This is the most irresistible restaurant-style bread dipping oil recipe! You’ll feel like you’re at a fancy Italian restaurant and you won’t be able to stop dipping!
Give me a loaf of bread that’s the perfect balance of crusty and soft, and this bread dipping oil, and I’m a happy girl. Throw in a glass of wine and you’re pretty much making all my dreams come true.
I mean, this stuff is absolutely irresistible. Someone asked me to develop a recipe for this, quite some time ago now…and I did…and then I sat on the floor of my studio after I photographed it and ate bite after bite…after bite. It’s garlicky, herby, a little spicy, a little salty, and 100% amazing.
Drizzle over some incredible extra virgin olive oil and you have the perfect precursor to pretty much any meal. I mean…if you want to make it a meal in and of itself, you won’t find me judging. You’ll probably find me saying, “Could you please pass me the bread?”
This bread dipping oil is the best concoction of herbs, garlic, and of course, rich, flavorful olive oil. It makes a lot, but it stores well in the fridge for about a week. If you want to extend the shelf life further, leave out the fresh garlic and just add that when you’re ready to use it. That’s what I typically do.
What Is in this bread Dipping Oil?
So much great stuff! It all works together so well for the perfect bite with every dip of bread.
- garlic, of course!
- oregano
- basil
- parsley
- onion powder
- cracked black pepper
- red pepper flakes
- thyme
- rosemary
- garlic powder
- and of course, the star, olive oil! Try to find a really rich, bold, extra virgin olive oil.
Want to take this oil mixture to the next level?
Try adding:
– a splash of really good balsamic vinegar
– freshly grated Parmesan cheese
This bread dipping oil goes great with
- Chicken Marsala Pasta (one pan!)
- Instant Pot Pasta with Spinach, Sausage, and Tomatoes
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- One Pan Rigatoni with Creamy Red Wine Tomato Sauce
- Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake
Bread Dipping Oil Recipe | Restaurant-Style
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (2-3 large cloves) minced garlic – use fresh, not the refrigerated kind in a jar! (SEE NOTE)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl EXCEPT olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese (see note about garlic).1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- When ready to use, mix ONLY 1 tablespoon of mixture with about 1/2 cup of olive oil. If desired, add 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly grated garlic.1 tablespoon (2-3 large cloves) minced garlic – use fresh, not the refrigerated kind in a jar!, Extra virgin olive oil, Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- Store remaining mixture in fridge for up to a week (unless you didn't use fresh garlic, then you can store dry herb/spice mixture in your pantry for up to 6 months).
Notes
- If you’d like to store this mix longer, leave out the fresh garlic and just add it when you’re ready to serve. If you do this, you don’t need to refrigerate the mixture and it will keep for up to 6 months in your pantry.
- For a more mild garlic flavor, omit fresh garlic and increase garlic powder to 1 teaspoon.
- Nutrition information is for dry mix only and does not include olive oil or cheese.
- This is also really good with some high quality balsamic mixed in.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
how much oil to use?
I recommend mixing 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture mixture with about 1/2 cup of olive oil.
Can you use just a jar if Italian seasoning and mix with olive oil??
You could, but the flavors will be different and it won’t taste as good. :)
If I make up this recipe without the garlic (with the intention of storing it and adding the garlic when making individual portions), how much garlic should I add to an individual portion?
That’s a really great question! One small clove should work (or half a large clove, but who wants to do that). It depends on how much garlic you like. It would also taste okay with just the garlic powder that’s already in there, or a little extra garlic powder. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’s a great shortcut.
My family loved this. Said it was the best they ever had. Instead of placing the extra seasoning in the fridge, I put it in the freezer. I take it out as needed. I even use it to sprinkle on toasted garlic bread.
Oh that is genius!!! So smart! Glad you all like this!
I do not like olive oil (green olives, no no no) I made this with a canola oil & it was perfect
I don’t like olives but I love olive oil! I’m glad to hear it worked with canola, too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Best Focaccia bread I have ever made!! It was so fluffy and I didn’t even let it rise for the second time! Thank you for this recipe!
So happy to hear it!
Hi! Would you mind sharing the recipe for your awesome Focaccia bread? Sounds so good!! Thanks!
Very good – less salt though!
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback! :)
I made this today because I was making pull apart pepperoni bread and I needed dipping oil to put the dough balls in. I couldn’t find any flavored dipping oil in the store so I decided to see online what I could make. I used this recipe with the oil and then tossed all the dough in it and then layered my bundt pan and followed the directions for the pull apart pepperoni bread. This oil recipe provided so much flavor. My family loved it and I know it was a success because of this recipe!! Will definitely use again!!
Oh yum, that sounds amazing! Seriously craving that now!
Can I use fresh herbs instead?
You can if you plan to use it right away or in 1-2 days…store it in the fridge. :)
I was Wondering Whats the best bread to dig in the oil.
Any crusty or soft bakery bread you like! Really up to you!
OMG I love this stuff from Carraba’s… I love it so much that one year for my birthday my bestie bought me a pint of it from our local restaurant with like 5 loaves of their bread and some of their olive oil!!! I had some of the herb mixture left over so I put it on some pork chops and grilled them!!! They were amazing!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe… I’ll be making this for sure!!!
Wow, I bet it was good on pork chops – what a great idea!! I hope this tastes just like it for you! I think it’s pretty close! I hope you love it…thanks for leaving a comment!
sounds perfect–just need a loaf of bread
Yes! Make it a big, extra crusty one!