Copycat Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe

Light, fluffy, cheesy, and so crazy good, this Copycat Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe is better than the original! If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it’d be biscuits, and these cheesy, garlicky, delish biscuits are at the top of the list!

Copycat red lobster Cheddar Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits collage

I’ve been making biscuits forever, ever since Mama taught me. Her buttermilk biscuits are still the best thing on the planet, but these biscuits come in a close second. They’re light, fluffy, cheesy, garlicky, and full of flavor. I won’t say they’re just like Red Lobster’s biscuits because I think they’re better!

The secret ingredient in these biscuits is buttermilk. Buttermilk serves a few purposes. First, it lends creaminess, moisture, and a delicious tanginess to the biscuits. But when combined with the baking powder in the self-rising flour, it creates a chemical reaction that makes biscuits light and fluffy.
Self-rising flour is also a must for these biscuits. This kind of flour already has baking powder and salt in it, so it’s a bit of a shortcut when making baked goods. Self-rising flour is also made from a kind of wheat with lower protein and a softer texture, so it’s great for these cheddar garlic biscuits. And, it’s perfectly premeasured and sifted, so you’re good to go right out of the bag.

Ingredients

  • Self-rising flour – Watch the expiry date on the bag.
  • Vegetable shortening – Like Crisco.
  • Buttermilk – You need whole buttermilk, not low fat.
  • Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar works best. I like using yellow cheddar.
  • Garlic salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter because there’s plenty of salt in the cheese and the flour.

How To Make The Best Red Lobster Biscuit Recipe

  • Add the flour to a large bowl, and using your fingers, work in the shortening until the flour mixture is crumbly with pea-sized pieces.
  • Preheat your oven to 500-F. Grease a cast iron pan or casserole dish large enough to hold the biscuits just touching each other.
  • Stir in the buttermilk and shredded cheddar with a wooden spoon. Do not overwork the dough.
  • Lightly dust the top of a very clean work surface with a bit of flour. 
  • Pat the dough down into a neat rectangle without kneading the dough.
  • Slice the biscuits into 8-10 squares. Using a pizza cutter makes this really easy.
  • Transfer the biscuits to the prepared pan – they should be just barely touching each other.
  • Melt half the butter and stir in the garlic powder and garlic salt, Spoon over the top of the biscuits and bake until nicely browned.
  • Melt the remaining butter and add in the rest of the garlic powder. Brush the baked biscuits with this garlic butter while they’re still hot.
  • Enjoy!
Copycat red lobster cheddar garlic biscuits

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Don’t overwork the biscuit dough, or your biscuits will be hard and tough. 
  • Sharp cheddar is my favorite in these Red Lobster garlic biscuits, but you can use any kind of cheese, including Pepper Jack, if you want to add a bit of spice.
  • These cheddar garlic buttermilk biscuits are already buttery, but there’s no harm in melting a bit more butter inside a just-from-the-oven biscuit. 
  • Eat these biscuits fresh from the oven. Let them cool a bit, and then serve.
  • This recipe is easy to double, and they’re so good that you may need extra!

Serving Suggestions

These flavorful Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits go so well with just about everything. I will grab one on my way out the door in the morning, or I love them with a bowl of soup for lunch. They’re also great with BBQ, saucy pasta dishes, and everything in between.

I also love just tucking a slice or two of ham inside a sliced biscuit for a quick lunch. Who needs bread when you’ve got a cheesy garlicy biscuit? Yum!

copycat red lobster biscuits recipe

Storage

These biscuits are best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, pop them into the fridge in an airtight container and eat them as soon as possible. Or freeze them. Put them in a freezer-friendly plastic bag or container and freeze them for up to a month.

Other Great Biscuit Recipes

Better than Red Lobster Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self rising flour
  • ¼ cup vegetable shortening like Crisco
  • ¾ cup whole buttermilk
  • 1.5 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder + 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
  • Using your fingers, work the shortening in with the flour in a large bowl until the flour appears crumbly, about the size of little peas. Stir in the buttermilk & shredded cheddar with a wooden spoon.
  • Lightly dust your countertop with a little flour. Pat the dough down into a neat rectangle, no reason to do any kneading really. Using a pizza cutter, slice the biscuits into 8-10 squares. Place the biscuits into a greased cast iron pan or if you don’t have one, a round cake pan or any casserole dish will do, with the sides of the biscuits just touching.
  • Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and stir in the tablespoon of garlic powder and garlic salt. Pour on top of the biscuits. Bake for 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
  • Melt the rest of the butter. Add the teaspoon of garlic powder and stir. Brush the mixture on top of the biscuits once they come out of the oven.
  • Inhale. Repeat.