Mmmmm Popeye's Biscuits. Flaky and fluffy and melt in your mouth-y. If you're looking for a make at home copycat recipe, we've got you covered! These will go great with gravy or fried chicken and potatoes.

I love how versatile biscuits are. My kids tend to not think soup is a meal by itself, so I'll make biscuits for them to round out these great soups:
For a quick meal, sometimes I'll make some biscuits and just fry some eggs and make egg biscuit sandwiches with cheese, tomatoes and avocado.
These also make a great homestyle side, just like our Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole Recipe.
For another biscuit variation you can try our original biscuit recipe. It has the same wonderful soft flaky fluffy texture, but isn't made with buttermilk.
What You'll Love About This Recipe:
- Kid Friendly - these are super kid friendly! Not only do kids love them, but they love to help make them. They are a great beginner recipe to start teaching your kids the basics of the kitchen.
- Quick and Easy - these come together quickly and are easy to make! No messing around here!
- Inexpensive and Simple Ingredients - these are made with simple ingredients you already have in your pantry and refrigerator. No spending extra money or searching the grocery store for a specialty ingredient.
- Classic and Traditional - these are a classic biscuit recipe and do all the things you want a biscuit to do: melt in your mouth and send you straight to southern heaven!
Why not regular biscuits?
Popeye's Biscuits are a true southern classic. They are so light and fluffy and just melt in your mouth! There is nothing quite like their flaky buttery deliciousness.
Ingredients
- flour - all purpose flour here. Different types of flour will drastically change the texture.
- baking powder
- salt - I used regular table salt
- unsalted butter - if using salted butter, make sure to decrease the salt so your biscuits aren't too salty.
- buttermilk* see below on how to easily make your own!
- 1 beaten egg, to top them with for that golden brown glow.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make the Dough
Preheat the oven to 400*F. If you are making your own buttermilk (see below) make that and set it to the side. Mix dry ingredients together in medium sized mixing bowl.
Chop cold butter up into small cubes and add to dry ingredients.
Cut in butter using a pastry blender/ dough blender, a fork or your fingers. Use your fingers Paul Hollywood style by using your fingertips to press the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a fork and a folding motion. Scoop the fork up from the bottom and turn it over onto the top. Use a folding motion with biscuits, never a mixing motion. Your biscuits will be tough and chewy if over mixed. Watch this video to see how to fold. Mix only until just incorporated. The dough will be disconnected and not in a single lump.
Form the Dough
Generously flour a countertop or other workspace. Plop the dough out onto the flour.
Using your hands, gently push the dough together to form a loose ball. Sprinkle flour on top and roll out to about ½ thick. It doesn't need to be perfect- be careful not to over work the dough. Then sprinkle a little more flour on top, then fold the dough over onto itself. Sprinkle the top and fold one more time. This forms the flaky layers. Nextg roll out the dough to about 1" thick then cut out biscuits into desired size. A biscuit cutter works best, but a kids cup will do in a pinch.
Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, about â…›" apart.
If desired, beat an egg and brush the tops with it. This will make the biscuits a nice golden color. It's for aesthetic purposes only and is unnecessary.
Bake the Popeye's biscuits for 8-12 minutes juuuuuuuust until the edge of the bottoms start to darken a teeny tiny bit. It's very important not to over bake. If they are over baked they will be dry and a little crumbly instead of soft, moist and tender.
Buttermilk
- Make your own buttermilk
- Measure one Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into the bottom of the measuring cup and fill with milk until it reaches ¾ cup total. Give it a little stir and let sit 5 minutes.
Variations
- Sweet - add â…“ cup sugar for a sweet biscuit to eat with jam.
- Deluxe - add ½ teaspoon garlic powder and whisk into the dry ingredients. Then and ¾ cup shredded cheese again mixed into the dry ingredients for garlic cheese biscuits.
- Spicy - Add one chopped jalapeno and stir into the dry ingredients.
- Rosemary Garlic - add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder at the same time as adding the dry ingredients.
- Garlic and Cheddar - add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder to the dry ingredients and fold in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese when combining wet and dry ingredients.
Equipment
- rolling pin
- biscuit cutter
If you don't have a biscuit cutter, don't worry! Feel free to use a small cup or jar lid to cut out the circles.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 6-10 seconds before eating.
These store great in the freezer. Freeze while fresh after they have cooled down. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Top tip
Don't over mix after adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients! They will be tough and chewy instead of soft and fluffy.
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Recipe
Popeye's Biscuits
Ingredients
Biscuit dough:
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter If using salted decrease salt by ¼ teaspoon.
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 beaten egg optional
Buttermilk (if making from scratch):
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- ½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F.
- If you are making your own buttermilk (see below) make that and set it to the side. Mix dry ingredients together in medium sized mixing bowl.
- Chop cold butter up into small cubes and add to dry ingredients.
- Cut in butter using a pastry blender/ dough blender, a fork or your fingers. The mixture will look like fine crumbs when finished. See photos above for a great visual on this.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix using a fork and a folding motion. Watch this video to see how to fold. Mix only until just incorporated. The dough will be disconnected and not in a single lump.
- Generously flour a countertop or other workspace. Plop the dough out onto the flour.
- Using your hands, gently push the dough together to form a loose ball. Sprinkle flour on top and roll out to about ½ thick. It doesn't need to be perfect- be careful not to over work the dough. Then sprinkle a little more flour on top, then fold the dough over onto itself. Sprinkle the top and fold one more time. This forms the flaky layers.
- Next roll out the dough to about 1" thick then cut out biscuits into desired size.Â
- Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, about â…›" apart, or so they are almost touching.
- If desired, beat an egg and brush the tops with it. This will make the biscuits a nice golden color but serves no other purpose.
- Bake the biscuits for 8-12 minutes juuuuuuuust until the edge of the bottoms start to darken a teeny tiny bit.Â
For Homemade Buttermilk:
- Measure one Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into the bottom of the measuring cup and fill with milk until it reaches ¾ cup total. Give it a little stir and let sit 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Whisk together the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter. Add the milk and mix until just barely combined. Turn over onto a floured service and knead slightly. Cut out biscuits and bake until they just start to turn golden.
Reheat biscuits in the microwave for 12-20 seconds, or in the air fryer at 360 degrees for 2 minutes for a crisper biscuit. May also head in the oven at 375 degrees for 2-5 minutes.
Jacob
YUm! These biscuits were flaky and buttery and soft and fluffy. Great Popeye's copycat!
Annetta Hill
The burrermilk recipe doesn't multiply when I see the recipe 2 or 3x.
Nicole
Sorry about that! For 2x use 1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons milk, and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar. For 3x use 2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon and 3 Tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar.
Tavo
These biscuits are amazing! I made them yesterday and they flew! Thanks for the detailed instructions!
Traci
Oh goodness I love how simple and straightforward these are. Fluffy and perfect! Everyone loved them, Thanks for sharing 🙂
veenaazmanov
Quick. easy and a must try recipe. These were so soft and buttery and flaky. We ate them all up!
Jess
I love a good copycat recipe like this! Way better than eating out! These turned out perfect, so soft and fluffy and yummy! MMMM
Liza
What a fantastic recipe! The biscuits are so light and flavorful, and thank you for the tip about making your own buttermilk, too. Another winner from Simply Scrumptious!
Tayler Ross
This is my absolute favorite biscuit recipe. Its a spot on match to Popeyes!
JC
These taste like the real deal Popeye's biscuits. I love how flaky they are. And thanks for the buttermilk recipe, I don't buy buttermilk.
Deb garcia
Why does the popeye biscuits taste like salt on top and bottom
Nicole
Hi Deb! To get that salty taste on top and bottom of the biscuit, we recommend using a pastry brush to brush salted butter across the top and bottom of each biscuit.Thanks 🙂
Mark Smith
Hello, I was intrigued by these biscuits having travelled through Louisiana a number ofcyears ago whilst on holiday from the UK.
I followed your recipe and it was disaster
2 x 1/4 cups of flour???
Can I check the ingredients with you please.
Thank you
Regards
Mark
Nicole
Hi Mark, I personally know the struggle that can happen when trying to translate a recipe from one country to another. so 2 1/4 cups flour just means 2 cups flour plus 1/4 cup flour. It will be close to 9.5 ounces. It would certainly be easier if the US went to weighted measurements, especially for flour 🙂 Good luck!
Mark Smith
I'll have to remember that in future.
Right then, time to have another go.
They do look amazing,
Thanks
Mark