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.
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
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 (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.
Marla Aricayos says
This is my favorite recipe hands down! Simply the best!!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh thank you so much! I’m glad you like it so much!
CarolAnn says
Can I store the dry mix + garlic in the fridge? Or are we supposed to store the dry mix + garlic + olive oil in the fridge? Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
I like to just store the dry mix in my pantry and then add garlic and oil to a small amount of it when ready to serve. If you add the garlic, I’d store in the fridge. Sometimes I just use garlic powder instead of garlic, and then you can store on the counter/pantry.
Salem says
So good— I find it’s best after sitting for two hours at least so the herbal flavors infuse the oil. Red pepper flakes add such a great, subtle heat. Saves well and I cannot stop eating it.
Rachel Gurk says
I agree – I love letting it infuse a little too!
Tammie says
What brand of EVOO do you recommend?
Rachel Gurk says
Any brand of high-quality extra virgin olive oil will work. I personally use California Olive Ranch pretty often!
Monique says
What type of bread would you recommend to go with this oil drip?
Rachel Gurk says
Any type, honestly! It’s so good! French, Italian, sourdough, and ciabatta are all great choices. Anything that will soak up the oil is great.
Carol says
How would it be without the red pepper flakes? I have never tasted pepper flakes in dipping spices I have bought, so I was just wondering. Thank you for the recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
It’s a very robust, flavorful mixture so it would be completely fine without the red pepper flakes! I love the slight heat that they add, but there will still be a lot of flavor without them.
Dawn says
This is absolutely delicious!!! It was completely polished off on the charcuterie table!! I am so glad to have a recipe for this so I don’t have to buy a mix anymore!! I LOVE the spiciness!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot!
Christine says
This recipe was great! I was going to buy an already made dip or a mix but couldn’t find one in the store, and I’m glad I didn’t. I had all the ingredients on hand, even fresh garlic. My only regret was not having a better quality EVOO, but I made seven servings, so I’ll know for next time! Thank you so much!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! High quality EVOO definitely helps but it’s delicious either way. :)
Cynthia says
I have a couple of vegan pals. Do you think nutritional yeast would be a good sub for the parm? Would you recommend something else? I don’t like the taste or texture of vegan cheese. THANKS!
Rachel Gurk says
Honestly, I think I’d just leave out the parm and don’t substitute anything. It’s plenty flavorful and delicious without it.
v says
Serve it on the side for those who want it, and they can sprinkle it on their bread.
Rachel Gurk says
Great idea!
Kristen says
Would this be any good as a salad dressing?
Rachel Gurk says
It would work if you added vinegar to it, either in a 3:1 or 2:1 oil/vinegar ratio. Try white wine vinegar. :)
Kathy R. says
Never really liked bread dipping oils until this one. Yum! I mixed a batch of just dry ingredients and keep stored in freezer. I just add minced garlic and oil with a tablespoon of mix when we want it. So fast and easy! And yes, much better with fresh garlic.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad this one was a hit! Thanks for leaving a comment! And that’s a smart way to store it!
Andrew fordyce-harvey says
Very tasty with ciabatta bread,other half loved.kudos for me.lol
Rachel Gurk says
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Mary Jeffrey says
AmAZEING could not get any tastier
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Terrie Ransom says
I had everything except basil and rosemary, so I just used a teaspoon of Italian seasoning instead. I also used jar garlic in olive oil and just kept it refrigerated. Omgosh.. absolutely amazing!!! I keep it to just snack on with a lil lite bread. Love love this!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! I made some just last night too. :) Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
Mary says
Love love love ❤❤❤
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it!
Kimberly Kay (Buchanan) Rietbrock says
Can you add ages balsamic?
Rachel Gurk says
Definitely! I do all the time. So good!
Pam Allen says
I took a chance on this to serve with Rosemary Romano Focaccia bread. Used a little less salt and omitted the Parmesan. It had no “punch” at all. I started to add a little more salt, but change my mind an added the Parmesan cheese instead. WOW, WOW, WOW! I had to fight myself not to take the focaccia and the dip into the closet so no one would see me eat the whole loaf!! Yes, it’s that good!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! The parmesan definitely adds flavor AND salt so it’s a win win! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!