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!
I just baked some homemade bread and used this recipe! This olive oil dip with fresh warm bread is soooo good!!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
So glad you liked it!
I threw this together last night, outstanding! I made the full batch and left out the fresh garlic so the mix has a longer shelf life. I just add the fresh garlic to serve. Minced it and added to each individual dipping plate with a sprinkle of the herbs, olive oil and a healthy splash of balsamic vinegar. I’ll share a favor tip. Along with the garlic powder add the same amount of “roasted” garlic powder. It rounds out the flavor!
Oh good call on the roasted garlic powder!
I have some black truffle oil. Could it be used instead of the olive oil?
I wouldn’t – it has too strong of a flavor in my opinion. If anything, I’d maybe consider just adding a tiny bit of it but mostly using olive oil.
Really like this recipe. I hate dipping oils that are always missing that ONE herb (or three…) that would make them much better. This guy pretty much covers everything! And I like the idea of making it ia dry mix, so you can just add the good stuff later. I’ll probably triple this and give it it’s own little spice jar. Nicely done.
I’m so glad you like it! I like those things about this recipe too, and I also keep a jar of it in my pantry. I often use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic so it’s all ready to go.
Delicious! Big hit at work potlucks!
So glad to hear it!
my favorite dipping spice
I’m happy to hear that!
Fantastic and simple. Try a spoonful in the oil first as recommended and adjust to taste. 10/10!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this last night to use with some fresh focaccia bread that I hade made and served it as an appetizer. There was not a drop left of either the bread or the dipping sauce! So good! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I just made some of this to go with a small loaf of sourdough bread that I baked at home – really wonderful. For the people who didn’t like it, I think part of the reason may be that to really appreciate a good oil, you need to be eating it with a good tangy artisan bread – a plain old french loaf probably isn’t going to cut it.
Great advice! You can never go wrong with a good sourdough.
I’m making this for a gathering tonight. I substituted powdered garlic for the fresh so I can keep it longer. I also think it would be a good idea to shake it up before dipping out the Tbsp. We will be dipping fresh veggies in it!!
I often make it with garlic powder and I agree, shaking it up is a very good idea! So glad you like it! Thanks for leaving a review!
I wasn’t really loving it, made it especially for my husband and he did not like it at all. So disappointed, I was so sad because he’s been wanting dipping oil. I even added a few drops of balsamic in a separate dish but still did not like.
Hmm, I’m sorry to hear that – this recipe is usually a huge hit. You didn’t use all the spice mixture with 1/2 a cup of oil, did you? A little goes a long way and a tablespoon is all you need for a 1/2 cup of oil.