Popeyes Buttermilk Biscuits (Easy Copycat Recipe)
on Jan 21, 2021, Updated Nov 19, 2023
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These copycat Popeyes Biscuits made with buttermilk are flaky, buttery, crispy and oh-so-satisfying! They’re a homemade take on a fast-food favorite. Though Popeyes is best known for their delicious fried chicken, biscuits are one of their most popular side dishes – and for good reason.
Popeyes biscuits represent the best of homestyle Southern cooking with the convenience of fast food. Making them at home gives you the opportunity to ensure they’re just how you like them.
What’s better than soft, flaky biscuits, warm and fresh from the oven? With a few simple ingredients, you can whip up these tasty treats in about 30 minutes. Let’s get started!
What are Popeyes Biscuits?
The Popeyes franchise was launched in Louisiana in the early 1970’s, initially to compete with fried chicken giant, KFC. It wasn’t until the early 80’s that they introduced biscuits as a menu item and it was an immediate hit – think hundreds of millions of biscuits sold per year. These delicious buttermilk biscuits are a Southern classic, made with simple ingredients. Enjoyed by folks of all ages, biscuits are great as a side with fried chicken or even with jam for a sweet treat.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter – Cold and cubed.
- Buttermilk – Make sure the buttermilk is cold before adding it to the mixture.
How to Make Copycat Popeye’s Biscuits Recipe
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the COLD CUBED butter into the mixture.
3. Then use a pastry cutter or potato masher to cut the butter into the mixture until no large chunks of butter remain.
4. Pour the COLD buttermilk into the mixture and fold everything together with a spatula. Mix until the dough begins to come together.
5. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it gently, and pat it into a rectangle.
6. Fold it in thirds.
7. Turn the dough, and flatten it into a larger rectangular. Repeat this process 2 more times. Pat down the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
8. Cut out the dough into small round circles with a 2.5-inch cookie cutter. Continue to gather any scrap pieces of dough, patting it down and cutting it until you have 12-14 biscuits.
9. Place the cut dough on the baking sheet slightly touching each other. Brush the top of each piece with a bit of buttermilk.
10. Bake at 450°F for about 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Popeye’s Biscuits
If you’re new to cooking or baking, you may be intimidated by recipes involving kneading dough from scratch. Don’t worry though – following a few simple tips can ensure that you’ll have delicious biscuits without the hassle.
- Our biggest tip is to make sure you’re using cold butter. Cold butter helps to make the biscuits fluffy, flaky and soft. You won’t get the same texture with warm or melted butter.
- Be sure to use cold buttermilk as well. We recommend preparing your dry ingredients first, and take the butter and buttermilk out of the refrigerator right before mixing.
- Don’t over-mix the dough, otherwise it won’t rise properly.
- For the super flaky biscuits, the trick is to fold the dough into thirds and pat it down. Repeat this 2 times.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet slightly touching each other. This is to help them rise up nice and tall.
- Brushing the tops of the dough with a bit of buttermilk will help achieve a crispier top crust.
How to Store These Homemade Milk Biscuits?
Cover the homemade biscuits with foil to prevent them from drying out. You can store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to keep them for a longer time, store them in the fridge for up to a week. Then, you can microwave or pop them into the oven to reheat when you’re ready to eat.
Can I Freeze Popeye’s Biscuits?
Absolutely! These biscuits store very well in the freezer and can be frozen for up to 6 weeks. Before freezing, make sure they’re wrapped tightly in cling wrap, foil or freezer bags. If you want, you can also freeze the dough to make biscuits from scratch at a later date.
Are Popeye’s Biscuits Fried?
No. These golden brown biscuits are BAKED to perfection in the oven. That’s what gives them their flaky exterior and soft, pillowy interior.
Are Popeyes Biscuits Vegan?
Our recipe calls for butter and buttermilk and you can definitely use plant-based options if that’s your preference! For vegans, we recommend making buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled vinegar or lemon juice to oat milk or soy milk. Substitute butter for your favorite plant-based margarine and you’ll have tasty vegan Popeyes biscuits!
How Many Calories Does a Popeyes’ Biscuit Have?
There are 240 calories in each Popeyes biscuit. If you follow our recipe, you’ll get 138 calories per biscuit.
How to Serve Popeyes Biscuits?
I like to pair these popeyes biscuits with chicken and gravy. You can also eat them with Eggs Benedict, Corn Pudding, jam, or peanut butter.
If You Like This Recipe Try These Out:
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Popeyes Biscuits turn out in the comments below!
Best Popeyes Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, (cold and cubed)
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, (plus more for brushing)
- optional melted butter for the tops of the biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Add the COLD cubed butter into the mixture. Then use a pastry cutter or potato masher to cut the butter into the dry ingredients mixture until no large chunks of butter remain.
- Pour the COLD buttermilk into the mixture and fold everything together with a spatula. Mix until the dough begins to come together. The dough will be crumbly with some wet spots.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently. Pat it into a rectangle and fold it in thirds.
- Turn the dough, and flatten it into a larger rectangular. Repeat this process 2 more times.
- Pat down the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut out the dough using a floured biscuit cutter (2.5-inch). Continue to gather any scrap pieces of dough, patting it down to 1/2-inch thickness, and cutting it until you have 12-14 biscuits.
- Place the cut dough on the baking sheet slightly touching each other. Brush the top of each piece with a bit of buttermilk.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Allow the cooked biscuits to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to use cold butter and buttermilk. It’s best to prepare the dry ingredients first, and take the butter and buttermilk out of the refrigerator right before mixing.
- Don’t over-mix the dough, otherwise, it won’t rise properly.
- For the super flaky biscuits, the trick is to fold the dough into thirds and pat it down. Repeat this process 2 more times.
- Simply cut the dough straight down and pull the cutter right back out. Avoid twisting the cutter as this can seal off the edges, prevent the biscuits from rising as high.
- Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet slightly touching each other. This is to help them rise up nice and tall.
- Brushing the tops of the dough with a bit of buttermilk will help achieve a crispier top crust.
- How to get crispy edges? Baking the biscuits in a cast-iron skillet will produce a crispy exterior.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Thank you for this great recipe. I recently visited America with my partner and our kids for the first time ever (I’m in the UK) and we all loved the Popeyes biscuits. So one of the first things I did when we got back was to look for a recipe! I came across a few but this one in particular seemed the best so I decided to try it out. I must say I was not disappointed! We all loved your biscuits. I am just about to make them again. This time I am going to add and some garlic powder just to add a bit of flavour but they were perfect without it too. The texture was great. I was worried that they weren’t going to raise but I read all the tips too and they were just perfect! So thank you again for this great recipe which has now been added to my favourites. I have a feeling that I will be making these on a regular basis.
One of my favorite recipes now. Thanks!
When taking them to potluck, would it be better to cook them at the potluck or cook them at home and take them to potluck cooked? If the latter, just warm them up in the oven and serve with sausage gravy.
Hi Carol, I like to cook them at home and bring to the party. You can heat them in the oven or serve at room temperature.