Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
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These copycat biscuits are so easy to make in just 30 min! So buttery, so flaky, and so irresistibly good!
Featured Comment
I have the fondest memories of Red Lobster. It was always our go-to place for big familial celebrations, particularly for our birthdays. And since we never went out for dinner, it was always a huge deal to eat out. It was as if we had won the lottery. But other than the lobster, there was something else on the menu that was just as lottery-worthy. It was, of course, the cheddar bay biscuits.
why i love this recipe
- Copycat recipe. This is a complete copycat recipe of Red Lobster’s most popular (and famous) biscuits. You’ll have the flakiest, most fluffy biscuit you could possibly dream of. Dare I say it’s even better than the restaurant version?
- No more store-bought mix. You can skip the store-bought biscuit mix with easy-to-find ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.
- So fast and easy. These buttery, flaky biscuits come together in just 30 minutes, start to finish.
- Crowd-favorite. These copycat biscuits are a huge crowd-favorite for both kids and grown ups, great as an appetizer or snack, or served alongside any meal – from soups, stews, pastas and everything in between.
- Freezer-friendly. Freeze before or after baking, ideal for stocking your freezer or saving leftovers.
tips and tricks for success
- Use buttermilk. While adding a slightly tangy flavor, buttermilk is a key ingredient here contributing to the flavor, texture and rise. Using milk will lead to more neutral flavors along with flat and dense biscuits. You can also make a buttermilk substitute using milk, adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
- Use your favorite cheese. The recipe lists sharp cheddar cheese but feel free to mix it up with white cheddar, gouda or pepper jack cheese.
- Avoid overworking the dough. Knead the dough just until it comes together. Overworking the dough can lead to dense, dry biscuits.
- Use a floured biscuit cutter. Flouring the biscuit cutter beforehand will prevent sticking. Avoid twisting the cutter as the biscuits may slope and rise unevenly.
- Freeze before baking. Although biscuits can be frozen before or after baking, freezing before baking is preferred to preserve texture and for optimal freshness.
FREEZING AND STORAGE
Storage
Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freeze before baking
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 weeks. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
Freeze after baking
Let the biscuits cool completely. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 3 weeks. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
what to serve with red lobster cheddar bay biscuits
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Frequently Asked Questions
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.
You can add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
A sharp knife should do the trick using a downward motion. Using a dull rim, such as a glass or mason jar, can prevent the biscuits from rising.
Yes! Biscuits are very freezer-friendly, flash freezing once assembled (before baking) and storing in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For the topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.
- In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
for the topping
- Whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Just baked this today. Turned out really good. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!!
At 71 years of age and still working full time I love cooking and am the designated “cooker” in our house. Thank you for the recipe! It has been years since I have been to Red Lobster as the closest on is 100 miles away, a three hour trip. But I did so love their biscuits! These are on the menu for tonight!
Wondering if I can make them the day before… and just add the warm butter before serving?
Yes!
Hi! My husband tried this biscuits in Red Lobster and he loved!! So, I want to make theys for dinner, but I lived in Brazil and here is too difficult found the real cheddar. With other cheese I can made them? Tanks!
Yes, absolutely, but cheddar is best! 🙂
These turned out really good, I used buttermilk powder and water (as instructed on the can). Easy and delicious, I liked how you used the ice cream scoop in your video and did the same (didn’t realize it was exactly 1/4 cup!), perfect and couldn’t be easier. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I want to make these tomorrow! Can I substitute cheddar cheese for shredded mozzarella?
Yes!
Husband and I enjoyed these very much. Tender–crunchy–yum! Now going to be a top recipe. –AL
Oh my goodness, theses are absolutely amazing! My family loved them so much, and I am shocked at how easy it was to make them! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!
These are great with chili. Thanks.
I made these just now to eat with our dinner. It was hard to mix the dry ingredients into the wet gently as it wasn’t becoming incorporated without stirring a great deal more. I followed the recipe exactly but mine came out flat as well – I even used an ice cream scooper. They also came out quite crunchy on top. My oven has a thermometer hanging permanently for my baking, and I baked them for 12 minutes. They were a bit doughy inside so if I baked them more, they would be even crunchier. I have to say, they were very easy to make though.
First, I love your food blog!
I made these biscuits last night and I had some trouble getting the middle to fully bake. The outside seemed great and the inside was still a little gooey. Did I do something wrong???
I have a pretty new gas oven (don’t know if it matters?).
It’s hard to say – it sounds like the inside was not fully cooked through.
Duh, she just said that!!
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but these are the easiest biscuits I’ve ever made, and they come out amazing every time. Thanks!
Yesterday in my Food Science class first hour, my partners and I made them and they turned out delicious. I’ve pre-made them Tuesday night but I didn’t have any Parsley. Instead, I’ve used Oregano for the topping and it still tasted delicious. I’ll be making them again after winter break because they are so good and hopefully, my entire family would love them as much as I do and my lab partners did. TERRIFIC copycat recipe!
How did you pre make them? Can you freeze it raw and bale it later?
Hi! If i dont have buttermilk may i just use milk? Wanna try for dinner tonight! Thank you❤
You can actually create a buttermilk substitute from plain milk with lemon juice or vinegar! Here’s how:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-quick-easy-buttermilk-substitute-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-185757.
Thank you sooo much. I made them with just milk and they came out pretty good. My girls loved them!!! But im sure with the buttermilk it will make them fluffier?
Yes!
I tried these this evening to go with my slow cooker chicken stew. I used vinegar and milk to sub in for the buttermilk, and mild cheddar cheese because that’s what I had. I also added an extra TB of baking powder after reading the comments. I think my batter ended up runnier than what it looks like yours did so they also ended variously shaped. They were so soft and tender (and they rose nicely). One last change I made was to melt only one TB of butter for the topping because I feel like I always end up wasting ingredients for toppings. I kept the garlic powder amount the same and it was used up perfectly among 11 biscuits.
These are the BEST cheddar bay biscuits we’ve ever had – much better than Red Lobster, and definitely better than other copycat versions I’ve tried. I love the cayenne pepper and how cheesy they are. We eat them with a tomato bisque, and the biscuits are fought over and there’s a crumb left! I’m going to try to make some and freeze them before baking because I want to whip them out for a quick side for our Christmas Eve dinner. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
To anyone looking to freeze these, I tried it. I put the dough on cookie sheets and froze until firm then put into a gallon baggie. When we were ready to eat them I put them in the cold oven and heated it to 450 and started the timer once it got to 450. I then brushed with the topping when they were done. The biscuits were still good but not quite as good as when they’re fresh. they lost the light texture and were more dense. Now, we still ate every one, but I would only freeze the dough if you just won’t eat the whole recipe. It might be better to freeze after they are cooked.
I tried this recipe last night and loved it!! The only thing I did differently was omit parsley and add small pieces of fresh spinach to the flour mixture to trick my family into eating some leafy greens. I highly recommend this recipe!
And they weren’t flat!!
I was very disappointed because I wanted to love these. They turned out like flat pancakes. I followed the recipe exactly!!!! Waste of time and ingredients
These were very good and very close to red lobsters, close eenough for me! Very simple to make, what a plus! I was a little worried about the batter being to runny but it turned out great! Thank you!
They look lovely on the website, but trying to replicate is another matter. I don’t think the directions are accurate. There’s way too much sugar in this recipe. It turns out slightly sweet when they should be salty. I’ve also never liked buttermilk and my opinion hasn’t changed with this recipe but that’s a personal preference I suppose. Also, 450 degrees is WAAAY too hot for the oven, and I used an oven thermometer so I know they were baking at exactly 450. The biscuits were burning on top but undercooked in the middle.
I think the recipe on Food Network with Bisquick mix and cold butter mixed in has the best results for cheddar bay biscuits and I’ll stick with that one.