Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
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Flakey buttermilk biscuits loaded with bacon and cheddar cheese. These Bacon Cheddar Biscuits are perfectly tender and savory.
This is a recipe that deserves a “Y’all, these biscuits are so good.” Trust me. They are. Bacon Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits? I feel like I barely have to say anything but the name to convince you to give these a try.
Biscuits are my ultimate comfort food. I have an easy drop biscuit recipe I go to when I want super quick and easy. My basic homemade biscuit recipe uses milk, which is great for when there isn’t time to make or buy buttermilk.
But I do love the tang of buttermilk. I use it in bread, like in this cheddar jalapeno buttermilk bread. In pie, like in this buttermilk pie. And of course, in biscuits. I just long the tang, the flavor and the moisture it adds to biscuits.
These are fluffy, buttery, tangy biscuits studded with bacon and cheddar cheese. Can you imagine anything better? Talk about the ultimate comfort food.
Biscuits are one of my favorite side dishes to make. They are so simple. The biscuit method is used for biscuits, shortcakes, and scones. This method is similar to the one used for making pie crust.
Cold fat is cut into the flour until uniform pieces are visible. This helps achieve the desired flakiness in the biscuit dough. The dough is rolled and shaped before baking then the biscuits are brushed with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
It results in flaky, warm, buttery biscuits that are oh so good. Add some cheddar cheese and bacon to the dough and you’ll have a show-stopping side dish that might outshine the main entree!
Recipe Snapshot
- TASTE: Buttery, cheesy and bacony
- TEXTURE: Fluffy
- EASE: Easy
- TIME: Just under an hour
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour.
- Baking soda – A little bit of baking soda helps with the texture, flavor and fluffiness of these biscuits.
- Baking powder – Needed to make the biscuits rise. This recipe uses more baking powder than you are probably used to.
- Salt – Added to balance all the flavors.
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese – Use block cheese and grate it yourself. This will give you the very best results. However, packaged shredded cheese can be used if necessary.
- Bacon – The recipe calls for cooked bacon, crumbled.
- Buttermilk – Be sure the buttermilk is very cold.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best since a good amount of salt is added to the recipe. It has to be very cold.
Recommended Tools
- Pastry blender: A pastry blender is my favorite tool to use to cut the butter into the flour.
- Baking sheet: I prefer to bake the biscuits on a baking sheet.
- Mixing bowls: These bowls are my favorite. I use them regularly.
- Rolling pin: I like to use this silicone French rolling pin.
How to Make Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
These biscuits aren’t hard to make, but they do require a bit of practice. The key is to not overwork the dough! Make sure your oven is preheated to 450, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined.
- Cut in the butter. Add the cubed cold butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until you have small pea-sized pieces of butter. Then, whisk in the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Add the buttermilk. Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture and gently work it together until the dough starts to form.
- Kneed/ fold the dough. Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently work it together and fold per the recipe instructions.
- Roll and cut the biscuits. Using a rolling pin to roll the dough and then cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 ½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet; place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Bake. Brush the top of each biscuit with a little bit of buttermilk. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Handy tip:
Buttermilk is tangy and bright and adds flavor to these biscuits. It is now readily available in most grocery stores, but if you don’t have the time to get to one, try making your own homemade buttermilk. Even better, make a double batch and freeze the buttermilk so you always have some available.
Tips For Success
- If the biscuits begin to brown too much before they’re finished baking, cover them loosely with foil.
- Bacon: If you’re preparing the bacon right before you make the biscuits, make sure to let it cool completely. If the bacon is too warm, it can soften or even melt the butter in the dough.
- Cutting biscuits: When cutting out the biscuits, don’t twist the cutter. This will seal off the edges of your dough and they won’t rise as high. This one took me a long time to figure out!
Storage & Freezing
- Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before serving.
- Once the biscuits have cooled, place them on a baking tray, and freeze them until hardened. Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat if desired.
Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups (520 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4 ounces (113 g) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 ¾ cups (420 ml) buttermilk, cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined.
- Add the cubed cold butter and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until you have small pea-sized pieces of butter. Then, whisk in the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Pour the cold buttermilk into the mixture and gently work it together until the dough starts to form.
- Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently work it together with your hands. Pat the dough into a rectangle and fold it into thirds. Turn the dough, gather any crumbs, and flatten the dough back into a rectangle. Repeat this process two more times.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 ¼-inch thick rectangle. Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 ½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet; place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Brush the top of each biscuit with a little bit of buttermilk.
- Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown. If the biscuits begin to brown too much before they're finished baking, cover them loosely with foil. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Bacon: If you’re preparing the bacon right before you make the biscuits, make sure to let it cool completely. If the bacon is too warm, it can soften or even melt the butter in the dough.
- Cutting biscuits: When cutting out the biscuits, don’t twist the cutter. This will seal off the edges of your dough and they won’t rise as high.
- Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before serving.
- Once the biscuits have cooled, place them on a baking tray, and freeze them until hardened. Store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat if desired.