✔ Updated · one clear from-scratch recipe, fixed card amounts + Bisquick shortcut
These copycat Red Lobster cheddar biscuits are fluffy, cheesy garlic drop biscuits, brushed with parsley butter while they're still hot. One bowl, no rolling or cutting, and they're on the table in about 20 minutes.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Keep the butter and buttermilk cold, and stop stirring the moment the flour disappears. That's how you get tall, tender biscuits.
Why You'll Love These Biscuits
- Drop biscuits: no rolling pin, no cutter, no fuss.
- Real sharp cheddar: pockets of melty cheese in every bite.
- That garlic butter finish: brushed on hot so it soaks right in.
What Makes These Taste Like the Restaurant Biscuits
The restaurant-style cheddar biscuit is a drop biscuit: tender, a little craggy on top and loaded with garlic and cheese, then brushed with butter. The flavor comes from three things: sharp cheddar, garlic powder in the dough and garlic butter on top.
Some copycats start from a baking mix; mine is from scratch because it only takes one more minute and the butter flavor is so much better. There's a Bisquick shortcut in the FAQ if you want it. These are wonderful next to my Red Lobster shrimp scampi.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Shred your own cheese. Bagged shredded cheddar is coated in anti-caking starch and melts less. A block of sharp cheddar gives much more flavor.
- Keep everything cold. Little bits of cold butter turn to steam in the hot oven and puff the biscuits. I cube the butter and pop it back in the fridge while I measure everything else.
- Stop stirring early. Shaggy and lumpy is perfect. Smooth dough means tough, flat biscuits.
- Bake hot. 450°F sets the outside quickly so the inside stays fluffy. If your oven runs hot like mine, check at 10 minutes.
- Brush right away. The garlic butter soaks into hot biscuits; on cool ones it just sits on top.
Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
12
Biscuits10
minutes12
minutes240
kcal25
minutesCopycat-style Red Lobster cheddar biscuits made from scratch: tender garlic and sharp cheddar drop biscuits mixed in one bowl, baked hot and fast at 450°F and brushed with melted butter, garlic and parsley.
Ingredients
- For the Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1 cup cold buttermilk
- For the Garlic Butter Topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pinch fine salt
Directions
- Mix
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the pieces are the size of small peas.
- Toss in the shredded cheddar so every shred is coated in flour.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a spatula just until a thick, shaggy dough forms, about 10 strokes. Don’t overmix.
- Bake and Brush
- Drop the dough in 12 mounds (about 1/4 cup each) onto the baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms are deep golden.
- While they bake, stir the melted butter with the garlic powder, parsley and salt. Brush it generously over the hot biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Try using a homemade or store-bought Bisquick or garlic butter glaze if you don’t want to make biscuits from scratch.
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Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Room temperature: airtight for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: up to 5 days. Cheese-filled biscuits keep better chilled after the first day.
- Freezer: wrap baked biscuits individually and freeze in a bag for up to 3 months, or freeze unbaked dough mounds and bake from frozen.
- Reheat: 5 to 8 minutes in a 350°F oven, then brush with a little extra garlic butter.
More Biscuits to Try
If you love a warm biscuit basket, try my Bisquick cheddar garlic biscuits, flaky KFC-style buttermilk biscuits or the Cracker Barrel biscuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Red Lobster cheddar biscuits made of?
They are buttery drop biscuits flavored with garlic and cheddar cheese, brushed with melted butter, garlic and parsley after baking. This copycat uses flour, baking powder, a little sugar, garlic powder, cold butter, sharp cheddar and buttermilk.
Can I make these with Bisquick?
Yes. Stir 2 cups Bisquick with 2/3 cup cold milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, drop onto a sheet and bake at 450°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with the same garlic butter. The scratch version is a little more tender and buttery.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes. Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Plain milk alone works too, but the biscuits are slightly less tender and tangy.
Can I make the biscuits ahead?
Mix the dry ingredients and butter up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge, then add the cheese and buttermilk just before baking. You can also scoop the dough and freeze the mounds, then bake from frozen at 450°F for 15 to 17 minutes.
How do I store and reheat cheddar biscuits?
Keep cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or about 15 seconds in the microwave.
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i love these
Awesome! Thank you, for the recipe.