Take your baking game to the next level of flavor, with these spicy Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits! Bold, flavorful, and easy to make, they’re the perfect cold-weather side.
A Spicy Fall Favorite: Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits!
It seems like every fall, my garden starts raining peppers, and I can never keep up. Drying, pickling, canning – and of course, baking. These wholesome jalapeno biscuits are possibly one of my favorite ways to use up jalapenos.
They’re perfect to accompany a soup, stew, or in my – case chili. Once football season starts, the chili starts flowing over here! This biscuit rocks with a hearty bowl of my Turkey Chili. Who-dey think gonna beat them Bengals? (It’s a Cincinnati thing.)
Why These Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits Are So Good
These biscuits combine spiciness, cheesiness, and a homemade touch that’s hard to resist. Here’s why you’ll love ‘em:
- Spicy Kick: A soft, mild biscuit with the spicy bite of jalapeno? So amazing.
- Cheesy: Sharp cheddar flavor is the perfect cozy, soothing partner for jalapeno.
- Flaky and Tender: These biscuits are a perfect blend of flakiness and tenderness, thanks to the classic buttery dough that’s lightly-kneaded.
- Homemade Goodness: Everyone loves a cozy homemade bake, and this is an easy one that’s so craveable.
- Versatile: Serve these as a standalone snack, a side dish for soups or stews, or even as a creative addition to your brunch spread. You can’t go wrong!
Recipe Ingredients
All you need for this recipe are a few basic baking ingredients, plus fresh jalapeno peppers and shredded cheddar cheese:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the basis of the biscuit dough.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda!
- Salt
- Cold Butter: Make sure to have the butter cold, to get maximum flakiness.
- Heavy Cream: Provides moisture, tenderness, and creaminess to the dough.
- Eggs: A couple of eggs go into the biscuits for even more richness, and an extra one for egg wash.
- Sharp White Cheddar: You could also use regular cheddar cheese.
- Small Jalapenos: Minced. Be sure to use gloves if you have sensitive skin, and don’t touch your eyes or face until you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Are Lighter or Darker Jalapenos Hotter?
For those of us who are sensitive to spicy food, sometimes you want the flavor of the jalapeno without so much heat! (Others love allll the Scoville heat units. I see you!) So, how do you find milder or hotter jalapenos?
Honestly, in large part, it’s a guessing game. Some people say that darker jalapenos tend to be spicier because they are more ripe, but this isn’t always reliable. Other people say that grocery store jalapenos are less hot than home-grown, but again, you can’t really count on that. The spiciness can still vary from pepper to pepper regardless! The best way to change the spiciness of your jalapenos is to remove the seeds and membranes to make them less hot, or leave them in for maximum heat.
How to Make Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
The steps here are so easy, and the whole process of making the dough and cutting out biscuits is so satisfying! The only thing better than making jalapeno cheddar biscuits? Eating them!
- Make the Cheddar-Jalapeno Mixture. Before you get started, [reheat your oven to 400°F. Then melt a little butter in a skillet, and cook the jalapeños until they’re soft. Cool them down, put them in a bowl with the cheddar cheese, and toss with a tablespoon of flour.
- Cut the Butter into the Dry Biscuit Ingredients. Mix the rest of the flour with baking powder and salt. Add the rest of the butter and use a pastry blender or two forks to cut it in until you have pea-sized bits of butter.
- Finish Making the Dough. Whisk two of the eggs and the cream, and add them to the flour-butter mix. Stir until it starts coming together. Mix in the cheddar-jalapeño mixture.
- Cut Biscuits. Put the dough on a floured surface, knead it gently for under a minute. Flatten the dough to ¾- to 1-inch thickness. Cut it into triangles or whatever shape you like using a biscuit cutter.
- Bake! Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush it over the biscuits and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or oiled. Bake them for about 25 minutes, or until they’re nicely golden.
Helpful Tips
When it comes to baking biscuits, it’s great to have a few helpful tips up your sleeve. These are the most important things I’ve learned about making jalapeno cheddar biscuits:
- Chill the Butter: Before incorporating the diced butter into the dry ingredients, ensure it’s cold. Chilled butter helps create a flaky texture by forming small pockets as it melts in the oven. Pop the diced butter in the fridge for a bit to keep it nice and cold.
- Handle the Dough Gently: When kneading and shaping the dough, remember to handle it gently and for as little time as possible. Overworking the dough can result in tough biscuits. Just bring the dough together without excessive kneading to maintain its lightness.
- Control the Spice: So how spicy are your jalapenos? The only way to know is to taste them! You can eat a tiny bit of the minced jalapeno before adding it, to gauge its spiciness, and go from there. If you’re sensitive, have a cold drink ready while you taste!
- Separate or Together: Some people like to bake their biscuits set well apart in the baking dish, so that they are crispy all around, while others bake them closer together so they have to be torn apart and have soft sides. You do you!
Serving Suggestions
As good as jalapeno cheddar biscuits are on their own, they are even better as a side dish with your favorite meals! We love to serve them with chili, all football season long. Here are some recipes you’ve got to try.
- Street Corn Salad with Chicken: The piquant, Tex-Mex flavors in this simple weeknight meal are to-die-for, and a soft, golden biscuit is the perfect addition. Try Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chicken Thighs, and you’ll want to make it again and again.
- Sausage and Potatoes: A savory breakfast is on its way when you whip up these Baked Breakfast Potatoes and Sausage – so easy and delicious! Biscuits make the menu even more special.
- Chili: I’ve already linked to our favorite turkey chili, but this Bison Chili with Beer and Bacon is a flavor-packed masterpiece, as well!
Storing and Reheating
Storing and reheating these biscuits is as easy as can be. Here’s how to do it:
- Storing: To keep these biscuits fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: To enjoy the biscuits again, warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes.
Do Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits Freeze Well?
Jalapeno cheddar biscuits actually do freeze quite well! After baking and cooling, individually wrap them in plastic or foil, then seal them in a zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick or 4 ounces cold butter, diced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs divided
- 1/4 pound sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 small jalapeno pepper minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter and sauté the jalapeños in it until soft, about two minutes.
- Let them cool, then place them in a small bowl with the cheddar cheese and coat them with one tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter with a pastry blender, fork or two knives, until the butter bits are pea sized.
- Lightly whip two of the eggs and cream and add to the flour-butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, fold mixture until it begins to come together. Add the cheddar-jalapeño mixture to the dough and mix until everything is incorporated.
- Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead gently for less than one minute. Pat dough out to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness and either cut into 8 triangles or the shape of your choice with a biscuit cutter. Make an egg wash by beating the remaining egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the biscuits with egg wash and place on a parchment-lined (or well-oiled) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- They are best warm, with a small dab of butter melted in the middle. YUM~
I wonder if i could use the pickled ones and rinse alll the sour pickled taste out…would it still be a tasty scone? Thailand, it’s quite hard to find the fresh ones. Thank you!
Panita,
If you use the pickled make sure that you dry them well with a paper towel before using. The extra moisture could make your biscuits soggy. You could also use dried peppers.
Let me know if the pickled peppers work.
xo
Amy
These look delish! I love cheddar (I’m originally British) and jalapenos, but hadn’t though of combining them. I wonder if they’d work using buckwheat flour?
Yum, looks & sounds great!
Anne, They are quite addictive.