Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

This copycat recipe for Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits is downright addictive. The inside is soft with cheesy garlic flavor and the outside is crisp and golden with a generous coating of melted garlic butter – and they'll be ready in less than 30 minutes! Serve alongside a heaping plate of lobster scampi with cheese tortellini. 

I loved Red Lobster as a kid. When you live in Illinois, there's not exactly fresh seafood around the corner – so the promise of shrimp scampi and lobster tails was hard to resist.

But honestly, more than the seafood… I wanted the biscuits. Those damn delicious biscuits.

I couldn't tell you how many of those biscuits I ate growing up, but it's probably an impressive number. And by impressive, I mean embarrassing.

Nowadays, the flavor combination and aroma of garlic, cheddar cheese and butter just brings me back. I've been making my own at home for years, and it just never gets old.

Tips for making cheddar bay biscuits

Use freshly shredded, high quality cheddar cheese. No, seriously. Please don't use pre-shredded bags of cheese. It truly makes a difference in the final product!

Use a large cookie scoop (aff link) to portion out the biscuit dough, then flatten them a bit and shape them into rounds. Don't pack them super tightly, but enough that they're held together well.

The garlic butter topping is an absolute must. These will not be the cheddar bay biscuits of your youth is you don't brush it on top as soon as they come out of the oven. Trust me.

Oh, and those green specks of parsley add the perfect amount of contrast to the golden, buttery tops – don't skip it!

That's really all there is to it. You don't need a mixer, you don't need any yeast, and they'll be ready to inhale in less than 30 minutes.

I'm not the only one that finds the aroma of these biscuits irresistible…

While shooting these pictures I kept feeling the board I was using shifting a little. I leaned to my left and see that Padfoot is slowly shoving his head between the window and the board, trying to get a taste.

Sorry, bud – garlicky biscuits are a big no-no for you.

How many rolls does this recipe make?

My recipe makes 10-12 biscuits, so if you're making enough for a crowd just double or triple the recipe accordingly. Just grab a bigger bowl and strengthen your stirring arm to prepare!

Do cheddar bay biscuits need to be refrigerated?

I doubt you'd even have leftovers where this would be a concern, but if you do they can stay in an airtight container at room temperate for up to 3 days. If you do choose to refrigerate them, just make sure you warm them up before serving!

Can you reheat cheddar bay biscuits?

Speaking of warming them up… I recommend heating them up on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. If you wanted to freeze and reheat them, add about 10 more minutes to that cook time.

Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

4.38 from 8 votes

This copycat recipe for Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits is downright addictive! The inside is soft with cheesy garlic flavor and the outside is crisp and golden with a generous coating of melted garlic butter – and they'll be ready in less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 to 12 biscuits

✓ Read the recipe beginning to end
✓ Check oven calibration
✓ Check expiration dates
✓ Properly measure ingredients
✓ Check butter temperature

Equipment

• Baking sheets
• Small saucepan
• Mixing bowls
• Cookie scoops

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Biscuits

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Garlic butter topping

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch salt

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare two baking sheets with nonstick silicon mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter and set aside to cool.
  1/2 cup (113 ½ g) unsalted butter
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
  2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  2 teaspoons garlic powder

  1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) kosher salt

  1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground white pepper
• Add melted butter and buttermilk, and use a spatula to mix until just combined.
  1 cup (240 g) buttermilk
• Fold in shredded cheese until evenly combined.
  2 cups (226 g) sharp cheddar cheese
• Use a large cookie scoop (aff link) or 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion out the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Slightly flatten and shape each biscuit.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until cooked through and the tops are golden.
• While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine melted butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt and stir.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1 tablespoon fresh parsley

  1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) garlic powder

  Pinch salt
• As soon as the biscuits are out of the oven, use a pastry brush to coat each biscuit with the garlic butter mixture.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

• My recipe makes 10-12 biscuits, so if you're making enough for a crowd just double or triple the recipe accordingly.
• Use freshly shredded, high quality cheddar cheese. It truly makes a difference in the final product!
• Use a large cookie scoop (aff link) to portion out the biscuit dough, then flatten them a bit and shape them into rounds. Don’t pack them super tightly, but enough that they’re held together well.
• The garlic butter topping and parsley is an absolute must. These will not be the cheddar bay biscuits of your youth is you don’t brush it on top as soon as they come out of the oven.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 688IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 270mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka