Air Fryer Biscuits (Easy Buttermilk Recipe)

Name: Air Fryer Biscuits
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar; rounded 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 cup buttermilk

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Make these air fryer biscuits from scratch in just a few minutes for dinner tonight! Skip the nasty ones in the can or frozen, this easy recipe is made with real butter and comes together super fast. Also, no need to roll out or cut this biscuit dough. Just drop them directly into the basket of your air fryer and let them bake. So, grab your air fryer, and let’s get baking!

Why I Love This Recipe

Living in Arizona, anytime I can bake something to perfection without turning on my oven, I consider that a massive win. When I first started baking in my air fryer, I was skeptical that it would work as well as my conventional oven but I was wrong. Since an air fryer is simply a small countertop convection oven, they do an amazing job baking all types of foods like these air fryer biscuits. You can check out all my air fryer recipes and see the results.

When I was creating this recipe, at first I was going to use my classic buttermilk biscuit recipe, but in the end decided to create a drop biscuit recipe instead. I figure that if someone wants to make air fryer biscuits, they probably don’t want to deal with rolling them out and cutting them. So, I altered the recipe and now all you have to do is scoop them directly into the basket of the air fryer. Plus, they are SO buttery and tender!

Air Fryer Biscuits Ingredients & Tools

All purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Butter
Buttermilk
Mixing bowl
Air fryer

How to Make Air Fryer Biscuits

If you have 15 minutes, you can make air fryer biscuits from scratch!

Time needed: 15 minutes

How to Make Air Fryer Biscuits

Prepared the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls
As with most quick bread recipes, it is important to mix together the dry ingredients separately from the wet before combining them. They key to light and tender biscuits is that they are mixed together as little as possible. So, mixing the dry together first, helps prepare the biscuits for the next step.
Mix together the wet and dry to create the biscuit dough
Gently fold the dry into the wet and only mix until the dough just barely comes together. It’s ok if there is a bit of dry ingredients that aren’t fully incorporated. Don’t over-mix or the air fryer biscuits will become tough.
Portion and bake the biscuits in the air fryer
Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to bake them in two batches. This recipe makes 5 biscuits and it is important to keep enough space between each one so they bake evenly. A larger capacity air fryer will be able to fit all 5 biscuits in one batch.

Recipe FAQs

How long should you keep biscuits in the air fryer?

The length of time it takes to bake biscuits in the air fryer depends on the power level of your air fryer. First, find the sticker on the bottom or inside that state the power level. Most recipes, like this one, are written for a 1500-watt machine and will take about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. A 1300-watt machine will need more time and a 1700-watt machine less.

How to reheat a biscuit in the air fryer

If you have a biscuit that is already fully baked, you can reheat it very quickly inside an air fryer that is set at 350 degrees. The length of time will depend on the power level of your air fryer. Usually between 1-3 minutes will be perfect. Start at 1 minute and add more time if needed.

Do I need to use parchment paper in the basket of the air fryer?

I know a lot of air fryer baking recipes require parchment paper inside the basket, but I try not to use it unless whatever I am baking will drip through the holes before it gets a chance to set up on the bottom. That isn’t a problem for these air fryer biscuits. The dough is still enough that they will bake perfectly without needing the parchment paper.

Can I make air fryer biscuits with regular milk?

Yes, regular milk will work well in this recipe but the end flavor and texture will be slightly different. The buttermilk helps the baking soda and the baking powder work extra well, resulting in a light and fluffy baked biscuit. It also adds just a hint of sourness to the flavor of the biscuit. If you are going to use regular milk, use whole milk because the higher fat content will result in the best end result.

Should I preheat the air fryer for the biscuits?

No, there is no need to preheat the air fryer for this recipe. You want to place them into a room temperature basket so the butter doesn’t start melting. If your air fryer has an automatic preheat setting when you start it, turn that off for this recipe.

Why did my biscuits turn out tough?

If your baked biscuits turned out tough and you are sure you followed the recipe as written, the main culprit is overworking the biscuit dough. You should mix them very gently and just long enough until the dough all sticks together. You want to see a bit of dry ingredients in the finished batter. At best estimates, that should be about 20-30 mixing motions with a rubber spatula, not a whisk.

Can I make frozen air fryer biscuits?

Yes, if you want to make this recipe into frozen air fryer biscuits, prepare the recipe as written and when you protion the dough, do so onto a baking sheet. Place them into the freezer and let them get completely frozen before placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When it come time to bake the frozen air fryer biscuits, reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Looking for More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes?

If you loved these air fryer biscuits, you won’t want to miss my other amazing recipes that shine in the air fryer. Hurry and grab them now before you forget!