4.50 from 2 votes

Garlic Bread

This Garlic Bread recipe pairs beautifully with your favorite Italian dishes. It’s buttery, garlicky, and toasted to perfection with a soft inside and crunchy exterior.

A loaf of garlic bread on a baking sheet.


One simple side that goes with just about everything on your dinner table is garlic bread. It’s the perfect side for pasta, meat, casserole or pretty much whatever main dishes you are serving.

In fact, I would dare say this is the best garlic bread recipe I’ve ever tried. It’s also super easy to make and reminds me of a meal at my favorite Italian restaurant. All you need is a French loaf from the grocery store, butter, spices and, of course, lots of garlic.

My favorite way to enjoy it is with spaghetti. I make my homemade spaghetti sauce, boil some spaghetti noodles and whip up a loaf of fresh garlic bread. Super easy and so yummy.

Why You’ll Love This Garlic Bread

  • It has the perfect texture – soft on the inside and crunchy outside with a delicious garlic butter mixture
  • Buttery and packed full of savory garlic flavor
  • Ready to eat in 15 minutes
  • Versatile side and goes with just about anything and everything
  • Classic side dish that everyone loves
  • So good you’ll be tempted to eat the entire loaf
  • Easy recipe for beginner cooks
  • Simple ingredients
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Ingredients

  • Large French loaf – Make your own homemade or buy it at your local bakery/grocery store.
  • Salted butter – Make sure to use softened butter that is room temperature.
  • Garlic cloves
  • Dried thyme
  • Fresh parsley
  • Pinch of salt and black pepper
Garlic bread ingredients.

How to Make Garlic Bread

  • Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Step Two: Mix the butter, garlic, thyme and parsley into a paste.
  • Step Three: Cut the French loaf in half lengthwise.
  • Step Four: Spread half the butter mixture over the cut side of the loaf. Spread the remaining half over the other half of the loaf.
  • Step Five: Season each loaf with salt and pepper, to taste. Place bread on a baking sheet.
  • Step Six: Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes until the bread is golden brown. Be careful to not burn.
Steps to make garlic bread.

Equipment Needed

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    What to Serve with Classic Garlic Bread

    Cut garlic bread in a basket.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Substitute the loaf of French bread for different types of bread. You can make it with Italian bread, Texas toast, skinny baguette, regular sliced bread or even hot dog buns!
    • Substitute the salted butter for unsalted butter, olive oil or even margarine. If you use margarine, it won’t have the same rich flavor that butter gives, but it will still taste delicious. Plus, many store bought garlic breads are made with margarine as it’s more cost efficient for them.
    • If you use unsalted butter, make sure to add a little extra salt or even garlic salt.
    • Use Italian seasoning instead of the dried thyme.
    • Try adding fresh herbs. If you can get fresh thyme use 1 tablespoon instead of the dried thyme.
    • Real garlic is best, but if you don’t have any you can garlic powder. It will not be the same amazing garlic flavor as fresh garlic, but will still taste good. You can even add extra garlic powder along with your minced garlic for a super garlicky bread.
    Pieces of garlic bread in a basket.

    Can You Make This a Cheesy Garlic Bread?

    Definitely! After the bread has baked for 5 minutes, add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Then bake for another 5 minutes and broil for 1 minute.

    Can I Make This Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer?

    The whole loaf likely won’t fit in the air fryer basket, but you could slice it into thick slices (Texas Toast style and make it that way. Make sure to put it in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 5 minutes at 350°F.

    Pieces of garlic bread in a brown wicker basket.

    Storage Instructions

    How to Store Leftover Garlic Bread

    Once the garlic bread has cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container, airtight bags or even in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    How to Reheat

    To reheat, use the oven or the air fryer for best results. The microwave tends to soften the garlic bread too much.

    Cut garlic brad in a basket.

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    4.50 from 2 votes

    Garlic Bread

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 16 pieces
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    This simple family recipe pairs beautifully with your favorite Italian dishes. It's buttery, garlicky, and toasted to perfection with a soft inside and crunchy exterior.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 French loaf large
    • ½ cup salted butter softened
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350F.
    • Mix the butter, garlic, thyme and parsley into a paste.
    • Cut the French loaf in half lengthwise.
    • Spread half the butter mixture over one of the loaf. Spread the remaining half over the half of the loaf.
    • Season each loaf with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes to finish browning the top. Be careful to not burn.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 201IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Keyword bread, garlic bread, garlic bread oven, garlic bread spread

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