How to Make Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Updated: Dec. 08, 2023
Ever wanted to whip up a batch of Red Lobster's famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits at home? You can—and it only takes about 30 minutes.
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I think we can all agree that Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits are the real reason we go to Red Lobster. Warm, fluffy, herby and cheesy, there’s something magical about these biscuits that makes it nearly impossible to eat only one.
While a box mix for Cheddar Bay Biscuits is now widely available (there’s even a gluten-free mix in stores!), you can also make them from scratch in under 30 minutes. Grab a box of Bisquick (or make your own homemade baking/biscuit mix) and go to biscuit town!
How to Make Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Yield: 8-12 biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups biscuit/baking mix
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
Butter-Herb Topping
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ranch salad dressing mix
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tools You’ll Need
- Baking Sheet: You need a sturdy baking sheet to ensure your biscuits bake evenly, with flat bottoms and the perfect amount of rise.
- Baking Mat: This silicone half sheet baking mat is neat, efficient, reusable and distributes heat evenly.
- Pastry Brush: To get a good baste, you need a good pastry brush—there’s really no other substitute.
Directions
Step 1: Mix biscuit ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit/baking mix, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, ranch powder and buttermilk. Stir to combine until all ingredients are wet and a shaggy dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
Test Kitchen Tip: Real buttermilk is always best. However, if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy buttermilk substitute using 1 cup of milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Combine the two together and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the other ingredients. Here are a few substitutes for buttermilk that taste the same.
Step 2: Drop the biscuits onto a baking sheet
Preheat oven to 450°F. Then, drop heaping spoonfuls of biscuit dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between the biscuits. You should get 8 to 12 biscuits from this recipe, depending on the size of your spoonfuls.
Step 3: Bake
Place the biscuits into a preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are just starting to turn golden. Remove promptly.
Step 4: Baste with butter
While the biscuits bake, melt the butter in the microwave; 30-45 seconds at 50% power. Add the chives, garlic powder, ranch seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Then, while the biscuits are still warm from the oven, baste each biscuit generously with the melted herb butter. Serve warm.
Tips for Making Cheddar Bay Biscuits
How to store leftover biscuits
Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the biscuits on a lined baking sheet and warm in a preheated oven for 5 minutes. Brush with fresh herb butter, if desired.
Made too much? You can freeze biscuits. Once the baked biscuits are completely cool, wrap individual biscuits in foil or freezer wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. They’ll last in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, bake in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes.
The best herbs to add for extra flavor
Feel free to customize this biscuit recipe with a teaspoon or two of your favorite herbs and spices. Here are just a few of our recommended variations.
- Cayenne pepper: give a subtle kick to your biscuits
- Onion powder: add a sharp onion flavor that complements the chives
- Parsley: provides a fresh, herb flavor and aroma
- Basil: give your biscuits some Italian flair with fresh or dried basil
- Thyme: we love how sharp, peppery thyme pairs with the cheddar in these biscuits
- Rosemary: add a woodsy, earthy aroma and taste to Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Parmesan cheese: use in place of cheddar or add for some extra cheesy goodness
- Pepper jack cheese: transform these biscuits into a Southwest delight, perfect to serve with chili or chicken tortilla soup
How to prevent dry biscuits
Dry, crumbly biscuits are a tragedy that no one should experience. To avoid this common baking blunder, pay close attention to your baking time and your flour measurement.
When baking biscuits, resist the urge to bake them until they’re golden brown. Instead, opt for golden blonde. Biscuits are typically baked through once their edges just start turning color—anything darker runs the risk of them being tough and dry in the center. Remember, undercooked biscuits can be popped back in the oven easily for an extra minute or two, but overcooked biscuits are toast (pun intended).
Likewise, using too much flour can also lead to dry, crumbly biscuits. Biscuit dough should be rather loose and sticky, so be mindful of how you’re measuring your flour or biscuit mix. For best accuracy, we recommend measuring by weight using a food scale, rather than measuring by volume. However, if you don’t have a food scale, opt to gently spoon biscuit mix or flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife rather than scooping directly from your biscuit mix container.
Looking for more tips? Read this handy biscuit guide from our Test Kitchen.
What can I substitute for a packaged baking mix?
If you just used up your last bit of Bisquick making pancakes for breakfast, you can still whip up a batch of these biscuits without heading to the store. Here’s what you’ll need to make enough homemade biscuit mix for this recipe:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable shortening, cubed
Simply combine the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Then use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Proceed to make the biscuits as directed above.
Can you make these biscuits ahead?
These biscuits taste best the day they’re made. If you do want to whip them up a little ahead of time, make them a day before and heat them up in a 300° oven for five minutes right before you plan to eat them.
Easy Ways to Make Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix: If you don’t want to start all the way from scratch, this easy-to-make biscuit mix is a great way to get your biscuit fix at home without too much effort.
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Frozen Biscuits: Biscuits in under 30 minutes? These new frozen biscuits make it possible. All you have to do is bake and brush on some butter.
- Red Lobster Gluten-Free Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix: Even gluten-free eaters can enjoy these biscuits. Here’s what we thought when we tried them.
And if you still can’t get enough of these famous biscuits, check out this recipe for Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Stuffing.
