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Home » Recipes » Breads

Spam and Scallion Biscuits

Published: Jun 24, 2023 by Suzanne Nuyen · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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I love a ham and cheddar or bacon and cheddar biscuit. So naturally, as I was watching a video tutorial for how to use leftover diced ham in biscuits, I thought: "How could I make this a little more Asian?" That's how these spam and scallion biscuits where born.

Pin Spam and Scallion Biscuits to try later!

a bird's eye view of cooked spam and scallion biscuits in a cast iron skillet

These are perfect for breakfasts, brunches and potlucks, and your guests are sure to be impressed by the slight twist to a classic dish.

Spam, or luncheon meat, is popular in many Asian communities. You might see it in Korean army stew, Hawaiian spam musubi, fried rice dishes and more. The American product made its way to Asian countries during various 20th-century wars.

Jump to:
  • 🍞 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 💭 Substitutions
  • 🍳 Equipment
  • 👪 Serving size, suggestions and storage
  • ✏️ Top tip
  • Spam and Scallion Biscuits
  • 🦺 Food safety
  • Related

🍞 Ingredients

I prefer to use Asian brands of luncheon meat these days, rather than Spam brand. My favorite is Dong Wan.

ingredients for spam and scallion biscuits on a wooden cutting board
A hand holds up a can of Dong Won brand luncheon meat.

You will need:

  • Spam, or your preferred brand of luncheon meat
  • scallions
  • flour
  • salt
  • baking powder
  • butter
  • buttermilk

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

A bird's eye view of a person dicing spam.

Finely dice your luncheon meat/spam and thinly slice your scallions.

A bird's eye view of a person sautéeing diced spam until it is crispy.

Add a small pat of butter into your heavy-bottomed skillet (I used cast iron) and fry the spam on medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the spam and set it aside to cool, but reserve the fat in the skillet.

A bird's eye view of a person pouring flour into a sieve sitting on top of a blue bowl.

In a large bowl, sift your flour and whisk it together with salt and baking powder.

A bird's eye view of a person dumping sliced butter into a blue bowl filled with flour.

Thinly slice or dice your cold butter and add it to the flour mixture.

A bird's eye view of two hands squeezing cold butter into flour.

Use your fingertips to smear the butter into the flour between your fingers. You want the flour to be a sandy texture, with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. If you have a pastry cutter, you can use that.

A bird's eye view of a person pouring buttermilk into a blue bowl of butter mixed with flour.

Add the cold buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir until the dough just comes together. It's ok if you still see some dry flour.

A bird's eye view of a person mixing chopped scallion and diced crispy spam into a dough.

Add the cooled spam and sliced scallions to the dough and work it gently into the dough with your hands.

A bird's eye view of two hands patting out spam and scallion biscuit dough

Pat the dough out gently into a floured surface. The dough should be about 1-1.5 inches thick.

A bird's eye view of a person picking up a cut biscuit from a larger piece of dough.

Using a 2 ¾ inch biscuit cutter or mason jar, cut out your biscuits by pressing it straight down into the dough. Do NOT twist your jar or biscuit cutter.

A bird's eye view of two hands smushing together spam and scallion biscuit dough

Gently press the dough back together in order to cut out more biscuits. Continue doing so until you get about 12 biscuits.

A bird's eye view of a hand placing cut spam and scallion biscuits into a cast iron skillet

Place the cut biscuits into the skillet you cooked your spam in. Bake them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned.

Hint: Keep everything as cold as possible while you make these biscuits. You do not want the butter to melt. You should still see solid, pea-sized pieces of butter throughout your dough. This is what makes the fluffy layers in the biscuit.

💭 Substitutions

a close up view of cooked spam and scallion biscuits in a cast iron skillet

I have not personally tested these substitutions out on these spam and scallion biscuits. These are just my suggestions based on the products I've tried and how I know they've behaved in other recipes.

  • Vegetarian: There are some brands out there that make vegan spam. It doesn't quite taste the same, but I have enjoyed the unMeat brand in the past.
  • Vegan: You can use vegan butter for the biscuits. Don't use a spreadable one. You want solid, pea-sized amounts of your fat incorporated throughout the dough. Try a thinned-out, vegan yogurt instead of buttermilk.
  • Gluten-free: You can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. Check to make sure you can make a 1:1 swap between the gluten-free flour and the regular flour.

🍳 Equipment

I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet to cook these biscuits. You can keep everything in one pan, and the extra fat from cooking the spam flavors the biscuits.

If you don't have one, you can cook the spam in any skillet you own, and bake the biscuits on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

A spam and scallion biscuit cut in half propped up against whole spam and scallion biscuits on a wooden board

👪 Serving size, suggestions and storage

I was able to make 12 spam and scallion biscuits from this recipe using a 2 ¾ mason jar.

These taste great on their own, and I don't think they need anything! You can serve them with eggs or grits and some coffee for a full breakfast.

These taste best warm out of the oven, but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the oven or toaster oven for the best texture, though you can also microwave them in a pinch.

Three cooked spam and scallion biscuits stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board

✏️ Top tip

I like to freeze my butter for at least two hours to make sure it stays cold while I'm making the dough. Keep the buttermilk in the fridge until you need it as well. I put the cooked spam in the freezer to cool it down faster. You do not want to add the spam to the dough if it's still warm. If at any time you feel your dough is getting too warm and the butter might melt, put everything back in the fridge or freezer to cool it down.

a bird's eye view of cooked spam and scallion biscuits in a cast iron skillet
Print Pin
5 from 3 votes

Spam and Scallion Biscuits

Fluffy, buttery, salty, crispy: these biscuits have it all. You'll love this Asian twist on a classic ham biscuit.
Course Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Asian, Fusion
Keyword Biscuits, Breads, Pork, Scallion, Spam
Prep Time 40 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour
Servings 12 biscuits
Calories 243kcal

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet recommended
  • sheet pan optional

Ingredients

  • 12 oz Spam or preferred luncheon meat brand finely diced
  • 1 bunch scallions chopped
  • ½ cup cold butter (1 stick) plus extra for cooking the spam
  • 2 cups all purpose flour plus extra for flouring the work surface
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon koser salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 450℉
  • Dice the spam and thinly slice the scallions.
  • Add a small pat of butter into the heavy-bottomed skillet (I used cast iron) and fry the spam on medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the spam and set it aside to cool, but reserve the fat in the skillet.
  • In a large bowl, sift the flour and whisk it together with salt and baking powder.
  • Thinly slice or dice the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture.
  • Use your fingertips to smear the butter into the flour between your fingers. You want the flour to be a sandy texture, with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout. If you have a pastry cutter, you can use that.
  • Add the cold buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir until the dough just comes together. It's ok if you still see some dry flour.
  • Add the cooled spam and sliced scallions to the dough and work it gently into the dough with your hands.
  • Pat the dough out gently into a floured surface. The dough should be about 1 to 1 ½ inches thick.
  • Using a 2 ¾ inch biscuit cutter or mason jar, cut out your biscuits by pressing it straight down into the dough. Do NOT twist your jar or biscuit cutter.
  • Gently press the dough back together in order to cut out more biscuits. Continue doing so until you get about 12 biscuits.
  • Place the cut biscuits into the skillet you cooked your spam in. Bake them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Nutrition facts as an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Facts
Spam and Scallion Biscuits
Amount Per Serving (1 biscuit)
Calories 243 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 777mg34%
Potassium 167mg5%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 281IU6%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 83mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutrition facts as an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

🦺 Food safety

  • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I'm Suzanne, your Bun Bo Bae. I'm a journalist, professional amateur baker, noodle enthusiast and food photographer living in Washington, DC. My immigrant parents taught me everything I know about Vietnamese home cooking, and now I want to share it with you!

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A photo of cooked spam and scallion biscuits in a cast iron skillet with a title on top of it that says "spam and scallion biscuits."

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