Jump to Recipe Print 4.90 from 19 votes
Nothing compares to Cheddar Bay Biscuits—the perfect side dish for any meal. Make them from scratch with everyday ingredients in about 20 minutes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to make Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- ❓FAQs
- 🥣Making Ahead
- ❄️Storage
- Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 📖 Recipe
Fluffy and delicious, it's like going to Red Lobster™ at home. Loaded with flavor, these tender biscuits are everybody's favorite. My version of a copycat Red Lobster's Biscuits recipe is simplified for easy weeknight use.
This biscuits make me think of Red Lobster™ and seafood, so use the with Baked Lemon Butter Salmon, Baked Blackened Tilapia, Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Grilled Blackened Tilapia, and Lemon Butter Tilapia. But also try them with Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts or Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops.
Check to other biscuit recipes, like Cornbread Drop Biscuits, Healthy Low-Fat Biscuits, Grilled Biscuits, Healthier Sausage Gravy and Biscuits, and Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits.
Ingredients
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour.
- Butter - Use regular salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt.
- Cheese - Mild cheddar cheese will give that Red Lobster taste. Some will prefer sharp cheddar cheese instead. But use the cheese you want.
- Milk - You can use regular milk but buttermilk or buttermilk substitute will fluffier results.
👨🍳How to make Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, and mix in the cheese. Then add the wet component to finish making the biscuit dough.
- Bake in a 400° convection oven or 425° conventional oven with the rack in the middle or slightly above is best, but the temperature may be lower if needed when cooking other dishes, but time will increase.
- The baking time of 12 to 14 minutes is generally about right. Time will vary due to the size of the biscuits, the baking tray, and the oven. They are done when they are golden brown.
- Lastly, brush the top with garlic butter if you want them to be more like the Red Lobster version. The melted butter and garlic replace the need to add butter at serving. But I generally skip the parsley.
❓FAQs
Can I use Bisquick®️ to make Cheddar Bay biscuits?
Yes. But I prefer the from-scratch version with the cut in butter, which will be fluffier. If you want to use Bisquick Mix®️, it will substitute for flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in the dough.
How do I substitute for buttermilk when making biscuits?
You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using. Also, powdered buttermilk is an excellent thing to keep around if you do a lot of baking.
Why is aluminum-free baking powder specified?
Many people will get a metallic after-taste from baking powder that has aluminum. All baking powder had aluminum for many years, but aluminum-free baking powder has been commonly available for many years. I encourage you only to buy the aluminum-free version.
Can I add other spices?
Yes, many recipes use a teaspoon of sugar, onion powder, or a pinch of cayenne pepper. So even use some Old Bay Seasoning.
🥣Making Ahead
You can mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, mix in the cheese, and then store in the refrigerator. But you can not add the liquid since it will trigger the baking powder leavening, which will occur rapidly but disappear in a short time.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven, then add the buttermilk.
❄️Storage
Cheddar Bay biscuits can be stored airtight at room temperature for 3 days, but longer than two days will suffer some in texture. You can also keep in the freezer airtight for 3-4 days.
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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 3 tablespoons of cold butter and cut in with a large fork or pastry cutter.
Stir in ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese. I like mild cheddar here, but sharp cheddar is fine. Mix well.
Add ¾ cup buttermilk or substitute. Mix well, but you don't need to over mix.
Spray a baking sheet with PAM or cover with parchment paper and make six even mounds (a heaping ¼ cup). Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Just before the biscuits are done, in a small bowl, combine 1 ½ tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Microwave briefly to melt the butter.
Brush the top of the hot biscuits with the melted butter combination.
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📖 Recipe
Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat)
From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Nothing compares to Cheddar Bay Biscuits—the perfect side dish for any meal. Make them from scratch with everyday ingredients in about 20 minutes.
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4.90 from 19 votes
Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 6
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Ingredients
US Customary - Convert to Metric
- 1 ½ cup AP flour
- 3 tablespoons butter - cold
- 1 tablespoon baking powder - aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup shredded cheese - Mild cheddar preferred
- ¾ cup buttermilk - Subsitutes in notes
Topping
- 1 ½ tablespoon melted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes - optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 3 tablespoons of cold butter and cut in with a large fork or pastry cutter.
Stir in ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese. I like mild cheddar here, but sharp cheddar is fine. Mix well.
Add ¾ cup buttermilk or substitute. Mix well, but you don't need to over mix.
Spray a baking sheet with PAM or cover with parchment paper and make six even mounds (a heaping ¼ cup). Bake for 12-14 minutes.
Just before the biscuits are done, combine 1 ½ tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon parsley flakes, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Microwave briefly to melt the butter.
Brush the top of the hot biscuits with the melted butter combination.
Do you have a question?Leave a comment to ask or check the recipe post above for most common questions and variations.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A very easy recipe to adjust up or down. Use the number of serving adjustment—it will change the volumes in the ingredient list but not in the instruction text.
- I suggest mild cheddar if you are looking for a Red Lobster like taste. But sharp cheddar is fine.
- Use only aluminum-free baking powder.
- If you want to use Bisquick Mix®️, it will substitute for flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in the dough.
- You can use plain milk but buttermilk is preferred.
- You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using. Also, powdered buttermilk is an excellent thing to keep around if you do a lot of baking.
- I have kept the number of ingredients to a minimum to make this weeknight-friendly.
- Good in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or refrigerated.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving : 1 biscuitCalories : 199 kcal (10%)Carbohydrates : 12 g (4%)Protein : 6 g (12%)Fat : 14 g (22%)Saturated Fat : 9 g (45%)Cholesterol : 38 mg (13%)Sodium : 492 mg (21%)Potassium : 290 mg (8%)Fiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 2 g (2%)Vitamin A : 465 IU (9%)Calcium : 246 mg (25%)Iron : 0.8 mg (4%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Course : Bread
Cuisine : American
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Originally Published September 24, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
