Homemade Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits are so easy to make using 8 simple ingredients that bake into those famous, deliciously addictive cheesy, garlicky, buttery bites of bliss. These Cheddar Bay drop-style biscuits are made from scratch in under 15 minutes and taste much better than any store-bought mix.
Best Made-From-Scratch Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits
This Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits recipe is so quick and easy and bakes the best made-from-scratch Cheddar Bay biscuits. I love to recreate my restaurant favorites (have you tried my KFC Coleslaw, Bang Bang Shrimp, Crunchwrap Supreme, or Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce?), not only because my versions are made with real ingredients that I can pronounce and contain less preservatives, but also because I think homemade food just tastes better.
The best part? They bake in under 15 minutes–no kneading or rolling required. These copycat biscuits are warm, fluffy, soft, flaky, and full of flavor–it’s the perfect bite all packaged in one little bundle.
I admit, Cheddar Bay Biscuits are the real reason I go to Red Lobster, with their moist and tender insides and slightly crispy outsides that make them irresistible. But now that I have revised the original recipe and made them so easy to bake at home, there’s no need to travel to the restaurant to taste the same cheesy, herby, savory flavors.
While a box mix is now readily sold in stores, I prefer to make mine with self-rising flour to keep the cooking time to a minimum and recreate a copycat version with the maximum melt-in-your-mouth merit!
Why We Love This Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits Recipe
- Quick and easy to make from scratch.
- Recipe uses real ingredients with less preservatives than the restaurant version.
- No kneading or rolling the dough–simply stir, scoop, and bake.
- Warm, soft, moist, and full of buttery flavor.
- Delicious dinner side or savory snack.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Self-rising flour: If you do not have self-rising flour you can substitute 2 cups of all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda. The self-rising flour makes this a super quick and easy recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Garlic salt: If you do not have a pre-blended garlic salt, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of garlic powder with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Baking powder
- Fresh parsley: You can substitute dried parsley for the fresh chopped parsley. You will just want to reduce the amount of dried parsley in the recipe to 2 tablespoons.
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Full-fat buttermilk
Substitutions and Additions
- Buttermilk Substitutes:
- 4 tablespoons milk + enough sour cream to make 3/4 cup.
- 2 tablespoons milk + enough plain yogurt to make 3/4 cup.
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Let sit for 10 minutes. It will look curdled. Stir to combine.
- Change The Cheese: Cheddar cheese is a classic ingredient in this recipe, but you can use other cheeses if you prefer. Try fresh parmesan, gouda, or for a spicy kick, add some shredded pepper jack.
- Favorite Flavors: Feel free to customize this biscuit recipe with your favorite herbs and spices. If you want a bit of heat in your biscuits, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your dough! If you like fresh herbs, add a blend of basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme to your melted butter before brushing it on the baked biscuits.
Recommended Tools
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Medium bowl with a pour spout
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
- Wooden spoon
- 2 inch cookie scoop
- Pastry brush
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How to Make the Red Lobster Biscuits at Home
It is so quick and easy to make these flaky, fluffy, and deliciously flavorful Red Lobster Biscuits. It’s as simple as mixing basic ingredients to form a batter (no kneading or rolling), scooping it on a baking sheet, baking the bread, and brushing the tops with melted herb butter. Skip the restaurant because buttery biscuits just taste better at home!
- Combine melted butter and buttermilk in a bowl with a pour spout.
Pro-Tip: You can melt the butter on the stovetop if you are worried about it exploding in the microwave!
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic salt and parsley.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the flour mixture and toss so that all the cheese is coated with flour.
- Add the buttermilk and melted butter mixture to the flour mixture and gently combine with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is incorporated into the flour.
Pro Tip: Don’t overmix the biscuit dough! You want to stir your ingredients until just combined so that they’re soft, fluffy, and airy. - Scoop out the biscuits with a 2 inch cookie scoop, and place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 475 degrees Farenheight for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small dish and stir in remaining parsley.
- Brush baked biscuits with parsley infused melted butter.
- Allow the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Serve and enjoy!
Pro-Tip: These Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits can be served immediately or at room temperature.
Storage Tips
- To Store: These biscuits can be stored in a covered container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: For best results, cool and freeze your biscuits the same day you bake them. To freeze unbaked biscuits, flash freeze the biscuits until solid and then transfer them into a gallon-sized freezer bag. They will keep frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze baked biscuits, cool completely before placing them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Refrigerated biscuits can be reheated in a 200 degree F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you cannot prepare your biscuit dough in advance. The leavening agents (specifically the baking powder) in this recipe will start activating as soon as they come in contact with liquid. The longer they sit with the liquid before being baked, the less effective they become. This means when the biscuits are baked, they won’t rise as much as they should.
The baking powder is what causes the biscuit to rise, so if your baking powder is expired, you’ll end up with flat biscuits.
You can use a box of Bisquick to make these biscuits, however, Bisquick is not as “clean” as self-rising flour because it contains added ingredients. Self-rising flour contains less additives. Using a Bisquick mix means you’ll be adding extra sugar and trans fat to your biscuits.
The famous Red Lobster biscuits are called “Cheddar Bay Biscuits” to reflect the seaside atmosphere of Red Lobster restaurants.
These biscuits pair perfectly with your favorite soups or stews. I love to serve homemade biscuits with my Turkey Chili, Shepherd’s Pie, and Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.
Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1½ cups self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅝ teaspoon garlic powder divided ½ teaspoon and ⅛ teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped & divided
- 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted & divided
- ¾ cup full-fat buttermilk cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425* F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, with a pour spout, combine ½ cup (1 stick) of the melted butter with the cold buttermilk. Stir to incorporate fully.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup full-fat buttermilk
- In a large mixing bowl combine the self-rising flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, garlic salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley. Once all those ingredients are combined, add the shredded cheddar cheese and toss the cheese in the flour mixture so that all the cheese is coated.1½ cups self-rising flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ⅝ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese
- Add the buttermilk and melted butter mixture to the flour mixture and gently combine with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is incorporated into the flour. Do not overmix the batter.
- Using a 2 inch cookie scoop, scoop out the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
- In a small dish melt the remaining ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, add the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and add the remaining ⅛ of garlic powder. Stir to combine.
- When the biscuits come out of the oven, using a pastry brush, brush them with the additional parsley infused melted butter.
- Allow the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to serve.
- These copycat red lobster biscuits can be served immediately or at room temperature.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: These biscuits can be stored in a covered container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- To Freeze: For best results, cool and freeze your biscuits the same day you bake them. To freeze unbaked biscuits, flash freeze the biscuits until solid and then transfer them into a gallon-sized freezer bag. They will keep frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze baked biscuits, cool completely before placing them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Refrigerated biscuits can be reheated in a 200 degree F oven for 5-7 minutes.
- These Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits can be served immediately or at room temperature.
- Don’t overmix the biscuit dough! You want to stir your ingredients until just combined so that they’re soft, fluffy, and airy.
- You can melt the butter on the stovetop if you are worried about it exploding in the microwave!
