Craving comfort food? These Chicken Pillows are a family favorite! Crescent roll, chicken and plenty of warm gravy make this a meal that kids and adults can agree on!
Easy comfort food is what my own family loves. From Chicken and Dumplings made in the Instant Pot to a pan of Turkey Tetrazzini. You’re sure to enjoy a plate of dinner tonight!
What are Chicken Pillows?
We call these “Chicken Kisses” in our family which I think is pretty adorable. Others call these Chicken Pillows or Chicken Pockets.
Whatever you call them, they are one of my all time favorite chicken dinners!
It’s so perfect on a chilly fall evening. Very filling, warming and downright comforting.
If you like pork chops, chicken pot pie, or any food you eat smothered in gravy you’re going to love Chicken Pillows.
I have to give credit to my Aunt Sandy for sharing this recipe with me many many years ago! I don’t think I have changed it much but I’ve made it so many times over the years that I stopped even looking at the original recipe she gave me.
- Using refrigerated crescent roll dough and ready made gravy, there’s hardly any fuss and it comes out wonderfully every time.
- It’s so satisfying to take a bite of a piping hot chicken pocket and taste the buttery crescent roll crust mixed with savory gravy and creamy chicken stuffing.
- These Chicken Kisses are a great use for that leftover roasted chicken you have in the fridge but to make it even easier you could use store bought rotisserie chicken! Then just dice it up and add it to the recipe. Huge time saver!
How to Make Chicken Pillows
Here’s what you need:
- Cooked diced chicken – From a rotisserie chicken or cooked yourself. Use leftover turkey works great too!
- Pillsbury crescent roll dough
- Chicken gravy – I used Heinz brand. Feel free to use homemade gravy if you like instead!
- Cream cheese – Full fat or reduced fat both taste great.
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Milk
STEP 1. Mix chicken, cream cheese, butter, spices, milk and onion in bowl. This is your stuffing. (photos 1&2)
STEP 2. Unroll crescents and fill two crescent rolls at a time with the chicken stuffing. Pinch up the corners to create a pocket. (photo 3)
STEP 3. Bake in a casserole dish or baking pan at 375 for about 15-20 minutes. Serve with warmed gravy! Enjoy! (photo 4)
Tips and Tricks
- If you have leftover chicken, that’ll do wonderfully here. You can also whip up shredded chicken breast on the stove or instant pot to use for this recipe. Often, I’ll grab a whole cooked chicken from the grocery store if I forgot to cook chicken in advance!
- Not a fan of creaminess? My husband doesn’t love a ton of creamy texture in his food so sometimes I’ll make this meal without as much cream cheese. For those looking for a lighter version or just not into so much cheese, feel free to reduce the cream cheese by as much as half.
- Chicken pillows are best served right away! Don’t forget to heat up the gravy on the stove top. You can either pour the gravy right on top of the chicken pockets before serving or put a boat of gravy on the table so everyone can add as much or as little as they like.
- Delicious with leftover turkey too! And top them with some turkey gravy.
Serving Suggestions
- I like to round out a comfort food dinner of crescent roll chicken with a side of Cornbread and a caesar salad. It’s also delicious with some Roasted Broccoli on the side.
- If you want to go super rich and hearty, make some Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes to soak up that extra gravy. A perfect satisfying dinner for a cold night, don’t you think? Our baked mashed potatoes would be equally delicious
- A side of jiffy corn casserole or green bean casserole go perfect for a complete dinner.
I love that these Chicken Pockets made with crescent rolls and cream cheese are easy to make but impressive enough to serve to company! Make this for dinner this week–I know you’ll thank me.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Ring
- Gouda Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Massaman Chicken Curry
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Pigs in a Blanket
Family Favorite Dinners
See all Main Dish recipes
Chicken Pillows Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked diced chicken
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 2 packages Pillsbury crescent rolls
- 1 jar Heinz chicken gravy warmed
Instructions
- Mix chicken, cream cheese, butter, spices, milk and onion in bowl.
- Unroll crescents and using two crescent rolls at a time (to form a rectangle) fill with stuffing. Pinch up the corners (makes 8 packets). Place on a baking sheet, seam side down.
- Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes. Serve with warmed gravy! Enjoy!
Notes
- If you have leftover chicken, that'll do wonderfully here. You can also whip up shredded chicken breast on the stove or instant pot to use for this recipe. Often, I'll grab a whole cooked chicken from the grocery store if I forgot to cook chicken in advance!
- Not a fan of creaminess? My husband doesn't love a ton of creamy texture in his food so sometimes I'll make this meal without as much cream cheese. For those looking for a lighter version or just not into so much cheese, feel free to reduce the cream cheese by as much as half.
- Chicken pillows are best served right away! Don't forget to heat up the gravy on the stove top. You can either pour the gravy right on top of the chicken pockets before serving or put a boat of gravy on the table so everyone can add as much or as little as they like.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks!
Sounds good but would have to leave out the Heinz gravy as it is full of MSG. I would have to make my own. But other than that – this sounds like something I would love to eat.
Wow. All these years and I thought I made up something. I using pressure cooked chicken or pan seared. I also just mix the chicken in the Cream Cheese and Chives bought at the store. After wrapping them up, I dip in butter, of course and then in italian bread crumbs because who does not like breaded bread! And bake. I would serve this to so many of my daughter’s friends and challenge them to name the dish. We always came up with the same name…Chicken Thingies.
Oooh, love the idea of using the cream cheese and chives spread. I bet that’s flavorful. And I’ve seen others dip in butter and breadcrumbs, another delicious twist 🙂
These became my husband’s favorite meal. He loves them so much thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hooray! They are so easy and delicious, glad your husband loves them too!
I made these tonight using Rotisserie chicken as you recommended and the family loved it. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing. I’ve shared in my recipe Facebook group with 2 THUMBS UP 🙂
Yeah!! So happy to hear it. Thanks for stopping back and letting me know!
Filling is delicious! For the appearance … well not so much. I couldn’t figure out how to pinch the corner. So I sort of made stuffed rolls. Hope they turn out OK. Would LOVE some direction on doing it the right way. Are they open faced when going in the oven and just crimped in each corner? Are opposite corners crimped together? Confused. But thanks!
I’m just curious if anyone might happen to know the calorie count on these wonderfully delishous chicken packets…
Sorry I don’t. But it’s not a “light” dish!
I have made this for years and is my kids favorite birthday dinner too! I believe it came from an old Pillsbury cookbook. My recipe has no gravy and we brush the top with butter and crumble either crackers or bread crumbs on it. This is a great recipe!
Oooh sounds good with crumbles on top!!! Might have to try that next time!
unfortunately we don’t have crescent rolls in the uk!
I am gonna make this..It sounds so yummy!!
Ooooo, I just remembered we had roast pork for dinner last night. I think I will make these with pork, mashed potatoes and gravy on the inside. Thanks for giving me a quick dinner idea!
I made something similar to this years ago, I used Thanksgiving leftovers. I am glad I ran across this post, I will try this recipe, maybe with less cream cheese, and add a veggie.
It is in the oven! I don’t know why, but I struggled to get the packets to close up, they kept splitting at the seams! Also I had a good bit of the filling left after the 8 packets. I just put it in the freezer for next time LoL.
Made this tonight and it was sooo delish! Really enjoyed it, next time I won’t season the chicken when cooking bcuz it made it a little too salty, but I love salt so it worked out. Thanks so much for sharing!
So excited you enjoyed the recipe!!
This is awesome! I haven’t tried making chicken stuffed crescent dough but it would fantastic!
These sound yummy! I love crescents, I think they make just about everything taste better!
Can this be made with something other that cream cheese or neufatchel cheese? Otherwise they look wonderful!
Pinned this today and made them for dinner tonight. I only had one roll of crescents, but had Grands biscuits. Rolled the biscuits with rolling pin then filled and pinched closed. LOVED the ones with crescent rolls, Grands were ok but I wouldn’t use them again. I did add about 1/2C. Shredded cheese to the mixture.
Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Pam! Thanks for the heads up on the biscuits!
These were so good!
I made these tonight for my husband, two teens, and I and they went over so well! Many thanks for this new idea! They were delicious…
So glad your family enjoyed the recipe! thanks for stopping back over to let me know 🙂
My goodness! I just made these! Had some of the left over stuffing while they were baking! So delish! I couldn’t wait for them to get out of the oven!!