- June 29, 2023
- Breakfast
Smoked Biscuits
Savor the smoky aroma and rustic charm of these tender buttermilk biscuits, lovingly baked on the grill, resulting in a golden-brown crust that gives way to a soft, fluffy interior. The subtle tang of buttermilk enhances their flavor, making them the perfect accompaniment to any outdoor feast.
There are few things better than deliciously flaky warm biscuits out of the oven, and that’s one warm flaky biscuit off the grill. These are perfect for breakfast or brunch (or something to keep you busy while you’re pulling a late-night smoking brisket and need something to get you through an early morning).
Chef’s Disclaimer- While this is a recipe for smoked biscuits, biscuits do need to be cooked at a higher temperature (for science). The cold butter melts at a higher temperature to create steam and allows them to rise. This is what gives you the best flaky biscuits. So while this is technically not smoking (because of the higher temperature) they are still cooked over indirect heat.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Smoky Flavor: Baking the biscuits on the grill imparts a delightful smoky flavor that adds depth to the overall taste experience. The grill’s heat and smoke infuse the biscuits with a unique and appealing aroma. You could also try this version of cheese scones as a fun alternative.
- Even Heat Distribution: Grills provide consistent and even heat distribution, which helps ensure that the biscuits cook evenly and develop a beautiful golden-brown crust while remaining fluffy and soft inside.
- Buttermilk: The tangy acidic nature of buttermilk creates a tender and flaky biscuit dough while enhancing the overall flavor.
- Outdoor Cooking Experience: Baking these biscuits on the grill offers an enjoyable outdoor cooking experience, allowing you to embrace the charms of cooking in nature and enjoy the sights and sounds of grilling while preparing a delectable side dish.
What Kind Of Grill Can I Use To Smoke Biscuits?
The wonderful thing about grilling is that it’s not about the type of grill necessarily but the technique. This recipe will work on a charcoal grill, pellet grill, and even a gas grill. The best smoke flavor does come from a charcoal grill and then a pellet grill (you can add a smoker box to a gas grill for some added flavor).
What is important to note about using your grill as an oven, is that you need to utilize indirect heat or two-zone cooking. Either of these techniques deflects the direct heat of the flame from overcooking or burning the bottom of your homemade biscuits and essentially turns the grill into an outdoor oven.
Supplies Needed:
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Measuring Cups
- Large Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Biscuit Cutter
- Pastry Blender
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- Cheese Grater
- Bench Scraper
- Parchment Paper (optional)
Ingredients:
- Buttermilk
- Frozen Butter
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt
- Honey (or a little granulated sugar if you prefer)
- Extra Butter (for melting)
How To Smoke Buttermilk Biscuits On The Grill:
Preparation:
Preparing biscuit dough is the key to getting the best flaky layers of flavor for tender biscuits. Read through for the best results!
- Start by freezing your butter (plan and do this the night before to make it easier). Very cold butter is essential to this recipe.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Work quickly if possible to prevent it from getting too warm! Alternatively, use a pastry cutter or pastry blender to work the cold butter chunks into the flour if needed. You want this mixture to resemble course cornmeal.
- Next, make a hole or a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the center and lightly stir with a fork to create a shaggy dough (do not overmix).
- Dump the (wet) dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough together to form one ball and then gently roll it out into an 8-9 inch by 4-5 inch rectangle. Divide the dough into thirds using a bench scraper or sharp knife and stack all three layers over one another to form one thick rectangle. Then roll out these layers again into the same size rectangle (this is the key to those laminated flaky layers and getting the best buttery flavor).
- Use a biscuit cutter to cut into biscuits (I usually get 7-8 with this recipe). You can also make rectangular or square-shaped biscuits.
- Place biscuits so they are almost touching into a cast iron pan and place them into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill before smoking.
Smoking Instructions:
Preheat the smoker to 425 F. and set it for indirect heat. Pellet smokers or charcoal smokers that use two-zone cooking will work best for this recipe based on the higher indirect heat. - After the biscuits have chilled, remove the cast iron pan from the freezer and brush the tops with additional milk and flaky salt place it immediately onto the grill grates, and close the lid.
- Smoke the biscuits until they have risen and are golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
- Remove the biscuits from the grill and immediately brush melted butter over the biscuit top.
- Serve these warm with your favorite jam, or honey, or make a country gravy mix with leftover BBQ!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can substitute butter with shortening or vice versa in biscuit recipes. However, keep in mind that the texture and flavor of the biscuits may vary slightly depending on the fat you choose.
To achieve flaky biscuits, it’s important to keep the butter or shortening cold and to handle the dough as little as possible. This helps create layers of fat within the dough, resulting in flakiness when baked.
Yes, you can prepare biscuit dough in advance and refrigerate it. It’s best to wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before shaping and baking.
To prevent biscuits from spreading too much, make sure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before baking. Additionally, chilling the dough for a short period before baking can help maintain the shape of the biscuits.
Biscuits are typically done when they turn golden brown on the top and bottom. The baking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of the biscuits, but a good starting point is around 12-15 minutes as grill temperatures fluctuate.
Smoked Biscuits
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp Frozen Butter (1.5 sticks)
- 1.25 cups Buttermilk sub with whole milk
- 3 cups Flour
- 2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tbsp. Honey
Toppings
- 2 tbsp. Melted Butter
- 1 tsp Flaky Salt
- 2 tbsp. Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 425 F. and set it for indirect heat (or two zone cooking).
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
- Grate in the frozen butter and then mix everything together with a fork. Alternatively you can use a pastry blender.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add in the buttermilk and the honey. Use a fork to bring the dough together until just sticky (it will be a wet shaggy dough- do not overmix).
- Pour the dough mixture out onto a floured surface and pat the dough together by kneading it gently a few times.
- Use a rolling pin to lightly roll out the dough into a 8X4 inch rectangle. Use a shark knife or bench scraper to evenly divide the dough into three pieces.
- Stack the three pieces over one another to create one thick rectangle and then roll it out again into the 8×4 inch piece (this creates layers of butter and flaky biscuits).
- Use a biscuit cutter and cut out 7-8 biscuits from the dough.
- Place each biscuit into the cast iron pan so they are almost touching.
- Freeze the biscuits for 10-15 minutes before placing on the grill. Remove from the freezer and brush the tops with buttermilk and add flaky sea salt.
- When the grill has preheated, move the pan to the grill grates and smoke the biscuits for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the grill and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Add melted butter over the top and serve warm!