Bread Dipping Oil Recipe | Restaurant-Style
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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
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
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.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Jeanne Wocking says
Easy and inexpensive. Delicious. My family loved it. I made extra and put it in a jar. Just add olive oil and garlic. Thank you.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
JT says
Hi! I was really looking forward to this recipe, I made the mix as listed and even followed the oil ratio. The chili flakes in it was a weird addition but I wanted to try it. It was okay, not that great. Did add some balsamic vinegar to it to add some flavor which helped. Then headed to bed, that’s when the problem started, I woke up feeling like the chili flakes got stuck in the back of my throat and breathing in was pain. I ended up having to eat a lot of whipped cream to stop the pain and burning, Im not angry at you I’m angry at the chili flakes (all seasonings were brand new since we just got an apartment) I ended up having to throw out the remaining spice mixture as to not repeat this again. 2/5 would not do again unless its without those chili flakes.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi JT – Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the chili flakes. Have you ever eaten them before? You may want to chat with your doctor about a possible allergy. I love the depth and the slight heat they add to this spice mixture, but there is plenty of flavor without them, so you can definitely still enjoy it that way!
Brock says
Hi I’m 14 years old and I’m trying to become a chef. I would like to know how to make rassato and beef Wellington. I like watching Hell’s Kitchen and i would love to know how to make these dishes. Thank you.
Rachel Gurk says
That’s so great! I’ll keep those recipe ideas in mind and see what I can do!
B.G. says
This recipe was so easy and amazing! I also added it to sauteed pasta and veggies to boost their flavor. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar for bread dipping and voila!
Rachel Gurk says
I love adding balsamic to it, too! I’m so glad you liked it, and I love the idea of flavoring pasta and veggies with it.
Captain Jack says
It’s delicious. If I leave out the fresh garlic do you think I could make a large batch of this in December and send a tablespoon packet out in all my Christmas cards? How quickly would it need to be used?
Rachel Gurk says
I think that would work and without the garlic (and I’m assuming you’ll leave the oil out too?), it will keep for a few weeks. Need my address? ;)
martha says
you can use dried garlic powder instead
Rachel Gurk says
You definitely can! You won’t need a tablespoon though, a teaspoon will be more than enough.
Jeri says
I overlooked giving this a rating. it deserves 5 stars.
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks so much!!
Jeri says
This is a superb dipping oil. I’ve made it several times now and each time my husband says how much better it is than store bought dipping oils
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Renee says
This mix is excellent! Thank you so much for sharing. I love the addition of fresh garlic when serving. It’s so important not to store fresh garlic in oil for more than a couple of days or botulism will develop.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you like it!
Gail says
Would you be able to share the name of a quality EVOO for this recipe? Thx it really sounds yummy.
Rachel Gurk says
There are a number of good ones, but I always reach for California Olive Ranch. :)
Debbie says
AMAZING. Thanks for the recipe. I made homemade baguettes and used this dipping oil recipe ad it was a huge hit.
Rachel Gurk says
So irresistible, isn’t it? Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Susan says
I just made this and it’s delicious just from tasting the utensil I mixed with! Coming from someone who is cooking illiterate, it’s nice to hear specifics like fresh Italian bread loaf, or focaccia bread or baguette when we ask what in the world do we dip in this now that we made it? :) and for the other commenters that have asked about what EVOO to use, I was taught to always buy one that says it was made in California (because they have the best) and in a dark jar. Hope that is good advice! And thanks for this recipe hope I buy the right bread!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Truthfully, it’s amazing on any bread! Italian bread – yes. Focaccia – yes. Baguette – yes. Ciabatta – yes. Basically anything that will grab onto it and soak it up!
Rachel W Boulanger says
I’ll be making this with a garlic confit. Have you any suggestions for adjusting the oil/mixture?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it that way so I can’t say for sure, but I’m assuming the garlic confit has some oil in it? I’d just reduce the oil a little and keep everything else the same probably.
Lori says
I add dried shallots. I only do the dry ingredients, then add garlic (a teaspoon) with each batch at the time I make it up for use. No need to refrigerate! I use about 1 T dry with just about 2-1 balsamic to olive oil.
Rachel Gurk says
Great idea!
Angela says
Not a fan! Way too much going into it, and no flavor as a result. Less is more sometimes. Literally pulled nearly every seasoning in my cupboard for this with hogh hopes and give it a 1 out of 5. Maybe my expectations were too high….
Rachel Gurk says
Sorry to hear you didn’t like this one! I think it has a ton of flavor and I’ve never heard otherwise from anyone. Are your spices old? They lose flavor the longer they’re in your cabinet.
Nikki says
Surprising!! I’ve never heard of anyone NOT liking this concoction!
Rachel Gurk says
Right?!?
Jesse says
Maybe they had the COVID lol
Rachel Gurk says
Lol! Maybe!
Tina says
I made this and it is AMAZING!!!!! I’m making up several baggies of this without the olive oil and putting in freezer to have any time we want! Thank you for the recipe!!!! Better than any we’ve had!
Rachel Gurk says
What a great idea to freeze it! Genius!