Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat Recipe) + Video
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Delight in our Cheddar Bay Biscuits where these beautiful light and flaky, garlicky cheddar drop biscuits are glistening with butter and speckled with parsley. They are slightly crisp on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. This Red Lobster Copycat Recipe is crazy good.
The best part is these cheesy biscuits are so easy to make, it only takes one bowl, one whisk, and 20 minutes! Yes, only 20 minutes from start till serve with simple ingredients and hardly any dishes to wash!!
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a biscuit as flaky, moist, and tender as those Red Lobster biscuits. You can tell just by looking at them!!
I’m obsessed with the golden brown coloring and the flavor of these buttery biscuits.
The robust, savory seasonings both inside and out are out of this world — and I bet you already have them in your pantry right now!!
This is one of those biscuit recipes that you keep on hand to serve and prepare any time of year.
Since we’re talking Red Lobster bread, why not serve it with a Red Lobster main course?
Since these cheesy biscuits literally taste just like they came from the restaurant, pair them with a copycat main dish, too.
Shrimp scampi comes with a phenomenal white wine lemon sauce that you can soak right up with the biscuits – my mouth is watering just thinking about it!!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Flour, Baking Powder, and a pinch of Sugar – No boxed mix in sight! Perfect proportions for perfectly puffy biscuits.
Garlic Powder – A tablespoon is all you need for wonderful, garlicky goodness. If it isn’t a strong enough flavor for you, I recommend adding some garlic powder to some melted butter at the end to brush over top – that way, you won’t overdo it in the batter. You could even add onion powder.
Butter – you can use room temperature but for ease of preparation I used melted butter to prepare this recipe. It comes together so much easier.
Whole Milk – For a dairy-free substitute, replace with an equal measurement of any non-dairy milk. You can also use buttermilk! Heavy cream, however, is not a good substitute.
Cheddar Cheese – Go ahead and throw in your favorite shredded cheese! I personally enjoy spicing things up with Pepper Jack.
Dried Parsley – I actually wouldn’t use fresh herbs for this one. Dried herbs are far stronger, keep better, and penetrate the flavor of the butter more effectively.
Variations
Use garlic butter – Because why not?
Topping these cheese biscuits with a garlic buttery topping sounds like the perfect way to enjoy bite after bite of this fluffy texture.
Turn them into easy drop biscuits – If you don’t want to keep the same shape as the Red Lobster Biscuit recipes does, you don’t have to.
You can easily just add a spoonful of the dough of these homemade cheddar bay biscuits to your prepared baking sheet and bake.
How To Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare – Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk until combined.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients – Add the melted butter and milk.
Step 5: Fold in the cheese – Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ensuring it’s evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Helpful Tips & Tricks for Making This Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe
- For Extra Rich Biscuits – Add more butter to the tops of each biscuit after baking if you want ridiculously flavorful, decadent Red Lobster biscuits.
Like I mentioned above, you can add more garlic to the butter if you want to enhance those flavors. - A Bit of Heat – A small amount of cayenne adds a kick to these biscuits and goes well with the other seasonings we already have thrown into the mix.
- Try A Muffin Tin – A neat trick recommended by one of our readers is to make this cheddar bay biscuit recipe in a muffin tin!
The butter melts all the way down and makes the biscuit even more moist and rich than the original. - Useful Equipment to Have – A baking sheet lined with parchment paper is a given, while a basting brush will really help to spread that delicious butter all over!
And actually, I find it best to drop the biscuits from 2 tablespoons (grease them first!) rather than using a scoop — you get a terrific texture that way!
Storing and Reheating Red Lobster Biscuits
Not many people think that Cheddar Bay Biscuits need to be refrigerated – and they don’t! Technically.
However, biscuits stay moist and tender longer if kept in the fridge, up to 4 days. They keep for 3 days on the counter.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months! (just add them to a freezer bag!)
The key to keeping these cheddar biscuits fresh and delicious is to store them in an airtight container.
Reheating is best done in the oven. Pop them back in at a lower temperature – closer to 325°F – until warmed.
You can top with a bit more butter and broil for just a moment to get that glorious texture back!
The microwave works well, too, and keeps those biscuits nice and moist. However, some of the texture is lost.
I recommend eating these warm biscuits with a delicious butter mixture or dipping the flaky biscuits in a bowl of piping hot soup. (there is honestly no wrong way to eat these flavorful biscuits!)
Cheddar Bay Biscuits FAQ
It’s actually so simple for such a scrumptious side dish! You’re going to be shocked that making copycat cheddar bay biscuits was so simple to do. And I can guarantee that the first time that you make this easy recipe isn’t going to be the last time.
You just need flour, baking powder, some common seasonings, and cheese. It’s really the method that makes the Red Lobster biscuits so fantastic!
Using your own kitchen to create these legendary cheddar bay biscuits is one of the best feelings in the world. And the whole time that they’re baking in the oven, you’ll be counting down the bake time until you get your very first bite.
The name dates alllll the way back – to the 90s!
They were described as “hot cheese garlic bread” and listed alongside all their other sides. They became rapidly popular, so the side dish was given its own name, and the Cheddar Bay Biscuit was born!
A better question would be – what don’t you serve with this cheddar bay biscuit recipe??
Even if you’re not enjoying a Red Lobster main course, this bread goes with virtually anything you’d eat with biscuits.
So, if you want something alongside omelets or any other breakfast dish, go with these buttery bad boys! (In fact, try using this recipe in my sausage gravy and drop biscuits skillet!)
And, of course, beef and poultry are always happy to have some garlic bread on their plates. A meal like this needs some roasted veggies on the side, like these brussels sprouts.
And, finally, my personal confession… I like to eat these with a chicken salad. In fact, the salad is more of a side when I order it at the restaurant because the main course is those biscuits!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Cheddar Bay Biscuits Copycat + Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 sticks, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter in a small microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until butter is melted. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add melted butter and milk and whisk just until flour is all wet, do not over mix.
- Add cheese and fold in with a spoon.
- Drop heaping spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter in small mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until butter is melted.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and parsley. Stir with a pastry brush.
- Remove biscuits from oven, brush with melted butter mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2013, updated and republished October 2023
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The biscuit is great and so easy but the website has ads that keep popping up and erasing the recipe.
These are my "bring with you" contribution whenever we attend a family dinner or potluck. I stay with the recipe except that I cut in the butter with a pastry blender and I use soured milk (1tbsp vinegar and fill with the milk to make 1c). It's a little extra step but I find it makes these biscuits more tender and flakier and they rise better. Plus, if there are any left over, they aren't dry the next day. And I don't brush the extra butter over the biscuits at the end and they are still wonderful!
Why would you spend $2.75 for a mix where you have to add the cheese and milk or liquid of some sort. You already probably have most of the ingredients on hand. Homemade is sooo much better.
I made these with Kinnikinnick gluten free all purpose flour and the texture came out great. The only problem is that I accidentally added too much garlic, like burns your esophagus, never kiss on the mouth again too much garlic. If anyone has any tips on how to tone down the leftovers, they would be appreciated:) I still ate like 9 of them, best biscuits I’ve had since going gluten free.
Delicious!! Was so easy to make and I loved that I had all the ingredients on hand and didn't have to make a trip to the store. On a side note, I didn't like how sweet the buiscuits were, definently will cut back on the sugar next time
I've made cheddar bay biscuits so many times but usually use bisquick. Made these today since I was out, and these turned out SO MUCH better than every other time! They are JUST like Red Lobster! The only thing I did differently was to add a little onion powder to the butter topping and I had to leave them in closer to 20 minutes instead of 12 for them to brown on top. Lowered the temp to 375 at the 12 minute mark and cooked for an additional 8 mins. They turned out perfectly! My hubby said these were the best I've ever made! Won't ever use another recipe.
Tried these and the flavor was good they ended up a bit flatter than I like my biscuits. The oven temperature seemed high to me because the bottoms got browned before the tops even set, and that was with them on the top oven rack. If I make this recipe again I will follow another reviewers suggestion to cut in the butter rather than fully melt it.
Can you use buttermilk instead of whole milk for this recipe?
Fantastic recepie. Thank you
So much from Turkey. 😉😁
Made this as is but used big ice cream scoop instead of spoon for uniform look and came out perfect! Definitely a favorite. Thank you for sharing.
Very easy recipe to follow if you READ it through before starting. Used 2% milk since it was all I had on hand, was very delicious, there were no leftovers.
I've made these several time, the first time being last year for my Christmas dinner party. People were raving over them, hardly anything left. These are definitely my go to for cheesy garlic biscuits, delicious each time. Fabulous recipe!
These biscuits are great! Thank you so much!
Great Recipe, followed as is. its about 85% as good as red lobster. But a solid attempt for a homemade version.
I added about a 1/3 cup more flour and half tsp baking powder. Also added 1 tbsp ranch powder to dough. Came out fantastic! Thank you for the recipe! (P.s.) I use these biscuits as the dumplings for my chicken and dumplings. Was using box mix but these hold up even better!)
Hi I have done this recipe twice, but both times it’s mushy inside, but almost burned outside, I use milk with no lactose instead of whole milk, that’s the only difference does anyone knows what may be happening?
Maybe your oven is too hot? I cooked at 400 for about 20 minutes. Plus I subbed fat free milk and they were light and fluffy.
Made these last night and they were awesome! My husband loved them so much, he called them the Ojeda biscuits (after us). Lol. The only thing I would change is we'd probably add 10-12 oz. of cheese instead of 8, only because we love cheese. Other than that, it's a great recipe that we'll definitely put in heavy rotation. Thank you!
Wife and I just made a batch of these, came out great!
I made them and they were absolutely delicious and a close match to Red Lobster Biscuits!!!!!
DELIOUS! I never made homemade biscuits before, man were they outstanding and easy! Loved having the video too. Thank you for posting.
I’m on the buss about to go home and I can’t wait to make them! That are my favorite they are soooo good!
Tried these and loved them!! Making them again tonight to go alongside my homemade chili! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Tried these and love them!! I am going to make them again tonight to go alongside my homemade chili! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
This is a delicious mock recipe. I didnt have dried parsley cause I'm put so I used a bit or dried oregano and omg it turned out so delish. Has more of an Italian feel to it now. I live these as well because I used a 3 aged cheddar blend and it turned out so rich and melty throughout the biscuit and crispy and crunchy on the bottom. I WILL be making this recipe for my family on Thanksgiving. Thank you so much.
These are absolutely delicious!! Better than red lobster in my opinion!