For a lot of people, a visit to Red Lobster is a special occasion to look forward to.
It’s not because they usually have fresh and delicious seafood dishes, which they do.
It’s not because they have HUGE servings that are great for sharing with family and friends, which they do.
It’s because of their Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Yes, those succulent, savory, freshly-baked morsels are the MAIN reason why so many people plan a trip to Red Lobster, and we’re pretty guilty of that as well!
However, we can’t always hop into our car and zoom off to the nearest Red Lobster every time we have a craving for the biscuits.
You probably can’t either, right?
So we went ahead and made this amazing copycat recipe for you that you and your family can make at home.
They’re quick and easy to make, and perfect as an appetizer, side, or simple snack if you need a pick-me-up.
Where did Cheddar Bay biscuits originate from?
Today, die-hard Red Lobster fans can’t imagine the restaurant without a basket or two of this beloved side, but the biscuits were actually only introduced in 1988 while the restaurant first came to be in 1968 (the restaurant grew in popularity and became a chain around the same time the biscuits were created. Coincidence?).
They were only created originally as an alternative to the restaurant’s main appetizer of hushpuppies, but the demand grew so much that it was quickly placed as a menu staple.
Here’s some bonus trivia for all you foodie geeks out there: when it was first placed on the menu, it had the (quite bland) name “freshly-baked, hot cheese garlic bread”.
The trademarked official name was given to them about five years later.
What are Red Lobster biscuits made of?
While the exact and “original” Red Lobster cheese biscuits recipe is a closely guarded secret, some of the ingredients are pretty easy to determine based on the taste, texture, and appearance of the biscuit.
These ingredients are all-purpose flour, milk, butter, and cheddar cheese.
Yep, those staple ingredients that are most likely in your pantry right now are the key to making these delicious, fluffy little bites of heaven.
Helpful tips to make Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Copycat
Here are some helpful tips you can use while making your own Red Lobster biscuit recipe at home:
Keep it Cool
The recipe calls for cold butter and cool milk, and the reason for this is that cool ingredients make for light and fluffy baked goods!
As much as possible, use the ingredients straight from your refrigerator, but NEVER use them frozen as this can affect the final texture.
Use Your Hands
Don’t be afraid to get in there and use your hands when mixing this recipe.
In fact, it might be better to use your hands because using an electric mixer might overmix the ingredients, which will result in tough, dense biscuits.
Quality, Quality, Quality
If you want those melt-in-your-mouth, flaky, fluffy biscuits, invest in high-quality ingredients, especially with your butter and cheddar cheese.
You’ll definitely taste the difference!
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How long will the cheddar bay biscuits last?
If you plan to store leftover biscuits (we’re in awe of your willpower, by the way), they can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Can I freeze the cheddar bay biscuits?
If you plan to store them for longer, make sure to cool the biscuits completely on the counter, place them in an airtight container, and then in your freezer.
They will keep for around 3-4 months.
How to reheat the biscuits without drying them out
In a conventional oven:
If you’re reheating cold biscuits from the fridge, simply place them in a 350⁰F oven for around 6 minutes.
For frozen biscuits, wrap them in foil and place them for 20 minutes in a 300⁰F oven.
In a microwave:
If you’re reheating cold biscuits from the fridge, simply place them in a 350⁰F oven for around 6 minutes.
For frozen biscuits, wrap them in foil and place them for 20 minutes in a 300⁰F oven.
In an air fryer:
You may be asking yourself,
“Can I reheat biscuits in an air fryer?”
Why, of course! Here’s what we discovered: Lightly wrap the biscuits in foil, pinch the foil closed, and add to the air fryer basket.
Depending on the brand of air fryer, choose Reheat or Bake mode, set to 360 and time it for 5 minutes.
Use tongs or hot pads to remove the foil packet from the air fryer.
Let sit for another 2 minutes in the foil. (We recently bought this Ninja air fryer and love it. LOVE.
We make everything from crispy tofu to baked sweet potatoes in ours.
It keeps us from overheating the house with the big oven, and it’s so fast!
Cheesy Garlic Biscuits (Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits)
These amazing garlic cheddar biscuits are a delicious addition to any meal, whether you’re serving them as an appetizer or a side.
They’re perfectly golden-brown on the outside, with a crisp and flaky exterior.
Once you break into them though, the fluffy and light inside and the scent of freshly-baked biscuits will make mouths water, guaranteed!
Don’t be surprised if you start getting requests or even demands to make this recipe a regular accompaniment to your meal.
No worries though; we’ve made it easy-peasy for you.
Cheesy Garlic Biscuits Copycat Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 4 t baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 4 T cold butter
- 1/2 t garlic powder
- 1 c cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 c whole milk cold
- 2 T melted butter
- 1/4 t dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your oven by preheating it to 400⁰F.
- While your oven is heating up, grate your cheddar cheese finely.
- Combine the flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Put cold butter in the bowl and mix it into the dry ingredients using a fork or a pastry cutter. (Here’s a highly reviewed duo of pastry cutter and blender to help make even faster work of it) Do not overmix; just combine until the butter is broken up into small pieces throughout the flour mixture.
- Add the cheese, milk, and garlic powder into the mix.
- Use your hands to mix the ingredients, taking care to stop when the mixture is just combined.
- Using a measuring cup (or a large spoon), scoop out ¼-cup portions and drop the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. Keep some distance between the dropped mixture so that the biscuits don’t bake into each other.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake until golden brown, around 15-17 minutes. As they are baking, mix together the melted butter, salt, remaining garlic powder, and parsley flakes in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Remove the biscuits right after baking.
- While the biscuits are warm, using a pastry brush, generously dab the butter-garlic mixture on top.
Nutrition
We are madly in love with these gorgeous, sturdy and colorful wooden mixing spoons:
Watch The Salt!
There’s one surefire way to ruin a delicious batch of biscuits: making them too salty.
If you’re using salted butter in the recipe, bear in mind that you’re also adding another salty ingredient with the cheddar cheese.
Since you can’t taste the raw batter, the best thing to do is taste a finished, hot biscuit BEFORE adding the salt into the garlic-butter mixture.
This way, you can add as little (or even no) salt to the garlic-butter mixture if the biscuits already have the right level of salty pucker to them.
Crispy Tops? Yes? No?
If you noticed the recipe time, you might have seen that we recommend 15-17 minutes in the oven.
This will help you control how browned the top of the biscuits will be.
Some people like it barely toasted, while others just love that deep, golden color and accompanying crispness.
You can experiment with the time a little bit and see how “done” you want the top of the biscuits to be.
While you can make these biscuits ahead of time, the simplicity of the recipe and the quickness of the cooking time makes it easy for you to make these fluffy gems along with most meals you regularly make.
This is a no-frills recipe; just mix, drop, bake, and serve.
Trust us, the freshly-made biscuits and the delighted expressions of your guests will be worth those little extra steps!
You do know you can buy the mix for these in the supermarket? I have several boxes. But having the recipe is useful for when I can’t find the mix. We *adore* these things, and always go home with 6.
I made these for a chili meal day
They went over really well
I enjoy making my food from scratch when I can