This is a confusing recipe, maybe, but it’s worth learning about. For starters, let’s talk about what these Chicken Biscuits are not. They aren’t biscuits that you eat with chicken (although you could). And they aren’t Chicken in a Biskit, but they are closer to that than anything I guess.
I’ve been experimenting with instant chicken powder recently and it led me to this idea. Turns out it’s delicious stuff in many things and you can use it liberally in things other than soup. I wasn’t sure how it would work in biscuits so I started with a little bit (1 teas) which was basically unnoticeable. I ramped it up to as much as 2 tablespoons in one batch which was overkill.
As with most things, somewhere in the middle worked out best and what you end up with is delicious buttermilk biscuit that has these interesting savory notes to it. It doesn’t exactly taste like chicken. You wouldn’t be able to identify it, but it does have a certain umami/savory flavor that is really wonderful.
Heads up though: Don’t feed them to vegetarians for obvious reasons! Otherwise, make these as an easy switcheroo from standard biscuits with a little extra interesting.
Chicken Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 teas baking soda
- 4 teas instant chicken powder
- 1 teas k salt
- 1 teas pepper
- 16 tbsp butter, cold and cubed
- 1 ¾ buttermilk, plus some for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and instant chicken powder.
- Add cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture and use a pastry cutter or your clean hands to work the butter into the dry stuff until it’s in pea-sized pieces.
- Add buttermilk and stir to combine. Knead the dough a few times with your hands until it comes together in a loose ball.
- Scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out and fold it over itself a few times. Repeat a few times and then roll it out into a rectangle about ⅓-½ inch thick. Use a rounder cutter to cut out 12 medium-sized biscuits. Transfer biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- (If you don’t have a round cutter, you can also just cut biscuits into squares.)
- Brush biscuits with a little buttermilk.
- Bake biscuits for 16-18 minutes until they are golden brown and puffed.
- Remove and let cool a bit before serving.
- Serve biscuits while warm or store in an airtight container for a day. For longer storage transfer to fridge.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Chicken Biscuits
I think there are many different brands of instant chicken powder on the market. I’m fairly certain you could substitute them without too much worry. I used the Wyler’s brand though for this specific recipe.
You just whisk it right in with the other dry stuff! I also added some black pepper to my dry ingredients which boosted the savory flavors a bit as well.
Next, proceed as with any other biscuit recipe. Work the butter into the dry stuff until it’s in pea-sized pieces and then stir in the buttermilk until it forms a loose dough.
Transfer that to a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times but don’t overwork it. Then roll it out into about a 1/2-inch thick rectangle and cut out your biscuits!
I like to brush mine with a little buttermilk.
Bake these at 425 degrees F. for about 16-18 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown. All of my chicken biscuit batched turned out a bit more craggily than other biscuits. I’m not really sure why, but maybe something in the chicken powder affects the crust of the biscuits. The inside was still nice and light and fluffy.
Personally, I kind of liked the craggily bits. I actually almost called these Ugly Biscuits but the marketer in me balked.
Love the layers in these guys though.
While you might think that these would be best with savory things, I think the subtle flavors in them would get lost in a biscuits and gravy dish or something similar.
Personally, I liked them with butter and a little jam or honey. The sweetness really brings out the savory notes in the biscuits. It’s a nice mix!
Kind of a weird idea, I’ll be first to admit, but hey… that’s why you’re here right? Now you know what to do. Go forth and make chicken biscuits!
Kevin Fearnside
I will only purchase the Knorr’s brand powder. Best stuff in the world and I use it in all kinds of stuff and it seems to have a Mexican influence. My late grandmother turned me on to it in the family pilaf recipe. Good stuff.
Michelle
I’ve never heard of chicken powder but I’m going to have to look for it! These look awesome.