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.
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).
- 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.
- 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.
Love it
Thank you, Marvin!
Just mixed it and smells amazing. Can’t wait to use it. How many servings of the mix is this then? 3-4?
It makes enough to use it about 7 times if you’re using a tablespoon of the mixture each time. I hope you love it!
The bread dipping recipe is delicious. Didn’t change anything in the recipe. Will make it again.
So glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review!
I made it and love it!!!!
It was a hit with everyone from parents to kids. I took it a little further and added one TBS of the dry mix to my homemade gluten free bread. Great flavor!
So glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review!
Amazing!!! So yummy!
So happy you liked it!
At what point does the fresh garlic come in? Am I supposed to mix it into the oil after adding the dry mixture?
Since the spice mix itself without the garlic can be stored in your pantry for weeks, I recommend adding the garlic in just to the portion you’re eating when you’re ready to serve. So, put some minced garlic in a bowl or shallow plate, add the seasoning mixture, and add olive oil. That’s definitely the best way, but it’s great without the fresh garlic too. I often leave it out if I’m serving people who are more more sensitive to garlic.
Does the oil need to be refrigerated after making
If you use fresh garlic, the oil should be refrigerated. It will keep for a week. If you use dried garlic or garlic powder, it is pantry safe and will keep for up to six months. Hope that helps!
Amazing first round. Went without the Parmesan (not my choice) and I used the jarred minced garlic and cut the red pepper flakes in half for my youngest, and she thought it was great. Definitely a staple for our weekly Italian dinners. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a review!
Loved it! And so easy! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I’m sorry…I think I’m missing something. Mix all together except oil, garlic and cheese. Then use I TBS of the dry mix with 1/2 cup olive oil and a Tablespoon of garlic on the plate? I love garlic, but that seems string, even for me.
Just trying to get it right. Thank you!
You can definitely just use garlic powder, or reduce the fresh garlic if you’d like.
I used this a little differently, but the spice combo for the exception of the red pepper flakes (I was out and substituted 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper) was perfection!
I took an entire loaf of Italian bread sliced it in 1/2 in. Ovals, dipped one entire surface of each slice in the dipping sauce, covered it with a mixture of the Italian cheeses left in my fridge and made crostini. It turned out spectacular and gave my home the scent of an Italian restaurant!