This Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe recreates the famous cheesy, garlic-buttered biscuits, hot and fresh from your own oven!

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits fresh from the oven, topped with melted butter and fresh herbs.
chelsea

author’s note

My From-Scratch Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I’ve loved Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits for as long as I can remember. In college, I obviously wasn’t going to Red Lobster all that often because I was BROKE, but one of my roommates made a copycat version with Bisquick and they were SO good. (She was also the roommate behind the Oreo balls we were all obsessed with, so she definitely kept us well fed! Haha!)

Years later, I decided I needed a from-scratch version. After plenty of testing, this is the one! They’re soft and fluffy inside, loaded with sharp Cheddar, and brushed with garlic butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

And even though they’re completely homemade, they’re still really simple to make. No rolling, cutting, or biscuit cutter needed. Just mix, scoop, chill, and bake!

signature
All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for easy assembly including the cheese, flour, seasonings, buttermilk, butter, parsley, and flour.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe Ingredients

IngredientTip
Butter & ButtermilkUse cold buttermilk straight from the fridge. Mixing it with melted butter creates small clumps that help make the biscuits light and tender.
Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar & SaltSpoon and level the flour to avoid packing in too much. Fresh baking powder gives the biscuits their best rise.
Old Bay, Garlic Powder, Parsley & CayenneOld Bay gives these biscuits their signature flavor. The cayenne adds mild heat, but it can be left out.
Sharp Cheddar CheeseSharp or extra-sharp Cheddar delivers the most flavor. Grate it fresh so it melts smoothly throughout the biscuits.
Garlic-Butter ToppingBrush it over the biscuits while they’re still warm so it melts into every crack and crevice.
    Whisking the dry ingredients, then adding the wet ingredients and cheese for Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

    How To Make This Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe

    1. Prep: Heat oven and line a baking sheet. Melt butter, then mix it with cold buttermilk until clumps form.
    2. Mix: Stir dry ingredients together, add the butter mix, and gently fold in cheese.
    3. Scoop & Bake: Drop dough on the sheet, chill, then bake 12–15 minutes.
    4. Finish: Brush with melted butter, garlic, and parsley.
    Adding the batter into a measuring cup and whisking together the butter herb mixture to spread on top.

    chelsea’s recipe tips

    My Top Tips For Success

    • Spray the measuring cup lightly so the dough drops easily.
    • Mix gently; less mixing makes this Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit recipe lighter.
    • Keep an eye on the bake time to avoid over-baking.
    • Let biscuits sit for 5–10 minutes after baking to finish cooking inside.
    The red lobster cheddar bay biscuits fresh out of the oven with the parsley butter being spread on top.

    Storage

    This Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit recipe is best eaten fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for 2–3 months.

    Reheating Tips: Reheat in the microwave, on the stove, or in an air fryer.

    Freezing: Wrap cooled biscuits in plastic wrap, put in a freezer bag, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

    Serve Biscuits Alongside:

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    5 from 2 votes
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    Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe

    By Chelsea Lords
    This Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Recipe makes soft, cheesy biscuits finished with plenty of irresistible garlic butter!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Chilling Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12 biscuits

    Video

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour see note 1
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional
    • 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
    For the topping
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

    Instructions 

    • Adjust the rack to the middle position in the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Or generously butter a large cast-iron (oven-safe) pan. Melt butter in the microwave and set aside to cool for 3–4 minutes.
    • Pour the cold, straight from the fridge buttermilk into the melted butter. Stir with a spoon until small clumps of butter form. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, dried parsley, and cayenne if using. Make a well in the center and use a spatula to scrape every bit of the butter-and-buttermilk mixture from the spoon and bowl into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough together just until ingredients are incorporated. Don’t overmix. Gently fold in shredded cheese.
    • Lightly spritz a 1/4 cup (66g) measuring cup. Scoop the batter into the measuring cup and drop onto the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with all the batter, leaving 1-1/2 inches of space between each biscuit. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
    • Bake biscuits for 12–15 minutes or until tops and bottoms are a light golden brown and when tapped on the top it sounds hollow.
    • While biscuits are baking, mix together all the ingredients for the topping. Remove biscuits from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and brush the melted butter on the biscuits (see note 2). Enjoy warm—these are best the same day, right out of the oven!
    Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

    Recipe Notes

    Note 1: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour, you will pack in way too much flour (which creates denser/drier biscuits). Instead, spoon the flour into the measuring cup until it’s overfilled. Then use the back of a table knife to level the measuring cup at the top.
    Note 2: Once you pull them from the oven, allow time for the biscuits to stand for about 5–10 minutes without breaking into them. The residual heat and steam ensure the insides are fully baked through.
    Storage: Biscuits are always best the same day they are made, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container or bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 2–3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.4g | Protein: 5.5g | Fat: 12.7g | Cholesterol: 34.6mg | Sodium: 112.3mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 4.2g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Like this? Leave a comment below!

    Meet Chelsea

    Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

    Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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    2 Comments

    1. Elizabeth Thomas says:

      5 stars
      Had dinner at Red Lobster last Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi….their biscuits has changed….don’t even taste the same…there was NO cheese nor seasonings inside the biscuits. What a great change or definitely not Red Lobsters biscuits.
      .

      Reply
      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        Nooo why would they do that?! Well you’ll love these then! 🙂

        Reply