The Ultimate Cheddar Biscuit Recipe
This tender Cheddar Biscuit Recipe is the ultimate Red Lobster copycat, complete with pockets of cheese and a tasty garlic butter finish on top. The best part is that they complement a good, hearty soup wonderfully.
If you love a good flaky biscuit, these cheddar biscuits are a lovely homemade option. They bake perfectly with a golden brown crust on the outside and a soft, flaky center that will take any soup to the next level. You will have warm, fresh biscuits on your table in just 30 minutes, leaving you more time to enjoy them!
Looking for more tasty soup dippers? Try homemade dinner rolls and crispy goat cheese balls.
Cheddar Cheesy Biscuits - The Ultimate Soup Pairing
This cheese biscuit recipe stays true to the classic! Going to restaurants is getting more and more expensive, so why not prepare some Red Lobster cheddar biscuits at home? My mom was the biscuit queen, so I like to stay true to my southern roots and have a variety of biscuit recipes under my belt.
Plus, if you're a soup lover like me, dipping one of these warm biscuits in a rich and creamy soup is like heaven! Try a brie grilled cheese for another cheesy soup pairing!
LynIngredients + Substitutions
The ingredients listed below are the most important to this cheese biscuit recipe. For more details, take a look at the recipe card.
- Butter: You'll need butter for both components. Cold, cubed butter for the biscuits and melted butter for the topping. I recommend unsalted for both because you'll be adding additional salt as well.
- Buttermilk: This is the secret to the most tender cheddar biscuits you'll ever have! Don't have buttermilk? You can make it! Every cup of whole milk needs 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and it will work just the same. Keep a little extra to brush on the tops of the biscuits before they bake, too.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley brightens up the whole recipe! I throw some chopped parsley right into the herb butter. Any variety works; flat, leaf, or curly!
- Cheddar Cheese: Use freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese for the best flavor!
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
Cheddar Biscuit Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy: Turn up the heat and add some spice! Try this recipe with shredded pepperjack cheese or add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy version.
- Add some sweetness: I like to add a couple of tablespoons of honey to the herb butter topping to add a lovely, sticky sweetness to the finished cheddar biscuits.
- Try another cheese: I love sharp cheddar in this biscuit recipe, but you can substitute another flavor like Parmesan, mozzarella, or any other shredded cheese to suit your flavor preference.
How to Make Cheddar Biscuits
This cheddar biscuit recipe is a true labor of love. They take a little time to prepare, but the result is worth it! Prep your baking pan with a piece of parchment, preheat your oven to 400°F,and grab all your ingredients to make biscuits.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients and add butter. Add all of the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and give them a good stir. Once mixed, add the cubes of cold butter.
Step 2: Cut the butter into the mixture. Use two forks or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it takes on a crumb-like texture.
Step 3: Add the cheese. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 4: Stir in the buttermilk. Make a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir the mixture until it just comes together.
Step 5: Shape the dough. Pour the sticky dough out onto a floured surface. Shape it into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
Step 6: Fold it. Use a bench scraper or your hands to fold each side into the center, turn the dough 90 degrees, and repeat the process another 3 times.
Step 7: Cut out the biscuits. Cut your biscuits with a 2 ½ - 3 inch round cutter. Take any scraps and roll them out to get as many biscuits as you can. Then, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake and glaze them. Brush them with buttermilk and then bake them at 400°F for 18-22 minutes or until they're nice and golden. While the cheddar biscuits bake, mix up the garlic herb butter. Brush the tops after baking and enjoy!
Lyn's Top Tips
- Use cold ingredients: Cold butter helps the biscuits become nice and flaky, while the cold buttermilk helps the biscuits rise and remain moist and tender in the center.
- Don't twist when you cut the dough: When you twist the biscuit cutter, it seals the edges of the biscuits. This prevents them from rising and becoming fluffy.
- Consider altitude changes: Higher altitudes result in the leavening agents working way too quickly. If you're about 3,000 ft, reduce the baking powder by ⅛ teaspoon per cup of flour and add a little extra buttermilk (about 1 tablespoon) to ensure the cheddar biscuits have the perfect texture.
- Don't skip the parchment: These biscuits are more prone to sticking due to the cheese so it's best to use parchment or be sure to spray the baking pan very well with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
- I love a good soup for dinner like this easy no-bean chili because it's cozy and filling. The flavors go so well with these cheesy biscuits.
- If you are thinking of enjoying cheese biscuits for lunch, try a lighter soup pairing like creamy basil zucchini soup or spring minestrone.
- Take it all up a notch and top your bowl with some cornbread croutons as well. They add a crunch to contrast the moist cheddar herb biscuits.
Cheddar Biscuit Recipe FAQs
The fans in a convection oven can make things bake faster. If you are using a convection oven, lower the temperature to 375°F and check the biscuits after 15 minutes to ensure they don't overcook and dry out.
Overmixing or overworking the dough can result in dense biscuits. Only mix the dough until the ingredients are just combined. Gently roll out and fold the dough; don't knead it. These tiny adjustments will give you softer, more tender cheddar biscuits. For flaky biscuits, use butter straight from the fridge for best results; the colder the better!
Yes, you can! The best way to do this is to follow the recipe directions all the way up through cutting the biscuits. Lay the cut biscuits on a parchment-lined baking tray and freeze for 1-2 hours. Then transfer them to a storage container and store for up to 2 months. Thaw them out overnight in the fridge and then bake as directed.
Since these biscuits contain cheese, they should be stored in the fridge and not at room temperature. They will last for up to four days or you can freeze them for up to three months.
For the best results, wrap them in foil and reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 350° F for 5-8 minutes, or until heated through. You can also microwave them but I find they lose their crunchy edges.
More Soup Side Dishes
Did you try this soup recipe? Please leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating if you loved it and your comments below! For more recipes, you can follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Best Cheddar Biscuit Recipe (Just like Red Lobster!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour + additional for rolling
- 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups cold buttermilk + additional for brushing
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Garlic Herb Butter Glaze
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- Large pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley flat-leaf or curly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined.
- Add the cubed cold butter to the dry ingredients. Cut it in with two forks or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Alternatively, you can add the flour and butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse it in until it resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer the mixture back to the mixing bowl after pulsing.
- Stir the shredded cheddar into the flour mixture until combined.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the cold buttermilk into the well. Working your way around the outside of the flour, fold it into the buttermilk. Then, give the mixture a few good stirs until it just starts to come together. Do not overmix; it should just look like a craggly mass.
- Generously flour your work surface and keep some flour nearby to continue flouring your hands as you work (the dough will be very sticky, especially to start!). Turn the dough and any dough crumbles out onto it. Flour your hands generously and gently shape the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Using your hands or a bench scraper, gently fold one side of the dough over the center. Fold the other side over the center, on the top of the other side of the dough. Flour your hands if needed, carefully turn the dough 90°, and gently flatten the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat the folding process, gently turning it again, folding, and patting down 3 more times (4 in total).
- Using a 2 ½ or 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits straight down (do not twist. This will seal the edges, preventing a good rise). Re-roll the scraps by gently gathering the scraps and patting them together to form a small, 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut the remaining biscuits.
- Place the biscuits close together (no more than ¼-inch between them) on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with a few tablespoons of buttermilk and bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the biscuits bake, make the garlic herb butter glaze. Add the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and chopped parsley to a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven. Brush them with the garlic herb butter glaze, and serve warm (or let cool until your desired temperature before serving).
Recipe Tips
- Reduce the baking powder to 5 teaspoons
- Increase the flour to 3 ¼ cups (406g)
- Add an extra 2 tablespoons of cold buttermilk (total of 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons, plus additional to brush)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for 14-18 more minutes.
- Cold butter = flaky layers. Cold buttermilk = tall, tender biscuits. Don't let those ingredients warm up!
- Press straight down with the cutter. Twisting seals the edges and keeps biscuits from rising tall and fluffy.
- Cheese can make these biscuits sticky. Use parchment paper or a well-greased pan so they release cleanly.
Nutrition
