Flaky Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits

These Flaky Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits are cheesy, just the right amount of spicy, and just as good for breakfast as they are with a bowl of soup or stew for dinner. Add these to your must-make list!

These Flaky Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits are my new favorite. I know I say that a lot, but really. It's not enough that I added some cheese and jalapeños into my biscuits. I added an entire cup of shredded cheddar and a quarter cup of chopped peppers, seeds and all, into my biscuits. The jalapeños give the biscuits a good spicy kick and the cheese adds a sharp savory bite.

I've become pretty obsessed with a good flaky buttermilk biscuit over the past few years. And people seem to really enjoy them too! The recipe for my flaky buttermilk biscuit consistently ranks in the top 5 of Google searches and I get dozens of comments about them every week. But everyday I find new ways to make them even tastier. These cheddar jalapeno biscuits may be hard to beat.

❤️ What you'll love about these biscuits

• Flaky - My cut and stack biscuit technique builds the most amazing flaky layers.
• Tall and fluffy - Buttermilk helps create big tall biscuits with a soft, fluffy interior.
• Spicy kick - Jalapeños add just the right amount of spice. Remove the seeds if you want mild heat.
• Cheesy - Cheddar cheese in every layer for a great savory bite.
• Fast - Simple ingredients and a simple recipe, plus a high oven temperature, means you can have delicious Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits in about 30 minutes
• Flexible - For an even quicker biscuit, add 2 tablespoons, up to ¼ cup, extra buttermilk and use a scoop to form drop biscuits onto your sheet pan.

Ingredients

If you've been following along with me on my biscuit journey, you already have your biscuit pantry stocked! Grab your ingredients and let's make some easy jalapeno cheddar biscuits.

Note on buttermilk - There are a lot of compelling reasons to use real buttermilk in your biscuits. Low fat or whole fat, the acidity adds a subtle tang to your biscuits and also helps to snip the gluten strands, creating a softer and fluffier interior. It also reacts perfectly with the small amount of baking soda to give your biscuits a better rise than you would get with milk or cream. 

Note on salt: Whenever I call for salt, I am specifically referring to Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Why? Bon Appetit has an article that really dives into the whole salt story, but in my case, this is what I've found works best for me and I use it consistently throughout all of my recipes. I am a loyal salt bae.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

There are very few ingredients in this jalapeno cheddar biscuits recipe, but some substitutions can be made and still have them be a big hit.

• Cheddar - You can use a different cheese if you prefer. I like a nice sharp cheddar cheese, but my Gruyere biscuits are also pretty amazing!
• Jalapeños - If you don't have fresh jalapenos, you can use jarred jalapeños that you pat dry, or any pepper you have. Poblanos will give a much milder heat and serrano will up the spicy kick a few notches.
• Flour - If you have a gluten sensitivity, I have successfully made my buttermilk biscuits using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour, so it would work here as well.

My favorite variation

If there is one thing better than a jalapeño cheddar biscuit, it's a jumbo sized cathead biscuit filled with even more jalapeños and tons more cheddar. Check out my cathead biscuit recipe and add all the peppers and cheese you heart calls you to add! They are the perfect size for breakfast sandwiches.

Buttermilk substitutions

Buttermilk - I get that not everyone has buttermilk in their refrigerator, although with its long shelf life, you really should. But, if you don't have access to buttermilk, you can replace it with either plain or Greek yogurt. Because of the thickness of Greek yogurt, you'll need to thin it a bit with milk or water. Check out my Easy Yogurt Biscuits for all the details! 

Equipment

Food processor - Sometimes I have mobility issues with my hands, making cutting the butter in with my fingers difficult. On those days I utilize my food processor to incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients. Here's how I do it:

• Measure all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to mix it all together. Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients and pulse 5 to 6 times, or until most of the butter is in pea sized or smaller pieces. Pour into a mixing bowl and proceed with the rest of the biscuit recipe.

Biscuit cutter - I've read some articles that suggest that you can cut homemade biscuits with any old round thing you find laying around your kitchen. I disagree wholeheartedly. The technique I use to build flaky layers is amazing. Using a rounded-edge drinking glass to cut out the biscuits would ruin that. The dull edge would seal the biscuit edges, keeping them from rising to their full potential. 

For best results, use a sharp metal edge, like a biscuit cutter, or a even a knife, to cut clear, sharp edges to your biscuits. To avoid sealing the edges, do not twist your cutter. Press straight down and lift straight up.

Instructions

Like all of my flaky biscuits, this cheddar jalapeño biscuit calls for all purpose flour, butter, and buttermilk, along with dicedjalapeños and shredded cheddar. Using my cut and stack technique will give you the best biscuits with the most flaky layers.

• If you have time, you will place your sheet pan of cut out biscuits into the freezer, to give the butter a chance to re-chill, while you preheat your oven to 450°F. If you don't have the time to do that, preheat your oven before you start making your biscuits.

In a large bowl, toss cold unsalted butter cubes into your flour mixture of all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and kosher salt.

2. Use a finger snapping motion, or a pastry blender or fork, to mix in the cold butter until they are about the size of small peas, with some smaller and some flat pieces..

3. Continue until you have that mixture of flat pieces and crumbly, small pea sized bits of butter mixed into the flour.

4. Add the fresh jalapeños and cheddar and toss to coat.

5. Add buttermilk and mix. 

6. Combine the buttermilk with everything else until a shaggy dough forms. `

7. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, and a bench scraper or other flat edge, gently bring it together into a rough square.

8. With a bench scraper or knife, cut into four smaller squares. Stack the pieces of biscuit dough on top of each other. Press it all down into a square again. Repeat this cutting and stacking procedure 2 more times.

9. Roll or pat into a rectangle ½ to ¾ inch thick, depending on how big you will cut your biscuits. Larger biscuits can be thicker, while smaller biscuits should be no more than ½ inch thick.

10. Using a 2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter (I used my new square biscuit cutters today), cut out your biscuits . Gather your scraps as you go, gently re-form them together, and cut as many biscuits as you can. You should get 6 to 8 biscuits.

11. See all those flaky layers? If you have time, place your sheet pan of biscuits into the freezer for 10 minutes to re-chill the butter while you preheat your oven to 450°F

12. Brush the top of the biscuits with an egg wash of one egg whisked with one tablespoon of water or milk. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Bake in a 450° oven for a baking time of 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pull open those flaky layers!

Recipe FAQ's

Storage and Reheating

Storage

Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. I do not recommend refrigerating biscuits as that can change their texture.

Reheating

I recommend wrapping the desired number of biscuits in aluminum foil, and reheating in a 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Unwrap and heat another 3 to 4 minutes. You can also microwave them for about 20 seconds on high.

Serving Suggestion

Add pulled pork and your favorite sauce to your biscuit for the most epic BBQ sandwich you'll ever eat! You might even want to make a double batch of biscuits - one for breakfast and one to make these for dinner!

More biscuit recipes