Chicken Bubble Biscuit Bake is a cozy, cheesy chicken casserole where pieces of canned biscuit bake right into a creamy chicken, bacon and ranch filling, puffing up golden on top and soft like dumplings underneath. It is a 45-minute weeknight dinner that feeds eight and uses leftover or rotisserie chicken.
How to make chicken bubble biscuit bake: Stir cooked chicken with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar, ranch mix and bacon. Fold in quartered refrigerated biscuits, spread in a 9×13-inch pan, top with more cheddar and bake at 350°F for 25 to 35 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Why You’ll Love It
- Ten minutes of prep: stir, cut the biscuits and bake.
- Chicken, bacon and ranch: a flavor combination kids and grown-ups both go for.
- Built-in bread: the biscuits bake right into the casserole.
- Feeds 8: a full 9×13 pan.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: Three cups, chopped. Leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken all work.
Cream of chicken soup and sour cream: Two cans of condensed soup and a cup and a half of sour cream make a thick, creamy sauce that the biscuits bake in.
Ranch dressing mix: Two tablespoons of the dry mix from a packet. It seasons the whole casserole.
Bacon: A quarter cup, cooked and chopped. Crumbled leftover bacon or store-bought real bacon pieces both work.
Cheddar: Two cups, shredded, half in the filling and half on top.
Refrigerated biscuits: One 12-ounce can, such as Grands Jr. If you use a bigger biscuit, cut each one into 8 pieces instead of 4. I keep the can in the fridge until the moment I cut it.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (or canned chicken)
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
- 1/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 can (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits, such as Grands Jr.
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
How to Make Chicken Bubble Biscuit Bake
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, the ranch dressing mix and the bacon.
3. Add the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and gently toss them with the chicken mixture until coated.
4. Top. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
5. Bake. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until bubbly, the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, and the center reaches 165°F.
How to Avoid Doughy Biscuits
The biscuit pieces are the whole point of a bubble-up bake, and they are also the part that can go wrong. Quartering each biscuit is the first step. Use kitchen scissors and cut straight over the bowl.
Toss the pieces gently into the filling so each one is coated and they are spread evenly through the pan, not stuck together in clumps. Then bake until the casserole bubbles at the edges and the biscuit pieces on top are deep golden. Pull one piece from the middle and break it open; it should be fluffy inside, not wet and raw.
If you prefer your biscuits more like bread than dumplings, change the layering. Spread the chicken mixture in the pan first and scatter the biscuit pieces over the top instead of folding them in. They bake up golden on top of the creamy chicken instead of in it.
For the crispest biscuits of all, give the filling a head start: bake it alone for 15 minutes, then toss the biscuit quarters in a little melted butter, arrange them over the hot filling and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, until golden.
Tips for Success
Why is the cheese browning before the biscuits are done?
The cheese went on at the start of a long bake. Scatter the top layer of cheese over the casserole for the last 15 minutes instead, or lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan if it is already dark.
Why are my biscuit pieces stuck together?
They went into the bowl in a pile. Separate the quarters as you cut them, and fold them in a few at a time so every piece gets its own coating of sauce.
Variations
- Monterey spinach: stir in thawed, well-drained frozen chopped spinach, use Monterey Jack cheese and top with French fried onions.
- Chicken and vegetables: skip the ranch and bacon, season with thyme, and add a bag of frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.
- Green onion finish: sprinkle sliced green onions over the top with the last of the cheese.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions in the oven or microwave to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with steamed green beans, a crisp salad or roasted broccoli. For more creamy chicken bakes, try creamed chicken and biscuits casserole, chicken and dumpling casserole or Ritz cracker chicken casserole. If you love chicken, bacon and ranch together, there is chicken bacon ranch casserole with potatoes and chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole, and for a richer bake, million dollar chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a bubble-up bake?
Because the biscuit pieces puff up and the casserole bubbles and rises around them as it bakes.
What chicken should I use?
Any cooked chicken: leftovers, a shredded rotisserie chicken or drained canned chicken.
Can I use a smaller can of biscuits?
Yes. A 7.5-ounce can of buttermilk biscuits works; you will just have fewer biscuit pieces and more creamy chicken in each bite.
Final Notes
Spread the filling right into the corners of the pan so every serving gets biscuits and sauce. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken Bubble Biscuit Bake
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken chopped, or canned chicken
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces each
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
- 1/4 cup bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits 12 ounces, such as Grands Jr.
- nonstick cooking spray for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, the ranch dressing mix and the bacon.
- Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and gently toss them with the chicken mixture until coated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until bubbly, the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, and the center reaches 165°F.
