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).
- 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.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
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.
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.
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!
So glad you like it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot!
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!
So glad you liked it! High quality EVOO definitely helps but it’s delicious either way. :)
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!
Honestly, I think I’d just leave out the parm and don’t substitute anything. It’s plenty flavorful and delicious without it.
Serve it on the side for those who want it, and they can sprinkle it on their bread.
Great idea!
Would this be any good as a salad dressing?
It would work if you added vinegar to it, either in a 3:1 or 2:1 oil/vinegar ratio. Try white wine vinegar. :)
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.
So glad this one was a hit! Thanks for leaving a comment! And that’s a smart way to store it!
Very tasty with ciabatta bread,other half loved.kudos for me.lol
So glad it was a hit! Thanks for leaving a comment!
AmAZEING could not get any tastier
So glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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!
Love love love ❤❤❤
So glad you liked it!
Can you add ages balsamic?
Definitely! I do all the time. So good!
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!
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!