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 LOVE, LOVE a good oil doe bread dipping (and adding to chicken, etc.) The description says it’s a little salty but there is no salt in your recipe. I’ve tried other recipes but I either miss the salt or else there is too much salt. Should/could salt be added? if so, how much”?
Hi Patricia! There is salt in the ingredient list (1 ½ teaspoons). I hope you love it!
This is great! I made some oatmeal bread today and searched “bread dipping oil” and WOW! I put a tablespoon of the spice mix and the olive oil on a plate, added maybe a teaspoon of pre-minced garlic (sorry! It’s all I had on hand) and some crappy balsamic (all I had) and it was wonderful. Fresh garlic and better balsamic would make it even better im sure!!
I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for leaving a review!
Why garlic powder when they is fresh garlic
I like the depth of flavor having both adds, but you can omit one if you like. I often omit the fresh so I can store it in my pantry.
Simple, easy, fast and tastes great!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Has some friends over for a quick dinner. Had a great crusty loaf and wanted a dipping sauce and found yours….wow! Quick, easy and delicious, who could ask for more! It helped turn a simple peel and eat shrimp, salad and crusty bread into a memorial event! Thanks for sharing
So glad you liked it! Sounds like a delicious meal!
Hi there!
Can this be heated up or is it served cold only?
You could heat it up :)
Delicious! Made this when we got Italian and I had extra bread, and it tastes exactly like the stuff you get at the restaurant. I didn’t have all the right herbs, so I used Italian seasoning, and it still tastes great!
So happy you like it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
I’m just really confused. The instructions say to mix everything together. Then the next step says when you’re ready to use, to mix with 1/2c olive oil. So, DON’T add the olive oil to everything until you’re going to use it for the bread dipping??
You’re right the way it was written was a little confusing. I clarified the recipe instructions, than you for pointing that out. You are correct, you mix the dry spices and herbs together only. Sorry for the confusion!
So, let me see if I understand. IF I don’t use the fresh garlic, I can mix everything together, including the olive oil, and it will keep in the pantry for 6 months???
Sorry for the confusion. While you could technically do this, I recommend storing just the dry herbs and spices and adding the oil when you want to serve it.
Awesome
Thanks so much!