French Onion Biscuits
Sky high French Onion Biscuits are the perfect savory bread to serve alongside dinner, a holiday meal or even Thanksgiving! Caramelize onions in butter and oil, then cook with beef stock and thyme for the ultimate French Onion flavor. Then throw these chilled onions into beef-thyme-gruyere batter before forming biscuits and baking. Fluffy, flavorful and cheesy, French Onion Biscuits are a unique spin on the classic soup and a classic biscuit.
Y’all know how I feel about all things French Onion. I’m allllllllllll about that soup and twists on it, including risotto, pull-apart bread, bruschetta, poutine and meatloaf… and I’m bringing y’all a new twist on the classic flavors just in time for Thanksgiving.
I know, I know. You’re wondering: Are biscuits really something we want to serve at Thanksgiving?
And I’m here to say that ABSOLUTELY, you should make biscuits for the Thanksgiving table!
OK, so even if you don’t make these for Thanksgiving, they’re the perfect carb to pair with an weeknight dinner. And all they require is a little bit of planning and some hands-on time before these fluffy, little biscuits can be yours.
Please pay attention to the details laid out in the recipe, as there are different elements that take different amounts of time. Also, you want to ensure your ingredients are all cold when they go into the biscuit batter so the biscuits rise like little champions.
Can I make these French Onion Biscuits in advance?
Absolutely… though I recommend making parts of them in advance and baking ‘em up the day you plan to serve them because warm biscuits are the absolute best.
What do I mean by this? Caramelize the onions in advance, and let them chill in the fridge for a day or two. And freeze your biscuit ingredients the day before, too, because this’ll make it easier on you.
Another option is make the biscuits completely, and when you pop them into the freezer on a baking sheet to firm up before baking, leave them there (instead of taking out in 20 and baking.) Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until the biscuits are solidly frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to a few weeks. When you’re ready to bake them, remove from the freezer, place on a prepared baking sheet, and bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes. (The bake might take a little bit longer because they’re solidly frozen, so keep an eye on them.)
My biscuits didn’t rise. What happened?
There are a few things that might be at play here.
Were all your ingredients cold? If not, this could be your culprit. Biscuits require cold fat to become fluffy and delightful… and if you’re putting warm caramelized onions into the biscuit batter, the fat is melting before it goes into the oven.
Is your oven running hot enough? High heat = steam = sky high biscuits. It’s science, y’all.
Is your baking powder expired? This could also be the cause.
Is there a way to make these biscuits faster? I only have an hour…
Bad news, friend. You need to take the time with these biscuits, for the aforementioned reasons about the biscuits rising.
How do I reheat these French Onion Biscuits?
You can heat these biscuits in the toaster oven (or regular oven).
Preheat to 350°F, and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the biscuits are warmed through.
What tools do I need to make these French Onion Biscuits?
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- A mandoline slicer.
- A nonstick skillet.
- Glass bowls.
- Liquid measuring cup.
- Box grater.
- Biscuit cutter.
- Baking sheet.
- Nonstick baking mat or parchment paper.
What can I pair with these biscuits?
Are you making Thanksgiving dinner? If so, here’s a list of Thanksgiving-centric dishes that I think would be super tasty alongside these biscuits.
Are you making a weeknight dinner? Here’s a list of regular ‘ol (but oh-so-tasty) dishes that would pair nicely, too.
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Toasted Pine Nut Green Beans
- Whole30 Bacon Apple Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette (Paleo, Dairy Free)
Now who’s ready for some BISCUITS?
Scroll on down to learn how you can make ’em…
French Onion Biscuits
Ingredients
Caramelized Onion
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup beef stock
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter frozen and grated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- Caramelized onion recipe above
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup beef stock
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Instructions
Chill the Ingredients!
- One to two hours before making the biscuits, place the stick of butter, the gruyere cheese and the bowl in the freezer.
- DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, as your biscuits might not rise if your ingredients are not cold.
Caramelize the Onion
- Using a sharp knife or a mandoline, slice the onion very thin.
- In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Pour in the olive oil, too, until the fats have combined.
- Add the onion to the skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 20-30 minutes, or until the onion has browned and caramelized.
- Pour in the beef stock, and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook until the stock has soaked completely into the onions.
- Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme, then remove from the heat.
- Transfer the cooked onions to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that they are not warm when they go into the biscuit batter.
Make the Biscuits
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking sheet, and set aside.
- Grate the 6 tablespoons of butter using a cheese grater, and transfer back to the freezer until it’s time to use.
- In the chilled bowl, combine the dry ingredients—the flour, the sugar, the baking powder and the fresh thyme. Whisk until combined.
- Add the chilled butter, completely cool caramelized onions and shredded gruyere cheese. Using a plastic spatula, fold the ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Pour in the milk and beef stock, and stir using the spatula.
- Turn the biscuit batter out onto a floured surface, and knead until combined. (You don’t want to knead this for a long time. Just press the dough together until no scraps remain, moving quickly so the ingredients don’t get warm, and shape into a 1” tall rectangle.)
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits. (I like my 1 ½” biscuit cutter for these, as these biscuits are super savory, but you can use any size you’d like.)
- Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet. When the rectangle is just scraps, reshape the dough into another rectangle and cut more. Repeat until all the dough has been cut and placed on the baking sheet.
- Transfer the biscuits into the freezer, and freeze for 20 minutes. (This step will help ensure your biscuits don’t spread!)
- While the biscuits chill, preheat the oven to 450°F. (Make sure that the oven completes it’s preheat before the biscuits go into it, as a hot enough oven is imperative for fluffy, tall biscuits!)
- Once the biscuits have chilled for the allotted amount of time, remove from the freezer. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown.
- Let cool, then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Biscuits for Thanksgiving: Yay or nay?
Could I interest you in one of these French Onion Biscuits today?
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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