Skip the drive-thru and whip up your own irresistible spicy Chicken Biscuits for dinner tonight! Easy homemade honey-buttermilk biscuits team up with air fryer chicken, hot honey, and fresh chives for a flavor combo that’s sure to be a new favorite.

I’ve got a Sunday lunch solution you’re all going to love.
At least…you will if you’re like me and always and forever crave a spicy chicken biscuit that you can’t get until Monday.
But you might just forego the drive-thru version forever after dousing your homemade ones in hot honey.
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page if you’d rather not exercise your scrolling finger!
Why you’ll love homemade spicy Chicken Biscuits
- Customizable heat! Use as much or as little pepper as you want to make this the perfect meal.
- Easy to make ahead! Prepping these for the week means no need to sit in a long drive-thru every day.
- Perfect for multitaskers! Make the chicken while the biscuits bake.
I wouldn’t say this is a copycat recipe, exactly – but it was definitely inspired by my fave fast food joint’s famous sandwich!
Except I combined breakfast and lunch menu items, because I’m a rebel like that. Still had to have it with a tall glass of Cold Brew Iced Tea, though. Blame my Southern heart, iced tea knows no timeframe.
In a conscious effort to cut down on some of the obvious evil calories this sweet-spicy-savory comfort food has, I put my fave little air fryer to work.
Instead of deep frying the chicken like a typical chicken biscuit recipe calls for, a spritz of avo oil and some spiced bread crumbs made for a juicy & quite suitable substitute.
Not gonna lie – I was seriously craving that buttermilk-doused chicken goodness on this sammie. If you’re looking for that, and aren’t worried about being bikini ready, by all means fry your bird.
Air fried chicken, though. It’s seriously good, and it loved its hot honey bath just as much as we did!
Love spicy chicken? Try these Sweet Piri Piri Chicken Wings next! Not so spicy? These Chicken Sausage Rolls might be right up your alley!
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- All-purpose flour – you can also make this recipe using white wheat or gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio.
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Buttermilk – see the chart below for tips on making this if you’re out!
- Honey – local honey is even better to fight off allergies.
- Unsalted butter – make sure it’s frozen!
For the air fryer chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – you can also use thighs if you prefer!
- Breadcrumbs – Panko or regular, seasoned or non-, it’s up to you!
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Hot paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cooking oil spray
- Honey, hot sauce, red pepper flakes – check out the recipe for my hot honey in the card below.
- Fresh chives – if you’re into garnishes.
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Out of Buttermilk?
Go ahead and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, or 2 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar to the milk in this recipe. Stir it up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with mixing the batter. The acid will curdle the milk and act as a buttermilk substitute! It works like a charm, even though it looks a little gross when you add it to the batter.
Other buttermilk substitutes include:
- Buttermilk powder & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of sour cream & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of plain yogurt & milk (or water)
- Kefir
- Plant milks + acid of your choice
- Lactose-free milk + acid of your choice
Of course, you can always make this recipe with regular milk as well!
How to make honey buttermilk biscuits
Homemade biscuits are so easy to make! They take a bit more effort than popping a can open, but the results are absolutely worth it!
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and 1/4 cup honey.
- Use a box grater to shred 12 tablespoons of frozen butter right into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter (or your hands), cut the butter gently into the flour until it forms small pea-sized balls. Try not to handle the dough much with your hands to keep the butter from warming up.
- Add the buttermilk-honey mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a soft dough is formed.
- It gets a little tricky here, but stick with it! Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and form it into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Fold one side into the center, then fold the other side over like a letter. Gently flatten the smaller rectangle to the size it was before folding. Repeat the folding & flattening 2 more times.
- After the final fold, flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick 8×8 square. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut it into 6 equally sized squares, then place them 3-inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Brush each biscuit with buttermilk, then bake them on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes until they’re puffy and mostly baked. Melt the remaining butter and whisk in the honey, then brush over the hot biscuits before baking an additional 8-10 minutes until they’re golden brown.
How to make spicy chicken biscuits
This recipe might feel like a lot of work, but it goes quickly if you multitask! Pop those biscuits in the oven, and by the time the chicken is done, they’ll be cool enough to build your sandwiches with.
- Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Spray chicken breasts with olive or avocado oil spray, then roll them in the breadcrumb mixture to coat.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place chicken in basket. Air fry for 15-16 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown and 165 degrees F internally.
- Meanwhile, make the hot honey sauce. Combine the honey, hot sauce and pepper flakes in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Split the warm biscuits in half and place the chicken on bottom half. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with chives, and crown with top half of biscuit.
LOOKING FOR MORE CHICKEN RECIPES?
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Spicy Chicken Biscuits with Hot Honey
Ingredients
Honey Buttermilk Biscuits
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 5 tablespoons honey divided
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter frozen, divided
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast 5-6 small, butterflied if necessary
- Cooking oil spray olive or avocado
- ½ cup breadcrumbs Panko or Italian
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Hot Honey Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped
Instructions
Honey Buttermilk Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and 1/4 cup honey until combined; set aside.
- Using a box grater, grate 12 tablespoons butter into flour mixture. Cut the butter gently into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter, until it forms small pea-sized balls. Add buttermilk-honey mixture and gently fold until a soft dough is formed.
- Turn dough onto a floured work surface. Form it into a rectangle that is approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold one side into the center, then the other side. Turn the dough so it’s long horizontally, then gently flatten and repeat the folding.
- Repeat the process a third time, then flatten dough into an 8×8 square, about 1 inch thick. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 equal squares, then place biscuits 3 inches apart prepared baking sheet. Brush each biscuit with buttermilk.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, until puffy and mostly baked. Melt remaining butter and honey in a small pan and brush over hot biscuits. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Spray chicken breasts with olive or avocado oil spray, then roll in breadcrumb mixture to coat.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then place chicken in basket. Cook 15-16 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden brown and 165 degrees F internally.
Hot Honey Sauce
- Combine the honey, hot sauce and pepper flakes in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Split biscuits and place chicken on bottom half. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with chives, and crown with top half of biscuit.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 22, 2019 as Buttermilk Fried Chicken Biscuits with Hot Honey. It was updated with an updated recipe and additional information on June 14, 2024.
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