Dutch Oven Chicken Pot Pie with Drop Biscuits

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 6 servings
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Quick Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 cup small-diced Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (or 1 tsp fresh, chopped)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (for biscuits)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup cold buttermilk (plus 1–2 tbsp extra if needed)

Do This

• 1. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Season chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
• 2. Brown chicken in olive oil in a 5–6 qt Dutch oven; remove to a plate.
• 3. In same pot, sauté onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes in butter; add garlic and herbs.
• 4. Stir in 1/3 cup flour to make a roux, then whisk in broth. Simmer until slightly thickened; add cream, peas, parsley, and chicken. Adjust seasoning.
• 5. For biscuits, whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Cut in 6 tbsp cold butter, then stir in buttermilk to form a thick, sticky dough.
• 6. Drop large spoonfuls of biscuit dough over hot filling. Bake 20–25 minutes until biscuits are golden and cooked through and filling is bubbling.
• 7. Rest 10 minutes so the filling thickens slightly. Serve straight from the Dutch oven.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• All the comfort of chicken pot pie without fussing with a rolled pie crust.
• One-pot Dutch oven method keeps things rustic, hearty, and easy to clean up.
• Fluffy, buttery drop biscuits soak up a rich, creamy, vegetable-packed filling.
• Perfect for cozy weeknights at home or camp-style cooking in a lodge or cabin.

Grocery List

• Produce: Yellow onion, carrots, celery, Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic, fresh thyme (optional), fresh rosemary (optional), fresh parsley (optional), frozen peas
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, heavy cream, buttermilk
• Pantry: Boneless skinless chicken thighs, olive oil, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried rosemary, low-sodium chicken broth

Full Ingredients

For the Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Filling

• 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided (1 tsp for chicken, 1 tsp for filling), plus more to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 ribs celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup small-diced Yukon Gold potatoes (1/2-inch pieces; about 1 large potato)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, lightly crushed between your fingers or 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for a slightly lighter version)
• 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional, for freshness and color)

For the Drop Biscuit Topping

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1–2 tbsp extra if needed for a scoopable dough

Optional For Finishing

• Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving
• Extra chopped parsley, for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat and Season the Chicken

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels so they brown nicely. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper until evenly coated. Set aside while you heat the Dutch oven.

Step 2: Brown the Chicken in the Dutch Oven

Place a 5–6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the seasoned chicken in a single layer (work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding). Brown for about 3–4 minutes per side, until the pieces have golden edges but are not fully cooked through.

Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside. Do not worry about any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot; they will add flavor to the sauce.

Step 3: Sauté the Vegetables

Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tbsp unsalted butter to the same Dutch oven. Once melted, add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions are turning translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant. If anything is browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly.

Step 4: Build the Creamy Sauce

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the vegetables. Stir well to coat everything, and cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. The mixture will look a bit dry and pasty; that is normal.

Slowly pour in the 3 cups chicken broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth with no visible flour lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon).

Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Add the browned chicken (and any juices from the plate) back into the pot along with the frozen peas and parsley, if using. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Turn the heat to low to keep the filling hot while you prepare the biscuits.

Step 5: Make the Drop Biscuit Dough

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and 1 tsp kosher salt until well combined. Add the 6 tbsp cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

Pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk and gently stir with a fork or spatula just until the dough comes together. It should be thick, sticky, and scoopable but not dry. If it looks too dry or crumbly, add up to 1–2 tbsp additional buttermilk, 1 tbsp at a time. Do not overmix; a few dry spots are fine and help keep the biscuits tender.

Step 6: Assemble the Dutch-Oven Casserole

Give the filling a quick stir. It should be gently bubbling and fairly thick; if it seems too thin, let it simmer uncovered for another 3–5 minutes. Turn off the burner.

Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, drop generous mounds of biscuit dough over the surface of the hot filling, spacing them slightly apart. You should get about 10–12 biscuits, depending on size. The biscuits will expand as they bake, so leave some gaps for steam to escape. There is no need to spread the dough; a rustic, craggy top is ideal.

Step 7: Bake Until Golden and Serve

Carefully transfer the Dutch oven, uncovered, to the preheated oven. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling vigorously around the edges.

To check doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of one biscuit; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet dough. Remove the pot from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes so the filling can thicken slightly.

Sprinkle with extra parsley and black pepper if desired, then serve the chicken pot pie casserole straight from the Dutch oven, spooning a biscuit and plenty of creamy filling into each bowl.

Pro Tips

• Keep the biscuit ingredients cold. Cold butter and buttermilk help create light, tender biscuits with a nice rise. If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour mix for 10 minutes before adding the butter.
• Dice vegetables evenly. Aim for 1/2-inch pieces for potatoes and similar size for carrots and celery so everything cooks through in the same amount of time.
• Do not skimp on simmer time. Letting the sauce thicken slightly before adding the biscuits keeps the filling from being too runny after baking.
• Camp or lodge adaptation. This recipe also works with a lidded Dutch oven over coals: bring the filling to a simmer, top with biscuit dough, then bake using coals on top and bottom until the biscuits are cooked through.
• Use what you have. Swap peas for green beans or corn, or use leftover cooked chicken or turkey (stir in during Step 4 and skip browning raw chicken).

Variations

• Herb & Cheddar Biscuit Topping: Stir 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley and chives) into the biscuit dough before dropping it onto the filling.
• Mushroom Lover’s Version: Add 8 oz sliced cremini or button mushrooms with the onions and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown before adding the flour.
• Lighter Cream Sauce: Replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, and add an extra 1 tbsp flour if needed to keep the filling velvety.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then cover the Dutch oven or transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole pot, covered, in a 325°F (165°C) oven until hot throughout (about 20–25 minutes). The biscuits will soften slightly but remain delicious.

To make ahead, you can prepare the filling up to 1 day in advance, refrigerate it, and then gently rewarm it on the stovetop until hot and thick before adding freshly made biscuit dough and baking. The biscuit dough is best mixed right before baking rather than in advance.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values for one of 6 servings: 700 calories; 34 g protein; 40 g fat; 54 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 900 mg sodium. Actual nutrition will vary based on ingredient brands and exact portion sizes.