Alright, let’s talk about my adventure making gluten-free chicken biscuits. It was one of those afternoons where I just felt like trying something new, you know?
Getting Started
First thing I did was pull out my go-to gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I find it works pretty well for most things, though sometimes it can be a bit tricky. Dumped a good amount into my biggest mixing bowl. Then came the cold butter. I chopped it up into little pieces like you’re supposed to, trying to get that flaky texture everyone talks about.
Cutting the butter into the flour… honestly, this part’s always a bit messy for me. I used a pastry blender for a bit, then just gave up and used my hands. Felt more connected to the process that way, even if my fingers got all doughy. You gotta work fast so the butter doesn’t melt too much, right?
Adding the Wet Stuff and Chicken
Once the flour looked kinda crumbly, like coarse meal, I made a little well in the center. Poured in some cold milk. I started with a bit less than I thought I needed, ’cause you can always add more, but you can’t easily take it out. Mixed that gently with a fork until it just came together. Didn’t want to overmix it – gluten-free dough gets tough fast if you mess with it too much.
Now for the chicken part. I had some leftover cooked chicken, shredded pretty fine. Folded that into the dough along with some shredded cheddar cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. Kept the folding gentle, again, trying not to activate whatever binding power that flour has too much.
Shaping and Baking
Turned the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (using more of that gluten-free blend, of course). Patting it out was easier than rolling, I found. Got it to about half an inch thick. Then I used a round cutter to cut out the biscuits. Placed them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. That stuff’s a lifesaver for cleanup.
Brushed the tops with a little melted butter – gives them that nice golden color. Popped them into a preheated oven. I think it was around 400 degrees Fahrenheit? Kept a close eye on them.
The Result
They baked up okay! Maybe not perfectly uniform, some were a bit lopsided, but they smelled amazing. The cheese got nice and bubbly, the chicken was warm inside. They were maybe a little denser than regular biscuits, which often happens with gluten-free baking, but the flavor was spot on. Had one warm with a bit more butter… yeah, pretty satisfying result for an afternoon experiment. Definitely something I’ll try tweaking again.