✔ Updated · classic box ratio, no-fail timing, doneness test and fixes for dense dumplings
These Bisquick dumplings take just two ingredients, baking mix and milk, and puff up light and fluffy right on top of your stew. My mum dropped them onto her chicken stew every winter in Ohio, and they're still my favorite cold-night shortcut.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Don't lift the lid during the covered 10 minutes. The trapped steam cooks the tops, and peeking is how you end up with gummy dumplings. I know it's tempting.
Why You'll Love These Dumplings
- Just 2 ingredients, baking mix and milk, and no rolling or cutting.
- Ready in 25 minutes, so a weeknight stew becomes a comforting one-pot dinner.
- Easy to flavor: stir in herbs, cheddar, garlic powder or black pepper.
What Is in Bisquick Mix?
Bisquick is a ready-made biscuit baking mix from Betty Crocker. It contains flour, leavening, fat, a little sugar and salt, so it already has everything a dumpling needs except the liquid. That is why these dumplings need only milk.
Any store-brand biscuit or baking mix works the same way. Out of mix? I rub 1/3 cup cold butter into 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt, and it makes a very close substitute.
How to Get Fluffy, Not Dense, Dumplings
- Dense or heavy: too much mix (packed into the cup) or overmixing. Spoon and level the mix and stir only until combined.
- Raw or doughy inside: the lid was lifted, the stew was not simmering, or the dumplings were too large. Keep them to heaping tablespoons and cover tightly.
- Soggy or falling apart: the stew boiled hard, or the dumplings sank in thin broth. Lower the heat and let them sit on top of the solids.
- Bland: under-seasoned stew. The dumplings take on the flavor of the liquid, so season the stew well before you start.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Measure lightly. Spoon the mix into the cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the box packs in extra mix and makes dense, dry dumplings.
- Stir as little as possible. About 20 strokes with a fork, until no dry mix remains. My first batch came out like hockey pucks because I stirred it smooth. Lumpy and sticky is exactly right.
- Simmer, don't boil. A hard boil breaks the dumplings apart and makes them soggy. You want a lazy, gentle bubble.
- Give them a raft. Dumplings resting on the meat and vegetables steam up light and fluffy. Ones that sink into thin broth turn gummy, so thicken a very thin soup first.
- Keep the lid on. Lifting it lets the steam escape and the tops stay raw. I check one with a toothpick only at the very end.
- Add a little flavor. Stir 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, black pepper or 1 tablespoon chopped chives into the mix before the milk. Mum always added parsley.
Bisquick Dumplings
10
dumplings5
minutes20
minutes105
kcal25
minutesFluffy 2-ingredient drop dumplings made with Bisquick baking mix and milk, spooned onto a simmering stew or soup and steamed for 20 minutes: 10 minutes uncovered, then 10 minutes covered. Calories are for the dumplings only.
Ingredients
- For the Dumplings
2 cups Bisquick Original baking mix
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (optional)
- To Cook Them In
6 to 8 cups hot stew or thick soup (chicken stew, beef stew or chicken soup)
Directions
- Make the Dough
- Bring the stew or soup to a steady simmer in a wide pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. There should be enough liquid to come just under the top of the meat and vegetables.
- Spoon the baking mix into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Put it in a bowl with the herbs, if using, pour in the milk and stir with a fork just until a soft, sticky dough forms, about 20 strokes. Don’t overmix.
- Cook the Dumplings
- Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the simmering stew, about 10 dumplings, spacing them so they can puff. Let them rest on the meat and vegetables rather than sinking into the liquid.
- Lower the heat so the stew bubbles gently and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Cover the pot tightly and cook 10 minutes more without lifting the lid. The dumplings are done when they are puffed and a toothpick in the center of one comes out clean, with no wet dough inside.
- Serve right away, spooning stew and dumplings into warm bowls.
Notes
- Make sure to add in a number of tsps of your favorite seasoning/herbs before adding in the milk.
- Your stew should be boiling when you add in these delicious dumplings. Lower temperature closer to the dish being ready to avoid the dumplings turning soggy.
- To ensure the right consistency throughout, accuracy of measurement is key.
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Quick Chicken and Dumplings with Bisquick
For an easy one-pot dinner, cook 1 diced onion, 2 sliced carrots and 2 sliced celery ribs in 2 tablespoons butter until soft. Stir in 1/4 cup flour, then 4 cups chicken broth and 1 cup milk, and simmer until thickened. Add 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken and 1 cup frozen peas, season with salt, pepper and thyme, and bring back to a simmer. If you start with raw chicken, simmer it in the broth until it reaches 165°F before shredding.
Drop the dumpling dough on top and cook exactly as in the recipe card. For a from-scratch, diner-style version, see our Cracker Barrel-style chicken and dumplings.
What to Serve with Bisquick Dumplings
Dumplings are best on creamy chicken stew, beef stew, chicken paprikash, mushroom stew or a hearty vegetable soup. Make it a full Bisquick night with our Bisquick chicken pot pie, cheddar garlic biscuits or Bisquick fried chicken, then finish with strawberry shortcake or peach cobbler. Find more ideas in our Bisquick recipes roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the original Bisquick dumpling recipe?
The classic ratio is 2 cups of Bisquick Original mix and 2/3 cup of milk, stirred into a soft dough and dropped by spoonfuls onto boiling stew. Cook 10 minutes uncovered and 10 minutes covered. It makes about 10 dumplings.
Why are my Bisquick dumplings doughy in the middle?
Usually the lid was lifted, the stew wasn't simmering, or the dumplings were too big. Keep the stew at a gentle simmer, use heaping tablespoons, keep the lid on for the full 10 minutes and check one with a toothpick before serving. I've rushed this one more than once, and patience always wins.
Can I use water instead of milk?
Yes. Water works but gives slightly paler, less tender dumplings. Buttermilk makes them extra tender and tangy, and you may need a splash more because it is thicker.
Can I make Bisquick dumplings without stew?
Yes. Drop them onto any simmering soup with some body, such as chicken soup, vegetable soup or broth thickened with a little flour. They need liquid underneath to steam, so they can't be cooked dry.
How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate leftover stew and dumplings in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth until the stew is steaming hot, 165°F. The dumplings will soften a little.
Love this recipe! I use it for my chicken and dumplings, but never thought about letting it rise. I may try that. What I have found is to use a teaspoon to drop the dumpling mix into the boiling stew, etc. This makes bite-size dumplings that are fully cooked whereas using a tablespoon to measure the dough sometimes results in not-quite-fully-cooked dumplings.
Thanks for the great tip, Gloria! Using a teaspoon for bite-size dumplings so they cook all the way through is really smart. Do try the 5 to 10 minute rest next time too.