Vegetables & Sides

Serving

Chili With Biscuits

Name: Chili With Biscuits
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Vegetables & Sides
Ingredients: 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 (14.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained; 1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained; 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped; 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped; 1 1/2 cups apple cider; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 Tbsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 cup nonfat cheddar cheese, shredded; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup whole wheat flour; 3/4 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup skim milk; 1 1/2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream

A hearty bean chili simmered with apple cider and topped with tender sour cream biscuit dumplings.

57 minutes

Serves 8

Dinner

20 min prep

31 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

4 steps

1
In a 4-quart Dutch oven, stir together the undrained tomatoes, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, celery, onion, apple cider, chicken broth, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
2
Make the sour cream biscuits: in a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk and sour cream, stirring just until moistened.
3
Drop the biscuit dough in 8 mounds onto the simmering chili. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a biscuit comes out clean.
4
Ladle the chili into bowls, place a biscuit on top of each serving, and sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Chili With Biscuits — plated and served — Serving moment. How Chili With Biscuits looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

56/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 52

Budget-friendly 70

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 30

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

155

Calories

7 g

Protein

20 g

Carbs

6 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Chili topped or baked under biscuits is a North American comfort-food mashup, where a pot of stewed beans and beef meets the tender drop-biscuit tradition of the American South. The combination turns two separate dishes into one cozy casserole, a practical move that stretches a chili to feed a crowd. It became a weeknight and potluck staple precisely because it bakes into a single dish with its own built-in bread.

Listahan note

This version keeps the chili thick so the biscuits sit on top without sinking, and bakes them in the same dish for a golden lid over a bubbling base.

Technique cues

Cook the chili down until it is thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail, because a soupy base will steam the biscuits soggy instead of letting them brown.
Drop the biscuit dough onto chili that is already hot and bubbling so the bottoms set quickly and the tops have time to color.
Brown the beef hard before adding liquid, since the fond that sticks to the pot is where most of the savory depth comes from.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Stir the biscuit dough together while the chili simmers so it is ready the moment the base has thickened.
Make-ahead: Make the chili a day ahead and refrigerate, then reheat it to bubbling before topping with fresh biscuits and baking.
Leftover move: Spoon leftover chili and biscuit into a bowl and microwave, or crumble the biscuit into the chili as a thickener.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the chili pot while you eat so the cooked-on edges loosen before washing.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Ground beef

savory base

Purpose: It gives the chili its body and the rendered fat carries the spice flavors.

Handling: Brown in a wide pot over high heat and break it into small crumbles.

Adaptation: Ground turkey or a plant-based crumble works, though you may want a splash of oil since they render less fat.

Kidney beans

hearty bulk

Purpose: They add fiber and a creamy interior that balances the meat.

Handling: Drain and rinse canned beans to wash off the starchy packing liquid.

Adaptation: Pinto or black beans slot in cleanly with the same texture.

Canned crushed tomatoes

braising liquid

Purpose: They build the body of the sauce and their acidity keeps the chili from tasting heavy.

Handling: Add after browning and scrape the pot to lift the fond into the sauce.

Adaptation: Diced tomatoes plus a spoon of tomato paste give a similar result with more texture.

Chili powder

spice backbone

Purpose: This blend carries the warm, earthy signature flavor of the dish.

Handling: Bloom it in the hot fat for thirty seconds before adding liquid to wake up the spices.

Adaptation: A mix of cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne approximates a packaged blend.

Biscuit dough

baked topping

Purpose: It bakes into a tender bread lid that soaks up the chili underneath.

Handling: Drop spoonfuls over the hot chili rather than spreading, leaving gaps for steam to escape.

Adaptation: Refrigerated canned biscuits or a cornbread batter both work as the top layer.

Technique notes

Let the finished chili rest five minutes after baking so the sauce reabsorbs and the biscuits firm up before serving.
A spoonful of cocoa powder or a square of dark chocolate stirred into the chili deepens the color and rounds out the spice.
Brush the biscuit tops with a little melted butter before baking for a richer, more even golden crust.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use a gluten-free biscuit mix on top and confirm the chili powder blend is certified gluten-free.
Lower-sodium direction: Use no-salt-added beans and tomatoes and build seasoning from the spices rather than added salt.
Vegetarian direction: Swap the beef for an extra can of beans and a cup of chopped mushrooms for a meaty bite.

Serve alongside

Shredded sharp cheddar and sliced scallions for topping
A crisp romaine and cucumber salad
Pickled jalapenos and sour cream
A cold amber lager
Sweet iced tea
Sparkling water with lime

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to four days, keeping in mind the biscuits soften as they sit.
Reheat single portions in the microwave or warm a whole dish covered in a 325F oven until bubbling.
The chili alone freezes well for up to three months; add fresh biscuits when you reheat it.

Equipment

A wide heavy pot or Dutch oven for both simmering and baking
A sturdy wooden spoon for breaking up the beef
A 9-by-13 baking dish if you transfer the chili before topping

Make this household-aware

Listahan Pro checks this recipe against your household's allergens, finds pantry-aware swaps, builds the shopping list, and helps you plan the week around it.

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