Red Lobster Sausage Balls are a savory, bite-sized delicacy that is a medley of breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, and the signature Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix. These golden, tender bites are cherished for their heady, cheesy flavor and fluffy but substantial texture. Great as a party appetizer, game day snack or even a savory brunch side, they pack just the right amount of spice, salt and cheesy goodness in every bite. The biscuit mix gives the filling a specific garlicky, buttery flavor, plus a soft interior and slightly crisp exterior when baked. The sausage — which is mild or spicy pork — adds depth and a juicy richness, and the cheddar cheese melts beautifully throughout to create gooey pockets and a golden crust.
Unlike regular biscuit sausage balls, Red Lobster Sausage Balls are made with the Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix instead of a plain old baking mix, so they give them a flavor twist. Some recipes also have a splash of milk or cream cheese to make them extra moist and soft. Sausage balls are frequently eaten hot, either by themselves or with dipping sauces such as honey mustard, ranch or marinara for an additional kick. And they’re easy to prepare in advance, which makes them a perennial option for entertaining. Whether you’re preparing to host a brunch, pack a snack box or simply appetite something cheesy and satiating, Red Lobster Sausage Balls scratch the blood. They’re nostalgic, crowd-pleasing and well, very easy to customize — add your own twist, for example, with jalapeños, herbs or different cheese blends.
Red Lobster Sausage Ball Recipe
Ingredients:
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1 package Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (about 11.36 oz)
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1 pound ground breakfast sausage (mild or spicy, based on preference)
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1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
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4 tablespoons cold butter (cubed)
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⅓ cup milk (whole milk or 2% preferred)
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Optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder (for extra flavor)
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Optional: Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
1. Preheat the Oven:
- Start by preheating the oven to 375°F / 190°C and be sure the oven is fully preheated prior to baking as fully heated ovens allow for the sausage balls to cook evenly without burning the bottoms.
2. Prepare the Biscuit Mix Base:
- Open the package of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix and pour the biscuit mix (but not the herb packet yet) into a large mixing bowl.
- Before proceeding, whisk briefly to break up any clumps so that the dough will be lighter and more even throughout.
3. Cut in the Butter:
- Next, sprinkle the cubed cold butter into the biscuit mix.
- Then either with a pastry cutter, two forks or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry mix until it resembles coarse crumbs (this is vital for tender, rich-tasting sausage balls).
4. Mix in the Cheese and Sausage:
- Next, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese into the bowl and gently toss to cause the cheese to become coated with flour-butter mixture.
- This way, it won’t clump together—the cheese will be evenly distributed throughout each sausage ball so you get cheesy goodness the whole way through.
- After that, crumble the raw ground sausage into the bowl and mix with your hands or a sturdy spoon, gently incorporating everything together but not overmixing.
- Overmixing will lead to a dense, not soft, texture in the final sausage ball.
5. Add Milk to Bind:
- Slowly pour the milk around the sausage-flour mixture and mix again with care until the dough starts to come together in a slightly sticky, moldable texture.
- You may have to use your hands and squeeze and fold the dough carefully until it became fully combined; again, patient not overworking it.
6. Form the Sausage Balls:
- Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop the dough ball into portion and roll in your hand until the dough ball is approximately 1½-inches in diameter, while packing it just firmly enough to hold its shape without squeezing out the moisture.
7. Organize the Baking Sheet:
- Arrange every sausage ball on top of a broad baking tray, so space of 1½ to 2 inches exists, allowing the sausage balls to expand a little during the baking process.
- Turn parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
8. Cook the sausage balls:
- Place the tray in the preheated oven to cook for 18-22 minutes, looking near the end for the color on the outside to be golden brown and the sausage to be fully cooked and not pink in the middle.
9. Optional topping of herb butter.
- Mix in a tiny bowl the herb seasoning packet from the Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix and 2 tablespoons of melted butter while the sausage balls are in the oven.
- Once the sausage balls enter the oven, apply a pastry brush to cover the top of each sausage with the melted herb butter for added flavor, metamorphosing them into exceedingly buttery and garlicanic.
10. Warmly Administer and Appreciate:
- Let the sausage balls lay a little on the baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a serving dish or basket with freshly chopped or grated pecorino.
- Serve them warm as a party snack, brunch addition, or savory treat or on their own or with dips such honey mustard, ranch dressing, or spicy aioli to savor.
Tips:
- To get ready ahead of time, you could form the sausage balls, freeze them raw on a baking sheet, and keep them in a freezer bag.
- Very useful for busy days – Just throw them into the oven on cooking day and add 3–5 extra minutes to the baking time!