Flaky buttermilk biscuits filled with a bit of heat from the jalapenos and balanced with delicious cheddar cheese. These Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits are perfect to serve alongside a salad or a bowl of chili.
These homemade biscuits get plenty of flaky layers from the special folding technique used when making these biscuits.
Homemade buttermilk biscuits
Homemade buttermilk biscuits are always a delicious home-baked good. But add a little cheese and some jalapenos and you have an extra tasty home-baked good!
These biscuits are made with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh jalapenos. The jalapenos give just a little bit of kick, but they aren't too spicy. The cheddar cheese is the perfect accompaniment to the jalapenos.
Make up a batch of these biscuits for dinner and serve with your favorite soup, salad, or a huge bowl of chili. These would also be great with enchiladas!
Key ingredients
- Jalapenos - finely chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
- Cheese - I used medium cheddar cheese. You could also use sharp cheddar, a monterey jack or pepper jack cheese.
- Butter - I use salted butter. Keep the butter cold until you're ready to use.
- Buttermilk
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour
Step by step directions
- Cut butter into small cubes
- Add flour, butter, sugar, baking powder and salt to a food processor
- Pulse until butter is well incorporated into flour
- Place flour mixture into a large bowl
- Mix in jalapenos and shredded cheese
- Add buttermilk and mix lightly just until buttermilk is mixed in. Mixture will still appear dry.
- Knead by hand 5-6 times until mixture begins to form a ball and most of the flour is mixed in
- Pour onto a lightly floured board or counter and begin shaping into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Shape with lightly floured hands.
- Fold into a letter shape by folding the top third of the dough down towards the center. Then fold the bottom over the folded piece making a nice letter shape.
- Rotate the dough and repeat the shaping and folding steps. You will do this 5-6 times, each time adding just a bit of flour if the dough is sticking to the surface or your hands.
- Form dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle again and then cut with a biscuit cutter to form biscuits. You can usually cut 6 biscuits from the rectangle. Gather the scraps and reshape and cut an additional 2 biscuits.
- Brush tops with buttermilk
- Add a jalapeno slice to the biscuit or sprinkle with coarse salt (optional)
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 415°F oven for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and cooked through
- Place biscuits on a cooling rack to cool
- Serve warm or at room temperature
Recipe tips
- If you don't have a food processor, the flour and butter can be mixed together by hand or with a pastry blender. Mix until the flour resembles coarse crumbs.
- After you add the buttermilk, the mixture will still appear very dry. After you knead the dough, it will come together.
- Don't skip the folding steps. This helps create the layers in the biscuits.
- Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter
- Biscuits can be baked on a baking sheet with space between each biscuit or in a cast iron skillet with the biscuits touching.
- Make certain the oven is fully preheated to 415°F before baking
Frequently asked questions
If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own. Take 1 ¼ cups of regular milk (2% or whole) and mix with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir together and let rest for 5 minutes.
Once the biscuits have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best eaten within 2-3 days.
Recipe variations
- Reduce the amount of jalapenos by half to make the biscuits a bit milder
- Use roasted chiles in place of the jalapenos. Be certain to dry off the chiles with a paper towel to remove excess moisture
- Use your favorite cheese - any type of cheddar, monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella or colby cheese.
More biscuit recipes
- Buttermilk Pan Biscuits - easy-to-make buttermilk biscuits that are baked in a casserole dish.
- Ham and Cheese Biscuits - homemade drop biscuits filled with bits of ham and cheese.
- Pizza Biscuits - fun biscuits loaded with pepperoni and mozzarella. Perfect for packing into school lunches.
- Pepper Jack Biscuits - buttermilk biscuits made with pepper cheese.
- Cheddar Chive Biscuits - cheddar cheese and fresh chives flavor these easy-to-make drop biscuits.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious baking recipes!
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (I use salted butter)
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup jalapenos (fresh, finely diced)
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk (for brushing on top )
- ½ jalapeno (sliced, optional)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 415°F
- Cut butter into small cubes½ cup butter
- Add flour, butter, sugar, baking powder and salt into a food processor2 ½ cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- Pulse until butter is well incorporated into flour
- Place flour mixture into a large bowl
- Mix in jalapenos and shredded cheese½ cup jalapenos, 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- Add buttermilk and mix lightly just until buttermilk is mixed in. Mixture will still appear dry.1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- Knead by hand 5-6 times until mixture begins to form a ball and most of the flour is mixed in
- Pour onto a lightly floured board or counter and begin shaping into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Shape with lightly floured hands.
- Fold into a letter shape by folding the top third of the dough down towards the center. Then fold the bottom over the folded piece making a nice letter shape.
- Rotate the dough and repeat the shaping and folding steps. You will do this 5-6 times, each time adding just a bit of flour if the dough is sticking to the surface or your hands.
- Form dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle again and then cut with a biscuit cutter to form biscuits. You can usually cut 6 biscuits from the rectangle. Gather the scraps and reshape and cut an additional 2 biscuits.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Brush tops with buttermilk2 tablespoons buttermilk
- sprinkle with a touch of salt and add a jalapeno slice to the biscuit (optional)½ jalapeno, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- Bake in a preheated 415°F oven for 15-17 minutes until golden brown and cooked through
- Place biscuits on a cooling rack to cool
- Serve warm or at room temperature
Video
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, the flour and butter can be mixed together by hand or with a pastry blender. Mix until the flour resembles coarse crumbs.
- After you add the buttermilk, the mixture will still appear very dry. After you knead the dough, it will come together.
- Don't skip the folding steps. This helps create the layers in the biscuits.
- Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the counter
- Biscuits can be baked on a baking sheet with space between each biscuit or in a cast iron skillet with the biscuits touching.
- Make certain oven is fully preheated to 415°F before baking
- Reduce the amount of jalapenos by half to make the biscuits a bit milder
- Use roasted chiles in place of the jalapenos. Be certain to dry off the chiles with a paper towel to remove excess moisture
- Use your favorite cheese - any type of cheddar, monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella or colby cheese.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Greedy Eats.
David @ Spiced says
Buttermilk is the only way to go when it comes to homemade biscuits! These biscuits are making my mouth water - I'd love one with my cup of coffee right now. I can't wait to try your version!!
Kathy says
With you being from the south, I'd consider you an expert on biscuits! I can't wait to hear what you think! 🙂