allow the gravy to thicken. Then serve immediately!
Tl; dr: All the important stuff at a glance
If you read nothing else in this post, this is what you need to know:
- Cut the chicken small: Aim for half-inch pieces so you get chicken in every bite.
- Leave space: Don’t crowd the biscuits; they need room to puff up.
- Let it rest: Giving it 5 minutes on the counter after it leaves the oven is the difference between a runny mess and a perfect gravy.
- Quick recipe rundown: Sauté the onion and celery. Add chicken. Stir in flour, make gravy with broth and milk. Add remaining filling ingredients and allow to cool a little. Top with cut up biscuits and bake.
FAQs
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes! But you have to cook the chicken all the way through. Make the chicken and gravy mixture in the morning then place it in the fridge.
Take it out and leave it on the counter while the oven preheats – about 15 minutes. Then pop the biscuits on and bake. Just add an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time since the filling is starting cold. Don’t do this in a ceramic or glass dish though, it may break from thermal shock.
My sauce looks too thin, what did I do wrong?
You probably didn’t do anything wrong! Some veggies release more water than others. Just use a cornstarch slurry (a little cold water mixed with cornstarch) and stir it into the bubbling sauce before the biscuits go on. It’ll tighten right up.
What if I don’t have an oven-safe skillet?
No big deal. Just make the filling in a regular pan, pour it into a 9×13 baking dish, top with your biscuits, and bake as usual.
If you loved this one-pan win, you really need to check out my very easy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole or this Easy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies!
Chicken and Biscuits
Ingredients
Chicken and vegetable base
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium-large onion (finely chopped (about 1 heaping cup))
- 2 sticks celery (finely chopped (about 1 cup))
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Gravy
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup white wine (OR more broth)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half (OR whole milk)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1.5 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used carrots and peas)
To finish
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits (OR 1 batch homemade, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- melted butter, chopped parsley and lemon wedges (to serve (optional))
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables: In a ~3.5 quart oven-safe skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened (but without browning), 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute.2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 medium-large onion, 2 sticks celery, 3 cloves garlic
- Add chicken: Add the diced chicken to the skillet, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook 1-2 minutes, just until the outside doesn’t look raw anymore (it doesn’t have to cook through yet).1 pound boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs, salt & pepper
- Add flour and deglaze: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables and stir until no more dry flour is visible. Pour in the white wine (OR ½ cup chicken broth) and stir until thickened (Note 1).½ cup flour, ½ cup white wine
- Make sauce:Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring until no lumps of flour remain. Stir in the milk, dried thyme and frozen vegetables, then simmer for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until thickened. Taste and check for seasoning (Note 2).Set the filling aside to cool slightly while the oven preheats (a cooler filling helps the biscuits to bake up flakier.)2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup half-and-half, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1.5 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- Prep biscuits: Heat the oven to 400°F. Make homemade biscuit pieces or cut up canned biscuits (Note 3).1 can refrigerated biscuits
- Assemble: Place the cut biscuit pieces on top of the filling in a single layer (Note 4). There should be gaps between the biscuit pieces to allow steam to escape.
- Bake: Bake the casserole at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly.Remove from the oven and brush the biscuits with melted butter, if you like. Allow the casserole to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the gravy to thicken, then serve immediately (Note 5).melted butter, chopped parsley and lemon wedges
Notes
- Note 1: This part is a little messy – make sure your pan is not too hot and work quickly to add the broth in the next step.
- Note 2: You can adjust the texture at this point – if it’s too thick, add a little more milk or broth. If it’s too thin, whisk 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch into 2-3 tablespoons cold water and stir into the simmering sauce. Keep in mind that the gravy thickens once cooled slightly, so don’t over-thicken it.
- Note 3:
- If you’re making homemade biscuits:
Make the biscuit dough according to your recipe. Place it on a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle, about ¾ inch thick. Cut into bite-sized pieces (~1 to 1 ¼ inches).
-
If you’re using canned biscuits:
Remove the biscuits from the can, separate them and cut them into quarters
- If you’re making homemade biscuits:
Make the biscuit dough according to your recipe. Place it on a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle, about ¾ inch thick. Cut into bite-sized pieces (~1 to 1 ¼ inches).
- Note 4: The filling doesn’t have to be completely cooled, but make sure it’s not piping hot anymore.
- Note 5: A sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice over individual portions are delicious if you want to add some freshness!
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