CopycatSpices
Copycat KFC Buttermilk Biscuits
Bake flaky, buttery KFC-style buttermilk biscuits at home that are golden on the outside and tender on the inside.
copycat · kfc · fast-food · bread
🕑Prep15 min
🍳Cook15 min
⏱Total30 min
🍽Serves8
⭐DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
Instructions
- 1.Mix the dry ingredients. Preheat your oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- 2.Cut in the butter. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
- 3.Add the buttermilk. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix — a few dry spots are fine. Overworking the dough makes tough biscuits.
- 4.Shape the biscuits. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it to 3/4-inch thickness — do not use a rolling pin. Use a 2.5-inch round cutter to stamp out biscuits. Press the cutter straight down without twisting, which seals the edges and prevents rising.
- 5.Bake until golden. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching (this helps them rise taller). Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- 6.Brush with butter. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the tops with melted butter. Serve warm.
KFC biscuits are the unsung heroes of the bucket meal — flaky, buttery, and perfect for sopping up gravy or just eating on their own with a drizzle of honey. These homemade copycat biscuits are every bit as good as the drive-through version and come together in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to tender, flaky biscuits is cold butter and minimal mixing. The pea-sized pieces of cold butter create steam pockets as they melt in the hot oven, which is what produces those beautiful flaky layers. Buttermilk provides tang and reacts with the baking soda for extra lift. Placing the biscuits close together on the pan forces them to rise upward instead of spreading sideways.
Pro Tips
- Keep everything cold. If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour and the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter when stamping out the dough. A clean, straight cut lets the layers rise evenly.
- Re-roll the scraps gently to get a couple more biscuits, but know that they will not be quite as flaky as the first batch.
- These are best served warm. Reheat leftovers in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes rather than microwaving, which makes them rubbery.
