Name: Homemade Red Lobster Biscuits
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Bisquick mix (store-bought or homemade); 2/3 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 1/4 cup salted butter (melted); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley

Jump to Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

Craving those famous Cheddar Bay biscuits? These copycat Red Lobster biscuits are easy to make at home using just a few ingredients! They take just 15 minutes to make from start to finish for the perfect side dish to any meal, from a weeknight dinner to a holiday celebration.

Close up of parsley-topped red lobster biscuits in a basket lined with a linen napkin.

Table of Contents

Want to save this recipe for later?

We'll email you a link so you can come back to it later! Plus, we'll send new recipes right to your inbox weekly.

Confession: Sometimes I choose to go to a restaurant because of the bread that they serve with the soup or salad. Carbs are my truest love.

I can’t be alone in this. I mean, who hasn’t gone to Olive Garden at least once just because they were craving the breadsticks? Or what about those Texas Roadhouse rolls?

And don’t even get me started on those glorious cheesy, garlicky Red Lobster biscuits…they’re the best part of the meal. Decades ago, my mom found a recipe for a copycat version of the biscuits in some women’s magazine, possibly Ladies’ Home Journal. Over the years we tweaked the recipe slightly, but these were a staple in our house growing up.

Unlike sweet potato biscuits, Red Lobster biscuits (aka Cheddary Bay biscuits) are a drop biscuit. That means that instead of rolling out and cutting the dough into perfect circles, the dough is dropped onto the baking sheet to make a free-form biscuit. The dough takes just 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to bake thanks to Bisquick mix.

In truth, if you whip up a batch of creamy pesto pasta with shrimp and a batch of these biscuits, there’s no need to ever set foot in the restaurant itself!

Two homemade red lobster biscuits on a plate. One of the biscuits is broken in half to show the fluffy inner texture.

Stephie’s testing notes and tips

If you don’t have Bisquick brand mix on hand, any all-purpose baking mix will work. Jiffy baking mix is a great option that works just fine in this recipe!
This is one of the rare times when pre-shredded cheese is just fine. Usually I recommend shredding your own cheese (like when you make homemade pimento cheese), but in this case using a bagged shortcut works fine!
The garlic butter topping is where the magic really lies. Without it, you’ve got a nice cheesy biscuit. But when you brush on the melted garlic butter mixture, that’s what really turns them into the iconic Cheddar Bay biscuits.

A note from the author

2026 update: I first shared this recipe with you all back in 2013, though my family had been making them for decades before that. I have since updated the photos and post to include more tips for you, but the recipe remains the same: just cheesy, garlicky biscuit goodness.

Ingredients for homemade red lobster biscuits arranged on a gray countertop.

Ingredient notes

For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card.

jump to recipe

Bisquick mix: The base of these simple biscuits is Bisquick mix. If you don’t want to use the store-bought stuff, you can use homemade Bisquick mix instead.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a nice tang to these biscuits. You can use whole milk if you don’t have buttermilk, but the added flavor is worth it here.
Sharp cheddar cheese: I like to use a nice sharp cheddar in these biscuits. Any cheddar will work, but sharp cheddar adds so much flavor.
Butter: Salted butter is best here, but use what you have! If you only have unsalted butter, add a tiny pinch of salt with the garlic powder.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder is what adds that garlicky flavor to these biscuits. It’ll be mixed with the melted butter and brushed over the baked biscuits.
Fresh parsley: This is the last touch to make these just like the Cheddar Bay biscuits served at the restaurant. A little minced parsley over the top adds a bit of flavor and lots of color. If you don’t have any on hand, you can always skip this step!

No buttermilk? Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then add whole milk to the 2/3 cup line. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the biscuit dough.

Overhead view of baked red lobster biscuits, topped with minced parsley, on a baking sheet.

How many biscuits does this recipe make?

How many biscuits you get out of this dough depends a bit on how big you make them.

My family prefers slightly larger biscuits, so we usually get 9-10 out of a batch. If you make smaller biscuits, you can get 12.

Growing up, my mom always just used a big spoon to dollop the biscuit dough onto the baking sheet. But if you want more uniform biscuits, use a medium (1.5- or 2-tablespoon) or large (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop instead!

Two homemade red lobster biscuits on a blue and white plate.

Storage and reheating

Homemade Red Lobster biscuits are best the same day they’re made, but you can store any leftovers in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to a day.

The biscuits are best eaten when they are warm, so I recommend reheating them before digging into the leftovers. The quickest and easiest way to reheat your Cheddar Bay biscuits is in a toaster oven.

If you don’t have a toaster oven, wrap the biscuits in foil and pop them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are warmed through. If you have an air fryer, you could toss the foil-wrapped biscuits in there at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes.

I can guarantee that these copycat Red Lobster biscuits will be a new staple at your house!