Fresh herbs, parmesan cheese and butter combine to make a delicious spread for your favorite bread. Ready in under 20 minutes, this homemade Easy Garlic Bread will elevate your meal and have everyone reaching for another piece.
Fresh herbs are the key to this tasty twist on traditional garlic bread. It starts with a base of crusty bread. Rosemary, oregano and thyme are finely chopped and mixed with softened butter, parmesan cheese and minced garlic. The bread is baked until it's crispy on the outside and infused with the flavors of the herbs, creating a savory and mouthwatering side that pairs perfectly with many main dishes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Salted butter: If you don't have salted butter on hand, unsalted can be substituted. Simply increase the amount of salt that you add to the mixture by adding about ¼ teaspoon for each ½ cup stick of butter.
- Garlic cloves: Garlic is a key flavor in this recipe, but you can use fresh garlic or cloves from a jar.
- Parmesan cheese: I prefer grated parmesan cheese, and freshly grated is worth the extra effort. Shredded parmesan can be used in a pinch, but I recommend quickly chopping into smaller bits before combining with the softened butter.
- Fresh rosemary: The needle-like leaves are easy to pluck from the woody stems. Chop or mince finely before blending with the other herbs. Rosemary is one of my favorite fresh herbs to use.
- Fresh oregano: A bold, savory flavor that compliments the other herbs nicely.
- Fresh thyme: Savory and peppery, but with a hint of sweetness. Thyme adds a fresh flavor to many savory dishes.
- Kosher salt: A coarse salt that does not contain the additives that table salt has, giving it a clean, pure flavor.
- Italian bread: I used an Italian loaf, but substitute with your favorite bread.
How to Make Garlic Bread
Be sure to see the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- Prep. One hour prior, set out butter to soften at room temperature. Wash the fresh herbs, gently pat dry with a paper towel, and remove leaves from stems. With a sharp knife, mince herbs.
- Preheat. After the butter has been softening for about 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix. In a small mixing bowl combine the softened butter, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and salt.
- Slice & spread. Using a serrated knife, slice the bread into 1-inch thick slices. With the back of a spoon, spread the butter and herb mixture evenly on each slice; place on baking pan.
- Cook. Bake for 12 minutes or until evenly brown and toasted.
Recipe FAQ's
If you need to use dried herbs, substitute the following: ½ teaspoon dried Oregano + ½ teaspoon dried Rosemary + ½ teaspoon dried Thyme. Or you could substitute ½ to ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning for all of the herbs.
Yes, but be careful! It will be easier to spread the herbs if the butter is soft but not melted, so take care to microwave it in short batches and check the consistency between each time. Take the butter out before it becomes too soft, as the herbs and parmesan will end up at the bottom of the bowl if the butter melts completely. Unlike baking, where melted butter changes the consistency of the finished product, this homemade garlic bread recipe can use melted butter if you microwave it too long--it's just harder to spread the herbs evenly.
Kosher salt has a larger and more irregular shape than table salt. This causes a teaspoon of table salt to taste much more salty than a teaspoon of kosher salt. If you need to sub table salt for the recommended kosher salt, use less. This recipe only calls for ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, so it likely wouldn't make a big difference, but I would start with slightly less salt and add more to taste.
Top Tips
- Salted butter was used in the recipe, so if you are using unsalted butter, slightly increase the salt amount.
- I used an Italian loaf of bread, which was about 12” long and 5” wide.
Recipe Variations
- You can use any bread you like: French loaf, baguettes, thick sliced white bread, and even hamburger buns would work well.
- If you prefer a softer garlic bread instead of crispy, double the spread recipe and butter both sides of the bread, turning after 6 minutes and baking both sides.
Main Dishes to Pair With Easy Garlic Bread
This homemade garlic bread compliments many main dishes and roasted vegetables or a simple garden salad. Here are some main dishes that will go well with the flavors in this recipe:
- Creamy Tomato and Spinach Tortellini
- Penne all'Arrabbiata
- Crock Pot Baked Ziti
- Olive Garden Stuffed Shells
- Ravioli Lasagna
Storage & Reheating
- To store: Garlic bread can be stored overnight. Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Storing it in the refrigerator will dry it out, so leave it in the pantry or in a bread box.
- To reheat: Wrap the garlic bread in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To freeze: Allow garlic bread to completely cool after baking. Place in a zip top freezer bag and seal. Garlic bread can be frozen for up to three months.
More Side Dish Recipes
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Easy Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- ½ Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 loaf of Italian bread
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the following ingredients: softened butter, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and salt.
- Using a serrated knife, slice the bread into 1-inch thick slices. With the back of a spoon, spread the butter and herb mixture evenly on each slice; place on baking pan.
- Bake 12 minutes or until evenly brown and toasted.
Notes
- If you need to use dried herbs, substitute the following: ½ teaspoon dried Oregano + ½ teaspoon dried Rosemary + ½ teaspoon dried Thyme *OR* ½ to ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- I used an Italian loaf of bread, 12” long, 5” wide, You can use any bread you like: French loaf, baguettes, thick sliced white bread, even hamburger buns.
- Salted butter was used in this recipe. If using unsalted butter, slightly increase the salt amount.
- If you prefer a softer garlic bread, instead of crispy, double the recipe and butter both sides of the bread, turning and baking both sides.
- To store: Garlic bread can be stored overnight. Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Storing it in the refrigerator will dry it out, so leave it in the pantry or in a bread box.
- To reheat: Wrap the garlic bread in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To freeze: Allow garlic bread to completely cool after baking. Place in a zip top freezer bag and seal. Garlic bread can be frozen for up to three months.
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