Hardee's Biscuits Recipe

These Hardee’s biscuits are my homemade copycat version of the tall, soft biscuits from the restaurant. I use self-rising flour, cold butter, and buttermilk to get that tender inside with flaky layers throughout. The tops bake up lightly golden, and they’re perfect for breakfast sandwiches, sausage gravy, or just warm with butter.

Why You'll Love These Copycat Hardee’s Biscuits

I had Hardee’s biscuits for the first time recently, and I honestly wasn’t expecting to like them as much as I did. They were easily some of the best restaurant biscuits I’ve had, so of course I went home wanting to figure out how to make something similar.

I started playing around with the dough until I got the texture closer to what I remembered. Using frozen grated butter and folding the dough a few times gave me those flaky layers, and the addition of buttermilk kept the inside soft and tender.

What I like most about this copycat version is how simple the ingredient list is. You don’t need anything fancy, but you still get tall biscuits that work for breakfast sandwiches made with my sheet pan eggs, KFC gravy, or my favorite, just warm with butter.

Hardee's Biscuits Ingredients

• 1 stick frozen butter
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Extra butter, for greasing the pan and brushing the biscuits

Ingredient Notes

• Self-rising flour: This keeps the biscuit dough simple because the leavening is already mixed into the flour. If you don’t have it, replace the 2 cups self-rising flour with 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder (plus the ¼ teaspoon listed in the ingredients), and ½ teaspoon salt. 
• Frozen butter: I freeze the butter before grating it so the pieces stay cold while they’re mixed into the flour. Those cold bits of butter create steam in the oven, which helps give the biscuits their flaky layers.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk keeps the biscuits soft and tender while adding a slight tang. Full-fat buttermilk gives the best texture, but a lower-fat version will still work.
• Baking powder: Since self-rising flour already contains leavening, this small extra amount just gives the biscuits a little more lift. I wouldn’t add more than the recipe calls for.
• Salt: You only need a small amount because the self-rising flour already contains salt. If you’re using salted butter, you can reduce or skip the extra pinch.

How to Make Hardee’s Biscuits

Step 1: Prep the Pan

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Generously butter a medium cast-iron skillet or shallow Dutch oven and set it aside.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Add the self-rising flour, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 3: Grate in The Frozen Butter

Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Gently toss the butter with the flour as you go so the pieces stay separated and evenly coated.

Step 4: Add the Buttermilk

Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very soft and wet, so avoid overmixing it.

Step 5: Fold the Dough

Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little flour over the top, then gently fold the dough over itself 5–6 times to bring it together and create layers.

Step 6: Cut the Biscuits

Roll or pat the dough to about 1–1¼ inches thick. Cut out the biscuits with a 3½-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Gather and reroll the scraps once to cut any remaining biscuits.

Step 7: Bake the Biscuits

Arrange the biscuits in the buttered pan with about ¼ inch of space between them. Bake for 17–22 minutes, or until they’ve risen and the tops are lightly golden.

Step 8: Butter and Serve

Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm.

My Tips for the Best Hardee’s Biscuit Copycat

• Keep everything cold. If the butter starts softening while you work, put the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before cutting the biscuits. Cold butter is what helps create distinct flaky layers.
• Use flour generously on your work surface, but not in the dough. The dough is supposed to be soft and a little sticky. Add just enough flour on the outside to make it manageable instead of kneading extra flour into the dough and making the biscuits dense.
• Press straight down with the biscuit cutter. Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and keep the biscuits from rising as tall. Cut straight down, then lift straight back up.
• Keep the biscuits close together in the pan. Leaving only a small gap between them encourages the biscuits to rise upward instead of spreading outward.
• Handle the scraps as little as possible. The first biscuits you cut will be the flakiest. When you gather the scraps, gently press them together and reroll only once so the remaining biscuits don’t get tough.
• Look at the sides for doneness too. The tops should be lightly golden, but the biscuits should also look set and baked through around the edges. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last few minutes.

How to Store and Reheat Hardee’s Biscuits

• At room temperature: Let the biscuits cool completely, then store them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Adding a paper towel to the container can help absorb excess moisture and keep the biscuits from getting soggy.
• In the fridge: For longer storage, refrigerate the biscuits in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They’ll firm up when cold, so I recommend reheating them before serving.
• In the freezer: Once completely cooled, wrap the biscuits individually and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat before serving.
• To reheat: Wrap individual biscuits loosely in foil and warm them in a 325°F oven for about 8–10 minutes. For a quicker option, microwave one biscuit for about 10–15 seconds. Brush with a little melted butter after reheating if you want to bring back that fresh-baked flavor.

Hardee's Biscuits FAQs

What are Hardee’s biscuits?

Hardee’s is known for its Made From Scratch™ biscuits, which are prepared fresh in its restaurants every 15 minutes. This recipe is my homemade copycat version, using self-rising flour, frozen butter, and buttermilk to recreate the tall, soft, flaky biscuits I liked at the restaurant.

Can I make Hardee’s biscuits without self-rising flour?

Yes. For the 2 cups of self-rising flour in this recipe, substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Still add the extra ¼ teaspoon baking powder from the recipe, but skip the additional pinch of salt.

Why didn’t my biscuits rise?

The most common causes are warm butter, overworking the dough, or twisting the biscuit cutter. Keep the butter and dough cold, fold the dough gently, and press the cutter straight down so the edges stay open and can rise in the oven.

Why did my biscuits turn out dense?

Dense biscuits usually come from mixing or handling the dough too much. Once the buttermilk goes in, stir only until the dough comes together. The dough should stay soft rather than becoming smooth like bread dough.

Can I make the biscuit dough ahead of time?

You can cut the biscuits a few hours ahead and refrigerate them on a covered baking sheet or in the prepared pan. Bake them straight from the refrigerator so the butter stays cold.

Can I freeze unbaked biscuits?

Yes. Cut the biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes as needed.

Why do you fold biscuit dough?

Folding creates layers of dough with thin pieces of butter between them. As the biscuits bake, the cold butter releases steam and helps separate those layers, giving you a taller, flakier biscuit.

What can I serve with Hardee’s-style biscuits?

They’re great with sausage gravy, eggs and bacon, fried chicken, or as the base for a breakfast sandwich. For something simple, split one while it’s warm and add butter, honey, or jam.

Copycat Biscuits to Try Next

• Cracker Barrel Biscuits
• Bo Berry Biscuits
• Popeyes Biscuits
• Cheddar Bay Biscuits