Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Bursting with cheesy buttery garlic goodness!
Texture: The biscuits are slightly flaky and crisp outside but ultra tender and fluffy inside.
Ease: Very quick and easy to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: You will wake up in the middle of the night with cravings for these babies.
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Send me to a deserted island with a lifetime supply of these Red Lobster Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits and I’d be happy.
They’re a homemade copycat version of the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, but I think these ones are even better.
I’ve been making these for years. They’re incredibly quick to make and smell like the best thing ever while they’re baking. They’re also super easy to whip up. Probably one of my most favorite copycat recipes ever.
Made these to go with a beef stew and my husband said they were the best biscuits he’s ever had. That’s saying a lot for 39 years of marriage! Ha, ha! They were great! I followed the recipe with the exception of the cheese. I didn’t have enough cheddar, so I added some gouda.
They’re perfectly savory. The biscuit recipe is buttery, flaky, and crisp and is made with shredded cheddar. Then the biscuit gets topped with a butter mixture with the best garlic flavor. SO. GOOD.
Tips for Perfectly Tender, Flaky, and Soft Cheesy Garlic Biscuits:
- Be super gentle with the dough. Making these biscuits by hand with a pastry blender, instead of a mixer or food processor, means you’re less likely to overwork the dough – and it’s still super quick and easy. Be sure to mix the buttermilk in gently, and only just until the dough comes together. Overmixing will result in tough biscuits.
- Make sure to MEASURE YOUR FLOUR CORRECTLY. Too much flour will result in dense, dry, and tough biscuits. I recommend using a digital kitchen scale for best results.
- Use real buttermilk. Its acidity activates the baking soda to leaven, lighten, and tenderize the end result. A DIY substitute will work, but the results won’t be as tender and tasty. More on this below.
- Make sure your ingredients are COLD. Your butter must be very cold when mixing. The cold little pieces of butter in the dough will release steam once they hit the heat of the oven. That steam puffs up and helps to create those mouthwatering flaky layers.
- Use fresh baking powder. Yes, it can lose its effectiveness before the expiration date printed on the packaging. Check out my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article to learn how to test for freshness.
Sprinkle of Science
To create the best flavor AND texture, YES. I’ve done extensive side-by-side testing on buttermilk vs. regular milk vs. buttermilk substitutes (including powdered buttermilk). I find nothing quite compares to the tangy taste and thick texture that real buttermilk provides.
If you can’t use real buttermilk, you can use this substitute: 1 scant cup whole milk + 2 teaspoons distilled vinegar or lemon juice – but please be aware that the flavor and tender texture won’t be as good, compared to using the real thing.
Learn more: Buttermilk 101.
The Cheese in Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
Using a freshly shredded sharp cheddar will give a strong cheesy flavor, great texture, and mimic the flavor and consistency of the original biscuits. Pre-shredded cheeses don’t bring the same flavor and don’t melt as nicely, so shred your own if you can. Tip: the shredding attachment on your food processor makes for quick shredding!
Storage & Make ahead
Room Temperature: These biscuits are best served the day they are made, but they’ll still taste great for 3 days if stored at room temperature, in an airtight container. Just refresh in the oven (instructions below).
To reheat / refresh: Wrap biscuits in foil and bake for 5-10 minutes at 350°F, or until warmed through.
Freeze: Place biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and freeze for a couple hours, until solid, and then move to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to a month. Thaw to room temperature. Follow above instructions for refreshing.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Garlic Knot Rolls – ultra soft & fluffy!
- Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Ultimate Macaroni & Cheese
- Jalapeño Cornbread with Bacon & Cheddar
- Homemade Cheez-Its
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Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 1/4 cups (6 ounces / 170 grams) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup (178 ml) buttermilk, very cold**
For the butter:
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter forms pea-sized crumbs. Mix in the cheese. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined.
- Drop the dough by scant 1/4-cup portions onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 16 to 17 minutes.
- While the biscuits are baking, combine the melted butter, parsley, and garlic powder. Brush the biscuits with the garlic butter and serve warm.
Notes
This post was originally published in 2013 and updated with new photos and more recipe tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Perfect recipe! I shredded very cold butter, stuck it in the freezer, mixed it into my dry stuff plus cheese and had biscuits in the oven straight home from church! I made my own buttermilk: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar and let it sit a few minutes. Added Italian herbs to the dough. Perfect complement to Taco Salad.
Yum!! I’m so glad I found your recipe your recipe! I didn’t have cheddar cheese on hand so I used Asiago (chopped up finely) & the dough was a bit dry once I mixed all the ingredients in so I added an extra 1/4c. They came out so fluffy and delish! Topped them with salted butter, parsley & Parmesan. Great recipes, thank you.😊
I made these and they were delicious. But I think they need more salt
Delicious! I need to get a scale. Next time I’ll add another 1/8 C milk and use salted butter on top. Thank you!
I am going to agree with others, 3/4 cup of buttermilk was not enough. I added another 1/8 cup and the dough came together and yes I weighed the flour.
Biscuits were delicious.