These Cheddar Bay Biscuits are a perfect Red Lobster Copycat, with their crisp outsides, soft insides, flavorful seasonings, sharp cheddar cheese, and delicious garlic and parsley butter glaze on top! Baked to perfection, these buttery biscuits are easy to make and will enhance any meal!
For more biscuit recipes, check out my Easy Drop Biscuits, Homemade Biscuits and Gravy, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, or these Farmhouse Baking Powder Biscuits.
Table of Contents
When I was a kid, I remember one of the special restaurants my grandparents liked to go to was Red Lobster. We love the seafood but it's their warm biscuits that are a constant favorite!
I'm not sure what makes them so delicious—if it's because they're made with a buttermilk biscuit base, the garlic and cheese flavors, or if it's the herby garlic butter on top - but one thing everyone loves about going to Red Lobster for these savory buttermilk biscuits is that they are always served fresh!
This easy recipe is quick enough to make to round out a busy weeknight meal, but it tastes good enough for any dinner party or special occasion too.
These copycat Red Lobster Biscuits taste just like the real thing, and we love them so much!
Try these biscuits with some of our other favorite seafood dishes, like my Lobster Tails, Easy Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Snow Crab Legs, Baked Salmon with Mango Salsa, or this delicious San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew!
Why We Love This Recipe
- These copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits are super easy to make from scratch!
- You can easily change the seasonings or kind of cheese used for a different flavor.
- Ready in just 40 minutes, you can enjoy these famous biscuits for weeknight dinners or special occasions!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Flour - All-purpose flour works best for these biscuits.
- Leavening Agents - Use both baking powder and baking soda to make these biscuits light and fluffy inside.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar adds a slight sweetness that balances the savory flavors.
- Garlic Powder - To season the biscuits and the buttery topping.
- Salt - To enhance the flavors of the biscuits.
- Salted Butter - Use some salted butter to make the biscuit dough and then some to melt for the topping.
- Cheese - Sharp cheddar cheese works best for the authentic Red Lobster flavor, but you can use a different shredded cheese if you prefer.
- Buttermilk - Use buttermilk or regular milk to make the biscuit dough.
- Parsley - Some dried or fresh parsley is perfect for seasoning the tops of the biscuits before serving.
How to Make This Recipe
- Mix dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese with a spoon.
- Mix wet ingredients. Combine the melted butter and buttermilk until small lumps form.
- Combine mixes. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture.
- Stir. Stir the mixes together with a spoon until evenly mixed.
- Make biscuits. Drop the biscuit dough by ¼-cupfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake and brush. Bake for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven, until golden brown. Combine butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush on top of the cheddar biscuits, and serve.
Recipe FAQ's
Store the biscuits once they have completely cooled in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 5 days on the counter or in the fridge.
Yes! I love that these biscuits freeze so well! Wait until the biscuits have cooled, then put them in a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container. They'll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months, then thaw your frozen biscuits and reheat as desired. Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuit dough before baking it. Flash-freeze the dough balls on a baking tray, then store and put them in the freezer. Thaw and bake fresh!
Originally, the biscuits were called "hot cheese garlic bread," but their name was changed to Cheddar Bay Biscuits after they became popular to better reflect the marine theme of the restaurant.
Tips for Success
- Cast Iron Skillet. These can also be baked in a 10-inch cast iron skillet instead of on a baking sheet if you prefer.
- Good quality ingredients. For best results, choose good-quality ingredients. As we're making these biscuits from scratch (no extra flavorings or preservatives here!), the flavor will come from the freshness and quality of the ingredients used.
Bisquick Baking Mix Cheddar Bay Biscuits
You can save some time by using a Bisquick mix for this recipe if you have it on hand. The results will be very similar, and we all love convenience every now and again, right?
Simply use the same measurement of flour in the Bisquick mix, and omit the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. and follow the recipe like normal. It's as simple as that!
Substitutions and Variations
- Spice it up. Add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for an added kick!
- Change the herbs. You can easily change the flavor of these biscuits by changing the types of herbs used. Try basil, cilantro, or rosemary, depending on what would complement your main dish.
- Buttermilk substitute. You can use regular whole milk instead of buttermilk, but I think that the acidity of buttermilk works best. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill it the rest of the way with whole milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using. The acid will curdle the milk, and it makes an easy replacement in any recipe that calls for buttermilk!
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love
- Pillsbury Copycat Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Cheesy Garlic Mozzarella Cheese Swirls
- Amish White Bread
- Homemade French Bread
- Parker House Rolls Recipe
- Homemade Hush Puppies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter, melted (227g)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk
Topping
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cheese. Combine melted butter and buttermilk until small lumps form. Stir into dry ingredients. Drop by ¼-cupfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Combine butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush on top of biscuits.
Notes
- Bisquick version: If using Bisquick, simply omit the baking powder and baking soda.
- Cast-iron skillet: These can also be baked in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet instead of on a baking sheet.
- Store: Store the biscuits once they have completely cooled in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 5 days on the counter or in the fridge.
- Freeze: Wait until the biscuits have cooled, then put them in a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container. They'll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months, then thaw your frozen biscuits and reheat as desired. Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuit dough before baking it. Flash-freeze the dough balls on a baking tray, then store and put them in the freezer. Thaw and bake fresh!
Just made these and my son said they're the best biscuits he's ever tried! Kudos to you!
The best! I made the skillet biscuits, because I was lazy -- boy were they amazing!
So simple and I loved how these biscuits turned out. I made them with my granddaughter and she came back for more. Will make these again to enjoy and make memories.
Made these to go with soup and they were a hit with the family. Easy to make too.
You should not have posted this recipe. I am going to gain so much weight from how tasty these are! I can't stop eating them!!
My family loved these delicious biscuits and I loved how easy they were to make!
Great biscuits! But the recipe never mentions where to mix in the 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Also, step two says to bake for 13-15 minutes, but step three says to bake 18-22 minutes? I ended up mixing the sugar with the other dry ingredients, and baking for 13 minutes.
Oh oops! I'll fix that! Sometimes I write two different times down to test them and forgot to fix it! Yes, add the sugar with the dry ingredients and bake for 12-15 minutes.