These homemade Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits are quick and easy to make, and taste a million times better than any boxed mix! From start to finish, these cheesy flavorful drop biscuits only take 20 minutes from start to in your stomach!
Serve these amazing Cheddar Bay Biscuits with creamy Decadent Pasta Carbonara, this Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu, Crispy Garlic Mushroom Pasta, or Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup.
Red Lobster may possibly be the only restaurant I know that people will go just for the free bread and everything else comes second. We are a people obsessed.
This cheddar bay biscuit copycat recipe is the only one that I've had that truly makes me feel like they're fresh from the restaurant itself. I really think it's the spices that make the difference.
What are Drop Biscuits?
These biscuits are considered drop biscuits. Unlike in Southern buttermilk biscuits, we are not laminating (folding in layer after layer of) cold butter into the dough for a drop biscuit.
Drop biscuits are much more simple than that. The ingredients are just mixed together then dropped onto a baking sheet to bake. See? So simple.
What is in Cheddar Bay Biscuits?
While I don't think Red Lobster has ever officially released their recipe, I've seen plenty of copycats over the years.
Some call for Old Bay seasoning, some want Bisquick mix, some just gave up and told you to buy the official mix in the little packets or from the box.
That's not how I roll, honey. If I'm doing a recipe, I want it as 'from scratch' as I possibly can get without owning a farm and a mill.
All-Purpose Flour.
Baking Powder.
Buttermilk. The reacts with the baking powder to make these biscuits light and fluffy. No reaction, no lift, no fluffy biscuits.
Unsalted butter.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
A little sugar and a little kosher salt.
All of these are common drop biscuit ingredients besides the cheese. But it wouldn't be a cheddar bay biscuit without the cheddar, honey.
Now, here's where the spices come in:
Garlic Powder.
Dried Parsley.
Smoked Paprika. I promise you, the smoked paprika is the definitive flavor that will make you say 'this tastes just like it came from Red Lobster!'
How to Make Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Mix all the ingredients together. Yeah, no creaming butter, no fancy tricks, no mixer needed. So simple!
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out and drop the biscuits onto a prepared baking sheet. Using an ice cream scoop gives uniform size and shape to the biscuits so they all bake evenly and are done at the same time.
- Bake in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes. you don't even have to wait for these to cool for 10 minutes, you can eat them as soon as you can handle them.
- Brush them with melted garlic butter. And be generous.
How to store these biscuits
Keep the biscuits soft and fluffy by keeping them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze them?
When that craving takes over, we don't feel like going to the store for ingredients, y'all. Place the cooled, baked biscuits in a freezer-safe zip-top and freeze for up to 5 months.
More great bread recipes:
Sister Schubert Parker House Style Yeast Rolls Copycat
Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper Focaccia Bread
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Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- 2 cups 280g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon 15g baking powder
- 1 teaspoon 5g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon 5g kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon 3g smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon 10g garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon 10g dried parsley
- 1 cup 240 mL buttermilk, warmed slightly
- 8 tablespoon 1 stick; 100g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ¼ cup 141g sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Garlic Butter
- 4 tablespoon ½ stick; 50g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon 5g garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon 5g dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, parsley, and paprika.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl (or large measuring cup) mix the buttermilk and the half cup of melted butter. Pour the buttermilk and butter mix into the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula right before the flour is completely incorporated.
- Gently fold in the cheddar cheese, being careful not to overmix.
- Using an ice cream scoop, place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Mix 3 tablespoon melted butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush the mixture generously over the hot biscuits.
- Let cool on the pan until cool enough to handle then serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- STORE: Keep the biscuits soft and fluffy by keeping them in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- FREEZE: Place the cooled, baked biscuits in a freezer-safe zip-top and freeze for up to 5 months. Thaw in fridge and heat in the oven for 10 minutes or microwave for 30 seconds.
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