This Buttermilk Fried Chicken Biscuit has chicken that has been fried to golden perfection tucked into a warm, fluffy biscuit. Drizzled with a sweet and spicy honey, my twist on a Southern classic becomes a sweet and savory explosion of flavor.
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This Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich is born from Sunday picnics and tearing off a hunk of juicy fried chicken to stuff between the layers of a biscuit so I could eat and keep playing at the same time.
This chicken biscuit starts, as most of my favorite sandwiches do, with one of my quick buttermilk biscuits. Then I blend my two cultures by giving my Grandma's chicken the Korean fried chicken treatment by adding adding cornstarch to the dredge and giving them a double fry. But that's not all...
... drizzling that chicken with my spicy honey adds the perfect touch of heat and sweetness, combining loads of honey, a touch of butter, and a good heaping teaspoon of Korean red pepper. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, or whenever you need a little food happiness, this sandwich is bound to be your next craving, and the next, and the next.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Half of this recipe picture shows my basic biscuit ingredients, and the rest is for your buttermilk brine and flavorful flour coating. Let's go over the major groups, and talk about how you can make some changes if you need to:
- All the biscuit ingredients - I use all the same same ingredients in this biscuit as I do in my buttermilk biscuits, but if you just don't want to be bothered, feel free to use a tube of refrigerated biscuits, or frozen biscuits. Just make sure to get the large size so your chicken fits nicely.
- Buttermilk brine - I use the same simple buttermilk brine that my grandma and her grandma used when making fried chicken. It's simply buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and gives it a tangy flavor, but is also thick enough to make the floury coating stick throughout the frying process. If you don't have buttermilk, try using whole milk with a quarter cup of pickle juice added. Great flavor, good tenderization.
- All-purpose flour - Along with salt and pepper, and some old bay seasoning, I use regular all purpose flour to coat the outside of the chicken. My grandma would always use White LIly flour, which has a lower protein count, and gave a wider crust, but you could use cake flour if you wanted.
- Old Bay seasoning - This is a classic seasoning blend containing paprika, celery seed, red pepper, salt, and mustard powder, but you can use your favorite seasoning blend or leave it out and just go with the salt and black pepper.
- Cornstarch - This is my secret crunchification weapon. Adding cornstarch to your flour dredge is a sneaky little trick found in most Asian frying. Whether it's tempura or Korean fried chicken, cornstarch gives your fried food a much crispier coating. If you don't have cornstarch, you can replace it with more flour.
- Chicken - Unlike most of my Chef friends I actually prefer thin chicken cutlets to chicken thighs, but you can use either one. Try to cut them into about 3 to 3½ inch pieces so they fit nicely on a large biscuit.
- Buttery hot honey - I go into more detail below, and it is optional, but drizzling the top of your crispy fried chicken with this delicious savory and sweet combo may have broken my husband. I first made this weeks ago and he won't stop talking about it
See the full recipe at the bottom of the post with all the measurements.
Buttery Hot Honey
Hot honey, is sweeping the culinary world, but I have a delightful twist. I like to take a whole lot of honey, add a little bit of butter, and add in a big heaping teaspoon of Korean red pepper, gochugaru. You can find it at your local Asian market, although I've recently seen it at my regular grocery store too. If you can't find it, feel free to use crushed red pepper, but give it a little extra crush to release the flavorful oils.
To make your spicy honey, place all of the ingredients into a small sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and put the cover on. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the pepper to infuse the honey. Pour into a container with a tight lid and store for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Variations
Of course I'm gonna make this chicken biscuit the way I like it best, but there are so many ways to make this your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Buffalo Chicken Biscuit - Toss in Buffalo sauce and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
- Maple Bacon Fried Chicken Biscuit - Add crispy bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup for a classic savory-sweet combination.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Biscuit - As above, but add ranch seasoning to your flour mixture and drizzle with homemade ranch dressing.
- Breakfast Chicken Biscuit - Add smashed avocado and a fried egg on top of the chicken, because a breakfast sandwich is always a good idea.
Step-by-step Instructions
I know, sometimes looking at a recipe can be overwhelming, so let's break this down.
- 1. You're going to brine your chicken (this can be done the night before)
- 2. You're going to make your homemade buttermilk biscuits (which can also be done the day before or you can buy and bake store-bought)
- 3. You're going to fry your chicken (which is not as scary as it sounds).
As I always suggest, read through all of the instructions, look at the pictures for reference (because they're so pretty), and gather your ingredients before starting. You got this 🙌
Step 1: In a shallow container, or resealable plastic bag, combine, buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt. Add your thinly sliced chicken and turn to coat completely in the buttermilk. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Measure the dry ingredients for your biscuits into the bowl of your food processor. Add cubes of cold butter. Pulse the ingredients for three 1 second pulses.
Step 3: Turn the food processor on while slowly pouring your buttermilk in through the opening on top.
Step 4: Stop as soon as the dough forms a ball. Do not overmix.
Step 5: Dump the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 3 to 4 times, and pat dough to about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Cut with floured 3½ inch biscuit cutter. Gather together your scraps and cut out 6 to 8 biscuits. Place on your prepared baking sheet.
Step 6: Brush the tops with a little more buttermilk and bake biscuits at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 7: While the biscuits are baking, add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat to 350°F
Combine flour dredge ingredients into another shallow dish. Remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk marinade, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip off, and then place into the flour dredge, turning to completely, and using your hands to pack it onto the surface.
Step 8: Carefully place 3 to 4 chicken pieces into the oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the bottom side has turned crispy and golden. Flip and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack with paper towels underneath.
Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil and bringing back up to heat as needed.
Step 9: For extra crispy, chicken, turn the heat up to about 375°F and refry each piece of chicken for about one to two minutes, or until deeply golden brown.
Step 10: Split open a biscuit, nestle a piece of crispy fried chicken on top, and a drizzle with hot honey to your heart content. Repeat with the remaining chicken and biscuits and enjoy!
Hint: Once the rest of the components are done, assemble your sandwich just before you’re ready to eat to maintain the best texture. And don’t forget the honey!
Storage & Reheating
Storing the Sandwich Components
- Separate the Chicken and Biscuits: Store the crispy chicken and buttery biscuits in separate containers to keep the biscuits from getting soggy.
- In the Fridge: Keep both in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in airtight containers.
- Freezing: For longer storage, wrap each piece tightly and place in freezer bags. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating the Chicken and Biscuits
- Fried Chicken:
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Air Fryer: Heat at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes until crispy.
- Biscuits:
- Oven: Wrap in foil and heat at 300°F for 5-7 minutes.
- Microwave: Wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Putting it all together: Warm the honey just a bit in the microwave so it is runny. Once everything else is reheated, assemble your sandwich just before you’re ready to eat. Don’t forget the honey!
Recipe FAQs
Most people prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs for their juiciness and flavor, but boneless skinless chicken breasts work too.
A homemade buttermilk biscuit is ideal for its flaky texture, but any soft, fluffy biscuit will work well and I'll never judge you for using store-bought to save time and effort.
The spicy honey can be made as mild or as hot as you like by adjusting the amount of pepper flakes you add and there is absolutely no shame in just making a honey butter. I mean, doesn't a honey butter chicken biscuit sound divine?!
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich
Ingredients
Hot Honey
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes or can use standard red pepper flakes
Buttermilk biscuits (skip if using store-bought biscuits)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter very cold and cut into about ½ inch cubes
- ¾ cup buttermilk very cold
Buttermilk brined chicken
- 1 pound chicken thinly sliced and cut into 6 to 8 three to four inch pieces
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce like Frank's or your choice
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Flour dredge
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Make hot honey
- Place all of the hot honey ingredients into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and cover for at least 30 minutes to allow the pepper to infuse the honey.
Brine chicken
- In a shallow container, or a large Ziploc bag, combine, buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt. Add your thinly sliced chicken and turn to coat completely in the buttermilk. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Make biscuits (skip if making store-bought biscuits)
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Measure the dry ingredients for your biscuits into the bowl of your food processor. Add cubes of cold butter. Pulse the ingredients for three 1 second pulses.
- Turn the food processor on while slowly pouring your buttermilk in through the opening on top, stopping as soon as the dough forms a ball. Do not overmix.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 3 to 4 times, and roll out to about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- Cut with floured 3½ inch round cutter. Gather together your scraps and cut out 6 to 8 biscuits. Place on your prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with a little more buttermilk and bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Fry chicken
- While the biscuits are baking, add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a large skillet and heat to 350°F
- Combine the flour dredge ingredients into another shallow dish. Remove a piece of chicken, allowing the excess buttermilk to drip off, and then place into the flour dredge, turning to completely, and using your hands to pack it onto the surface.
- Carefully place 3 to 4 pieces of chicken into the oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the bottom side has turned crispy and golden.
- Flip and fry for another 3 to 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack with paper towels underneath.
- Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil and bringing back up to heat as needed.
- Extra crispy, chicken, turn the heat up to about 375°F and refry each piece of chicken for about one to two minutes, or until deeply golden brown.
Assembly
- Split open a biscuit, nestle a piece of crispy fried chicken on top, and a drizzle with hot honey to your heart content. Repeat with the remaining chicken and biscuits and enjoy!
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Notes
Spicy honey butter can be safely stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks as the honey acts as a natural preservative.
- Storing the Sandwich Components
Separate the Chicken and Biscuits: Store the chicken and biscuits in separate containers to keep the biscuits from getting soggy. - In the Fridge: Keep both in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in airtight containers.
- Freezing: For longer storage, wrap each piece tightly and place in freezer bags. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Fried Chicken:
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the chicken on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Air Fryer: Heat at 350°F (175°C) for about 5-7 minutes until crispy.
Biscuits:
- Oven: Wrap in foil and heat at 300°F (150°C) for 5-7 minutes.
- Microwave: Wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-15 seconds. 3. Putting it all together: Warm the honey just a bit in the microwave so it is runny. Once the rest of the components are reheated, assemble your sandwich just before you’re ready to eat. Don’t forget the honey!
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