Copycat McDonald’s Biscuits (Air Fryer, Oven or Skillet)

This copycat McDonald’s biscuit recipe gives you tall, flaky, buttery biscuits straight from your air fryer in about 30 minutes. They have the soft, pull-apart layers and salty butter-brushed tops you know from the drive-thru, and they make the best homemade sausage biscuits and egg biscuit sandwiches.

You only need seven pantry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cold butter and buttermilk. No mixer or rolling pin needed, and you can cook them three ways: in the air fryer, the oven, or a cast-iron skillet on the stove.

Why You’ll Love These McDonald’s-Style Biscuits

• Freezer friendly. Bake once and reheat all week.
• Tall, flaky layers. A simple fold-and-pat method builds the layers that make a McDonald’s biscuit pull apart.
• Ready in about 30 minutes. The air fryer cooks a batch in 9 to 11 minutes.
• Breakfast-sandwich ready. They split cleanly for sausage, egg and cheese.

What Makes a McDonald’s Biscuit Different?

A McDonald’s-style biscuit is taller and more layered than a drop biscuit, with a tender, slightly tangy inside and a golden, buttery top. Three things recreate it at home: buttermilk for tang and tenderness, very cold grated butter for steam and flakes, and folding the dough a few times instead of kneading it.

This is a homemade copycat recipe. Fork To Spoon is not affiliated with McDonald’s.

McDonald’s Biscuit Recipe Ingredients

The exact amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• All-purpose flour: Gives structure without making the biscuits tough. Spoon it into the cup and level it off.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Baking powder gives the lift; baking soda reacts with the buttermilk for extra rise and browning.
• Granulated sugar: Just a touch for a soft, golden crumb.
• Salt: McDonald’s-style biscuits are noticeably savory, so don’t skip it.
• Cold unsalted butter: Frozen and grated, so it stays in small pieces that turn into flaky layers.
• Cold buttermilk: The key to the classic tang. No buttermilk? See the FAQ below.
• Melted salted butter: Brushed on right after air frying for that drive-thru finish.

How to Make McDonald’s Biscuits in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl

Step 2:Grate in the cold butter. Grate frozen butter straight into the flour and toss with a fork until every piece is coated.

Step 3: Add the buttermilk. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Some dry bits are fine.

Step 4: Fold for layers. Turn the dough onto a floured counter and pat it into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Fold it in thirds like a letter, turn it, and pat it out again. Repeat 3 times

Step 5: Cut the biscuits. Pat the dough to 1 inch thick. Press a 2½-inch biscuit cutter straight down without twisting, which keeps the edges open so the biscuits rise tall. Gently press the scraps together for 1–2 more.

Step 6: Chill for 10 minutes. Place the cut biscuits on a plate in the freezer while the air fryer preheats. Cold butter equals more rise.

Step 7: Air fry. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Line the basket with parchment and place the biscuits about 1 inch apart. Air fry 9 to 11 minutes, until tall and deep golden. Work in batches.

Step 8: Brush with butter. Brush the hot tops with melted salted butter and serve warm.

Tips for the Best Copycat McDonald’s Biscuits

• Keep everything cold. Freeze the butter for 30 minutes and keep the buttermilk in the fridge until the moment you use it.
• Don’t knead. Folding builds layers; kneading builds gluten and makes biscuits dense and tough.
• Skip the twist. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the rise.
• Use 350°F, not hotter. Tall biscuits sit close to the heating element. A higher temperature browns the tops before the centers cook.
• Every air fryer runs differently. Check at 8 minutes the first time. Done biscuits sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

How to Make a McDonald’s-Style Sausage Biscuit

Split a warm biscuit, add a seasoned pork sausage patty, and close it up. For a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit, add a folded egg and a slice of American cheese. You can cook the sausage in the same air fryer with my crispy air fryer breakfast sausage method.

Round out the drive-thru breakfast at home with homemade McDonald’s hash browns, or try my low-carb copycat Sausage McGriddle.

What to Serve With Homemade Biscuits

• Butter and jam or honey for a simple breakfast
• Denny’s-style sausage gravy and biscuits
• Copycat Bob Evans sausage gravy
• Hardee’s-style sausage gravy
• Cracker Barrel sawmill gravy

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat

Store: Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freeze baked biscuits: Freeze on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then move to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Freeze unbaked biscuits: Freeze the cut dough rounds on a tray, then bag them. Air fry from frozen at 330°F for 13 to 16 minutes.

Reheat: Air fry at 320°F for 3 to 4 minutes (5 to 6 minutes from frozen) until warm through.

How to Make McDonald’s Biscuits in the Oven or a Skillet

Prep the dough exactly the same way (steps 1 to 6 above), then pick your method.

Oven method: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the sides just touching, which helps them rise taller. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden, then brush with melted butter.

Skillet method (no oven): Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the biscuits, cover with a lid, and cook 6 to 8 minutes until the bottoms are deep golden. Flip, cover again, and cook 5 to 7 minutes more, until the sides look set and the centers are no longer doughy. Keep the heat low so the outsides don’t burn before the middles cook.

Method	Temperature	Time	Best for
Air fryer	350°F	9–11 min per batch	Quick small batches
Oven	425°F	12–15 min	All 8 at once, tallest rise
Cast-iron skillet	Medium-low, covered	11–15 min total, flipped once	No oven; golden tops and bottoms

Copycat McDonald’s Biscuits FAQs

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Yes. Stir 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into ¾ cup of cold milk and let it sit 5 minutes. If you use plain milk without the acid, leave out the baking soda.

Can I use shortening instead of butter? Yes, use the same amount. Shortening gives a softer, more crumbly Southern-style biscuit, while butter gives more flavor and flakier layers.

Why didn’t my biscuits rise? The usual causes are warm butter, twisting the cutter, overworking the dough, or old baking powder. Test baking powder by dropping a pinch into hot water: it should fizz right away.

Why are my biscuits dry? Too much flour is the most common cause. Spoon and level the flour instead of scooping, and use only enough extra flour on the counter to stop sticking.

Can I use self-rising flour? Yes. Use 2 cups of self-rising flour and leave out the baking powder and salt. Keep the baking soda if you’re using buttermilk.

What size biscuit cutter should I use? A 2½-inch cutter makes about 8 sandwich-sized biscuits. A 2-inch cutter makes 10 to 12 smaller ones; check them at 8 minutes.

More Copycat Breakfast Recipes

• Homemade McDonald’s Hash Browns
• Copycat Sausage McGriddle (Air Fryer)
• Denny’s Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
• Bob Evans Sausage Gravy