Cast Iron Biscuits

Cast Iron Biscuits make the perfect homemade biscuits. Golden brown and delicious every time with just 4 ingredients. If you're looking for a good biscuit recipe, this is the one! They taste like traditional biscuits, but better!

If you're a fan of homemade buttermilk biscuits, this cast iron biscuits recipe must be on your baking radar. They're one of the best things to make in cast iron, and that's saying a lot coming from me. This recipe is one of my favorite things to make because it's the perfect side to any meal, and all you need are simple ingredients to get started.

Not only do these cast iron skillet biscuits turn out fluffy, but they're easy to make savory or sweet. You can add a bit of cheddar cheese on top of the biscuits to pair with dinner, or add some fresh strawberries and whipped cream to use them for strawberry shortcakes.

No matter how you want to make and enjoy these flaky layers, just do so! The crispy edges paired with the soft centers are excellent!

Speaking of good bread recipes, be sure to check out my Air Fryer Cornbread as well. 

Ingredients

• Self-rising flour - This will give the biscuits that fluffy look and texture.
• Unsalted butter - Perfect for adding flavor and a buttery, flaky texture. I normally just use salted butter, but self-rising flour can be a bit salty. If your self-rising flour is not salty, go ahead and use salted butter.
• Half and half - For richness.
• Apple cider vinegar - Needed to sour the milk.

See quantities in the recipe card.

How to Make Cast Iron Biscuits

Step One: Mix the half and half and the vinegar in a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. This is what you do to sour the milk. I prefer this little trick over buying buttermilk since I won't always use it up. But if you have buttermilk, you can definitely just use that.

Step Two: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the cast iron skillet inside.

Step Three: Add the flour and cold butter to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed.

No Food Processor? - You can also use a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the flour in a large bowl until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Then stir in the soured milk with a fork just until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix, or you'll end up with tough biscuits.

Step Three: Add the flour and cold butter to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly distributed.

Step Four: Add the soured milk and pulse just until a dough forms. Don't overmix, or you can end up with tough biscuits.

Step Five: Turn the dough out onto waxed paper and press it into a ¾-inch thick circle.

Cut out 10 circles that are two inches in size. Gently press the scraps together to cut out the remaining biscuits without overworking the dough.

Step Six: Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot skillet and then place the biscuits in the pan. Brush melted butter over the tops of the biscuits.

Step Seven: Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. These are best freshly made, but you can store any leftover biscuits in an airtight container.

Variations

• Add Cheese - Grab a cheese grater and add bits of cheese into the biscuit mix. This will make the best biscuits full of cheesy bites!
• Jalapeno Cheddar - Add some shredded cheese and lightly sauteed jalapeno peppers. I saute them in the cast iron pan prior to making and adding the biscuits.
• Bacon - Mix in some cooked and crumbled bacon.
• Regular Flour - If you don't have self-rising flour, you can add 3 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of all-purpose flour instead.
• No Added Salt - Self-rising flour already contains salt, so there's no need to add any extra to this recipe. That's also why I prefer unsalted butter.

Want another great bread recipe perfect for a dinner side? Try this Cheese Stuffed Garlic Bread.

Common Questions

What do I serve these delicious biscuits with?

There are so many options for serving a hot biscuit or two. You can serve them alongside beef stew or even as the star of the show with sausage gravy.

If you want to enjoy these flaky biscuits with a plate of chicken and veggies, go for it. The texture makes them easy to serve with just about anything that you could possibly want.

For a sweet treat, add some fresh fruit and some chocolate gravy or syrup on top!

Do I need to use a biscuit cutter?

A biscuit cutter is a great idea, but it isn't required for this recipe. You can easily use the rim of a clean glass to cut out the circles as well. As long as you are cutting them out the same size before adding them to your cast iron pan, it's all going to be fine.

biscuits in cast iron skillet

Can I use the unbaked biscuits to make drop biscuits?

You can. If you aren't worried about having uniform-sized biscuits, the easy way to cook the dough is to just drop spoonfuls of dough into the skillet. I like to do this sometimes to use up the rest of the dough, as it's a great way to cook biscuits in different ways.

Just keep in mind that making drop biscuits means that you might have to watch the cooking time more closely because the biscuits may cook at different speeds.

How do I keep the biscuits from sticking to the skillet?

Adding butter to the preheated skillet helps keep the biscuits from sticking. You can also use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Plus, the melted butter adds flavor to the biscuits as they cook.

Can I cook these biscuits on a regular baking sheet?

Absolutely. I just prefer using the skillet because I love how the biscuits bake together in the pan, making them super fun to pull apart and enjoy.

Can I use buttermilk instead of soured milk for this biscuit recipe?

If you want to use buttermilk, you can. Just substitute it for the half and half and vinegar, and you'll still have that yummy biscuit flavor and taste.

Recipe

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Originally Published March 27, 2023. Revised and Republished October 8, 2026.