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!
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.
I don’t know about you guys but I absolutely love discovering copycat recipes. From this Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana to this PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef, I am having a blast recreating some of my childhood favorites. And these cheddar bay biscuits are no exception. The best part about it is that it only takes 30 min to make start to finish. You’ll have the flakiest, most fluffy biscuit you could possibly dream of (even better than the restaurant version), with a hint of spiciness from the cayenne pepper. And with that melted butter brushed right on, it is absolute perfection. Just be sure to grab these hot from the oven. There’s nothing quite like it.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; set aside.
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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HI CHUNGAH,
my biscuit didn’t raise at all and they were very heavy! do u have any idea what I did wrong? They were very very tasty! Help! I would like to try to make them again.
Amanda, did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Hi Chungah,
Thanks for replying! yes I did
Amanda, it is very difficult for me to pinpoint what could have possibly gone wrong as I was not in the kitchen with you, but the only thing I can really think of is your baking powder. Has it expired?
We made these to go with your Shrimp, Asparagus, Zucchini, and Orzo Salad. They were by far better than the Red Lobster original. I greatly appreciate that this is completely from scratch and doesn’t use Bisquick or a similar product. Thanks for another winner!
I made these and totally fell in love with the recipe! So easy and yummy. thank you for sharing. Great site, delicious recipes, can’t wait to continue trying them.
I usually don’t comment and just lurk on most recipes but I have to say this is the BEST biscuit recipe I’ve tried. I’ve lost track of the amount of subpar recipes and poor ending results. This is the real deal buttery, flaky, chewy, moist…..I could go on. Anyone with any doubt out there try this recipe *****in my opinion***** I think its better than the RL which were usually greasy to me personally.
Also for those asking about freezing the batter. I’ve done it and results are the same as if I made a fresh batch on that day. For any left over batter I just scooped and separated the biscuits before putting in the freezer. Enjoy!
When you take them out of the freezer, do do you thaw completely and then cookie cook from frozen?
Unfortunately, to really recreate Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits you have to use the same ingredients. Whey based gluten free flour, soy cheese (that’s right there is no cheese in cheddar bay biscuits) and a ton of liquid margarine (both inside the biscuits and slathered on top). It is however very easy to improve on the concept with high quality ingredients to come out with an end product that tastes a lot better. Good job!
Found it. *gently fold in cheese* 🙂
I’m assuming the cheese is mixed with dry ingredients?
Yes, that’s exactly right:
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.
These are great. I made them gluten free for my 5yr old using Bob’s Red Mill all purpose GF flour. I added a tsp of xanthan gum and upped the milk to 1 1/3 C. So good! I also made them as written for the rest of us and they were delicious. 🙂
Absolutely perfect! I have tried many recipes for cheddar biscuits, and none of them have come close to this one. They ARE better than the restaurant version. I decided to make a double batch to experiment with. I broke it into 4 groups. I made one exactly like the recipe, added ham to another, added extra cayenne to a third and added ham and extra cayenne to the fourth. All of them were amazing! I like how you fine-tuned the original recipe/s; superb!
When I was at Red lobster the only thing I liked was the biscuits & they were to die for.
These biscuits are delish!
Made these and also made Todd Wilbur’s copycat. Yours are the absolute BEST!!!
OMG, These biscuit are Sooo delicious. My husband and I both enjoyed them. I plan to make more to be frozen for later use.
I love these so much! And so does everyone else I’ve made them for. I like them so much, that I’m adding a link to this recipe on my blog page to dip into my Smoky Corn Chowder with Shrimp. They paired so well together. Maybe we can trade blog shout-outs some time!
Best biscuit recipe….tried several, this one is my absolute favorite
I just made these tonight and they were AMAZING! I did however substitute buttermilk for whole milk since that is what I had on hand. They tasted just like the red lobster version and the box version! I will definitely make these again! 😀
Would these taste good at room temperature? I’m having a pot luck at work, so I would be making them the night before to bring in for lunchtime.
These are really best when served warm. If there is a microwave handy at work, you can throw these in for 20-30 seconds and serve as needed.
I am not sure what I did wrong … They seemed under cooked and heavy
Hubby liked them but the ones at red lobster are airy …. mine were not
Had a good flavor tho
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. Perhaps the batter was beaten too much? Or too much batter was used for each biscuit?
Thanks for a recipe that doesn’t have Bisquick as the main ingredient!!
So you used a whole stick of butter in these?
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup unsalted butter, which is typically one stick of butter.