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    Home · Recipes · Kid-Friendly · Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

    January 14, 2020

    Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

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    It wouldn't be a far stretch to say Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits are as iconic as the restaurant itself. After all, a hot, buttery, garlicky biscuit studded with melty Cheddar, packed with flavor, and served tableside is an unforgettable thing. Just imagine how memorable they'll be, fresh out of the oven, served tableside in your very own home.

    These copycat Red Lobster Biscuits are practically indistinguishable from the restaurant's coveted biscuit recipe, baking up a beautiful golden brown with all the buttery, garlicky, cheesy flavor you'd expect from a Cheddar Bay Biscuit. Easy to make and coming together start-to-finish in less than 30 minutes, this side dish is worth staying in for!

    A close-up shot of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits sprinkled with parsley.

    CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS FROM RED LOBSTER

    It's no surprise a seafood joint with Southern origins could slam out a biscuit the world would drool over for decades to come. Florida-born Red Lobster introduced its Cheddar Bay Biscuits in 1992 as "freshly baked, hot cheese garlic bread." As you can imagine, this was quite a mouthful, and within five years the biscuits took on a new name -- Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

    The biscuits were originally an amuse-bouche that was carried on a tray and hand-delivered to guests in the lobby waiting on their table. Their demand became so high, Red Lobster decided it was best for the biscuits to be delivered tableside instead. It is estimated the restaurant serves over 1 million biscuits on a daily basis. Now, that's a lot of dough.

    Cheddar Bay Biscuits from Red Lobster are essentially a buttermilk biscuit with extra, extra flavor. They're amped up with garlic powder, Cheddar cheese, and herbs.

    The biscuits come together like all others, with a mix of dry ingredients. Then, cold fats are cut into the dry mix, and a liquid is used to bring the dough together.

    In most biscuit recipes, the dough is shaped and cut, however, in the case of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, this step is omitted and the biscuit dough is simply scooped, dropped directly on to the pan, and baked. This type of biscuit is also known as a drop biscuit.

    Three Cheddar Bay Biscuits stacked on a plate.

    WHAT ARE RED LOBSTER BISCUITS MADE OF?

    Red Lobster has never released its prized Cheddar Bay Biscuit recipe, but we had a pretty good inkling of what these gems were made of. Below, you'll find a list of ingredients that will send a carbon copy of Red Lobster Biscuits from your very own oven to the dinner table in less than 30 minutes.

    • Butter
    • Flour
    • Baking Powder and Soda
    • Garlic Powder and Salt
    • Cheese
    • Parsley
    • Buttermilk

    Butter - To make a proper biscuit dough you'll need cold butter cut into small cubes. Unsalted butter is best as it gives you full control over the amount of salt going into the dough, however, if you only have salted butter, omit all salt from this recipe and proceed as directed.

    Flour - All-purpose flour is the best flour for making Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Do not use any other type of flour for this recipe.

    Leaveners - A combination of both baking powder and baking soda helps these biscuits to rise and keeps them extra tender.

    Spices - There's no denying the garlic flavor in Cheddar Bay Biscuits. To achieve the proper flavor profile, you'll need garlic powder on hand, as well as Kosher salt.

    Cheese - It's not a Red Lobster Biscuit if you don't see cheese spilling out from every square inch of the biscuit. Freshly grated Cheddar cheese is best, but if time won't allow, use a good, quality pre-shredded Cheddar.

    Parsley - That little pop of green you see in the biscuits is parsley. We prefer fresh, but if you'd like to use dry parsley, you'll need to cut the quantity down by a third.

    Buttermilk - Buttermilk adds flavor to baked goods, but it also helps to keep them extra tender. Even if you don't typically keep buttermilk on hand, it's worth splurging for these Cheddar Bay Biscuits! 

    A closeup shot of biscuits in a basket.

    HOW TO MAKE RED LOBSTER BISCUITS

    1. Cut the Butter - Cut cold butter into tiny cubes and set aside until ready to use.
    2. Mix Dry Ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garlic powder.
    3. Cut In Butter - Using a pastry blender, cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse, small peas.
    4. Add Cheese, Parsley, and Buttermilk - Stir in the Cheddar and parsley. Then, using a sturdy spoon, stir in the buttermilk just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix.
    5. Drop Dough Onto Baking Sheet - Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough (about 2-3 tablespoons worth -- we actually used an ice cream scoop for these biscuits) onto the sheet pans, spacing each 2 inches apart and bake for 10-13 minutes.
    6. Bake - Once the biscuits have finished baking, brush them with the melted butter, return to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more, until cooked through and golden brown. Serve and enjoy.

    These would be great alongside some Baked Lobster Tail!

    A biscuit with a bite taken out of it, and melty cheese and parsley speckled throughout the interior.

    4 MORE BISCUIT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

    • Easy Southern Biscuits
    • Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
    • Buttermilk Biscuits
    • Cheddar and Chive Drop Biscuits
    3.69 from 169 votes
    Print
    Red Lobster Biscuits
    Prep Time
    12 mins
    Cook Time
    14 mins
    Total Time
    26 mins
     

    Hot, buttery, and garlicky, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits are better at home! Studded with melty Cheddar, and packed with flavor, you'll find this copycat recipe identical to the restaurant's coveted biscuits!

    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Red Lobster Biscuits
    Servings: 10 Biscuits
    Calories: 238 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    • 8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons melted butter (separated)
    • 2 cups All-Purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt plus a pinch
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅔ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
    • 2 tablespoons freshly minced Italian parsley
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 400° and have ready two sheet pans lined with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
    2. Cut 8 tablespoons of cold butter into tiny cubes and set aside until ready to use.

    3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garlic powder. Using a pastry blender, cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse, small peas.

    4. Stir in the cheddar and parsley. Then, using a sturdy spoon, stir in the buttermilk just until dough comes together. Do not over mix.

    5. Drop large, heaping spoonfuls of dough (about 2-3 tablespoons worth -- we used an ice cream scoop) onto the sheet pans, spacing each 2 inches apart, and bake for about 13 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown

    6. Once the biscuits have finished baking, brush them with the melted butter, serve, and enjoy.

    Recipe Video

    Nutrition Facts
    Red Lobster Biscuits
    Amount Per Serving (1 biscuit)
    Calories 238 Calories from Fat 135
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15g23%
    Saturated Fat 9g56%
    Cholesterol 41mg14%
    Sodium 301mg13%
    Potassium 152mg4%
    Carbohydrates 21g7%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 532IU11%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 125mg13%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Comments

    1. Jamie says

      February 06, 2020 at 10:38 pm

      I love having these at Red Lobster and now I'm so glad I found a copycat recipe. Love them!

      Reply
    2. Krissy Allori says

      February 06, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      Love these biscuits so much! I'm excited to have the recipe now to make them for myself. Yum!

      Reply
    3. Tammy says

      February 06, 2020 at 11:13 pm

      Gosh these biscuits look sooo good! Cheddar bay were always my favorite and these are the real deal. Now I'm in the mood to whip up a batch 😀

      Reply
    4. Andrea Metlika says

      February 06, 2020 at 11:18 pm

      These are my absolutely favorite biscuits. I cannot wait to make these. .

      Reply
    5. Anita says

      February 06, 2020 at 11:56 pm

      I've seen the boxed mixed sold in grocery stores before, but I've never tried making it from scratch. This will be super useful for people who love the biscuits but their store don't stock the boxed mix. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Tami says

      September 02, 2020 at 11:12 pm

      Your recipe is wonderful! The homemade biscuits that are NOT my usual hockey pucks lol, made my husband’s birthday!
      Thank you

      Reply
    7. Briana says

      October 07, 2020 at 1:42 am

      What do you do if you don’t have a pastry blender?

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        November 19, 2020 at 7:49 pm

        You can use two knives if you do not have a pastry blender or even a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.

        Reply
    8. kelsi says

      November 25, 2020 at 9:45 pm

      can we make these in advance?

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        November 29, 2020 at 8:41 pm

        These can be made in advance and frozen until the day you're ready to eat 🙂

        Reply
        • Pam says

          January 25, 2021 at 2:06 am

          If you freeze them do you thaw, then bake or bake frozen?

          Reply
          • Kelly Anthony says

            March 15, 2021 at 10:01 pm

            I would bake and then freeze!

            Reply
    9. Angeline says

      March 06, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      This recipe is amazing except I found that my biscuits didn’t brown on the top after 13 minutes. I had to broil them for a couple of minutes to get that really nice golden brown topping. Not sure if I did something wrong or if my stove is messed up lol. Otherwise these are delicious!

      Reply
    10. Susan G says

      May 07, 2021 at 8:54 pm

      My Fourth time making them, they are so delicious!

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        August 29, 2021 at 10:48 pm

        Best comment ever! 😉 Thank you, Susan!

        Reply
    11. Nicolr says

      October 10, 2021 at 3:10 pm

      Nice recipe but needs more salt. Or salted butter.

      Reply
      • Rochelle says

        February 03, 2022 at 1:25 am

        Yes! My second time making the first time unused unsalted butter, this time I used salted. Way better

        Reply
    12. Mary Cate says

      February 10, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      fool proof and delicious!

      Reply
      • Kamie Moore says

        August 02, 2022 at 4:38 pm

        Thank you, Mary! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Bethany says

      September 14, 2023 at 7:26 pm

      Can you use gluten free flour?

      Reply
      • Kelly Anthony says

        September 18, 2023 at 3:49 pm

        We haven't tested the recipe with gluten free flour so we can't say for certain! Sorry, Bethany!

        Reply

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    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

    Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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