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This homemade garlic bread recipe is crispy outside, soft inside, and slathered with garlic butter. It’s quick and easy to make, and pairs well with just about any meal!
Homemade garlic bread is one of those recipes that is so much more than the sum of its parts. You only need three ingredients (bread, butter, and garlic) to achieve the perfect garlic bread! (I also use add parsley, but that’s completely optional.)
The easy method I’m sharing is the same way I watched my parents make garlic bread on spaghetti night as a kid. You slice a loaf of bread lengthwise, slather both cut sides with garlic butter, and toast it in the oven. No fancy garlic bread here!
The bottom of the bread is deliciously crunchy, while the cut side that’s slathered with garlic butter is soft and chewy and just crisp at the edges. There’s just something about the combination of garlic and butter that’s completely irresistible! And this recipe is perfect in its simplicity.
When it comes to serving garlic bread, you’re only limited by your imagination – don’t wait for spaghetti night to make it! It’s great for dunking in soup, stew, or your favorite pasta. It goes well with roasts of all kinds. You can use garlic bread to make next-level cold cut sandwiches (turkey and Swiss cheese on garlic bread with arugula is amazing!). Or serve it up with salad for a lighter meal.
No matter what you eat with garlic bread, this easy recipe is sure to become a staple at your house!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of gourmet garlic bread as much as the next girl! However, when it comes to this childhood classic, simple is the key to my garlic bread-loving heart. We don’t partially slice through a loaf of bread, try to butter in between each crevice, and wrap it in foil. We don’t smother it in a blend of cheeses. And we definitely don’t start with a fancy loaf of bread (regular Italian or French bread will do the trick). We just slice, slather, and bake!
- Minimal ingredients. You really only need 3 ingredients to make garlic bread! Things like parsley and cheese are common additions, but your garlic bread will still be amazing without them.
- Budget-friendly. This recipe makes 8 (2-slice) servings and you probably already have the basic ingredients to make it on hand, except for maybe the loaf of bread. Compare that with buying it pre-made, and you get way more bang for your buck making garlic bread from scratch!
- Feeds a crowd. If you want an easy side dish to serve for a party or a big group of people, this is a great option. It feeds 8 and you can easily double it to feed 16 if you need to!
- Garlic bread goes well with just about anything. I have yet to meet a meal that garlic bread wouldn’t be good with! It’s bread with butter plus garlic, how can you go wrong?!
Garlic Bread Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Salted butter – This is one of the few times when I love using salted butter for simplicity’s sake. However, if you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter and add 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (or about 1/4 teaspoon regular table salt). If you have good quality European butter on hand (like Kerrygold), by all means use it here; but even using regular butter your garlic bread will still be great.
- Fresh garlic – Okay friends, this is one thing we can’t compromise on for the best garlic bread. Please don’t try to use garlic powder, garlic salt, or pre-minced garlic! I promise, you will be aptly rewarded for the 2 minutes that it takes to peel fresh garlic. (And then once it’s peeled, just use a garlic press to make quick work of it!)
- Fresh parsley – Parsley adds a pretty pop of color and because we eat with our eyes first, this makes a difference! But with that being said, you can definitely skip the parsley here.
- Fresh bread loaf – You don’t have to get fancy here for a great loaf of garlic bread. Just like my parents used to do, I like to use a soft loaf of French or Italian bread. The crust gets nice and crispy in the oven, and the soft bread that’s soaked with garlicky butter stays soft and just crisps around the edges.
Instructions
It is so easy to make garlic bread in the oven! You can also make garlic bread in the air fryer; follow the same method and air fry it at 350F for 3 to 5 minutes (until it reaches your desired level of crispness).
Make the Garlic Butter for Garlic Bread
- Add the butter, garlic, and parsley to a bowl.
- Mix to combine.
How to Cook Garlic Bread in the Oven
- Cut the loaf of bread in half in the middle, and then each half cut in half length-wise.
- Spread the garlic butter on the cut side of each piece of bread.
- Place the bread butter-side-up on a large baking tray.
- Bake until the bread is crispy along the outside, about 10 minutes at 425F. Let it cool briefly, and then cut each piece of bread into 4 pieces (for a total of 16 pieces).
Variations
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Most of the time I’m a garlic bread purist, but sometimes a meal just calls for garlic bread with cheese! To make this recipe into cheesy garlic bread:
- Make the garlic bread as written in the recipe card below, except bake 8 minutes instead of 10.
- After baking 8 minutes, top the bread with 3 cups of shredded cheese. Mozzarella is my favorite, but you can use any type of shredded cheese you like (Monterey Jack is good, and sometimes I’ll do a mix of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan or cheddar).
- Return the bread to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Roasted Garlic Garlic Bread
If you find the flavor of regular garlic bread a bit too intense, you can try it with mellower roasted garlic instead of raw garlic. Here’s how to do it:
- Make roasted garlic (it’s easy!); you’ll need about 1/4 cup of mashed roasted garlic for this recipe (but you can use a little more if you like). Mix 1/4 cup of mashed roasted garlic with 1/2 cup butter and 2 tablespoons parsley, and slather that on the bread.
- Continue with the recipe as directed in the recipe card below.
Herby Garlic Bread
You can change the whole flavor profile of garlic bread based on the herbs you use. Instead of just parsley, feel free to use up to 3 tablespoons of any combination of minced fresh herbs such as chives, oregano, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil, and/or parsley.
Storage and Reheating
You can store leftover garlic bread wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days; after that, it can start to get really hard and stale-tasting.
My favorite way to reheat garlic bread is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F, wrap the bread with foil, put it on a baking tray, and bake until warm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Garlic bread also reheats well in the air fryer! Preheat the air fryer to 350F and air fry until warm, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe FAQs
What is the Difference Between Garlic Bread and Garlic Toast?
The terms garlic toast and garlic bread are sometimes used to refer to the same thing! But there is typically a difference in how they’re cut.
Garlic bread is usually cut accordion-style (cutting each slice most of the way down the loaf, but not cutting through the other side) or sliced in half horizontally (like we do in this recipe). Then depending on which way you cut it, the garlic butter is spread down into the accordion slices or slathered onto the cut halves.
On the other hand, garlic toast is usually made from sliced bread that’s slathered with garlicky buttery goodness and then toasted or broiled.
Can You Make Garlic Bread with Regular Bread Slices?
Yes! Actually, it’s more like garlic toast but it’ll work just fine.
To make homemade garlic bread with regular sliced bread:
- Mix up the garlic butter. You can use the recipe in the recipe card below if you’re making a whole loaf, or if you just want to make 1 slice, you’ll need 1 tablespoon salted butter mixed with 1/4 teaspoon fresh crushed garlic.
- Spread the garlic butter onto both sides of the bread slice.
- Put the bread onto a baking tray and broil until crisp and light golden on both sides, flipping once. It generally takes just a couple minutes per side, so stay with it!
Are Texas Toast and Garlic Bread the Same Thing?
No! Texas toast and garlic bread are similar, but they’re not exactly the same.
In general, Texas toast is a thick-cut slice of bread (usually 3/4 to 1-inch thick). You can find regular sliced bread labeled Texas toast, which just means it’s thick-sliced bread.
Additionally, you can find Texas toast that’s similar to garlic toast! Garlic butter Texas toast is slathered with garlicky butter on both sides, and then griddled (not toasted or broiled). Because of the thick slices, Texas toast has crispy crust but stays pillow-y soft inside, which makes for a delicious slice of garlic toast.
What Kind of Bread is Best for Garlic Bread?
That depends on how you like your garlic bread.
If you like a crisp exterior and soft, fluffy interior, then go for a soft loaf of what is usually called Italian bread or French bread.
But if you like your garlic bread more chewy than soft, use something like sourdough or ciabatta.
What to Serve With Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is the ultimate side dish because it goes well with just about anything! You aren’t limited by these ideas, but here are a few of my favorite things to serve with it:
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Garlic Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature (see Notes)
- 4 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 12 ounces loaf fresh soft Italian or French bread cut in half in the middle and then each half cut in half length-wise (up to 16 ounces is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Add the butter, garlic, and parsley to a medium bowl and mix to combine.
- Spread the garlic butter on the cut side of each piece of bread.
- Place the bread butter-side-up on a large baking tray.
- Bake until the bread is crispy along the outside, about 10 minutes. Let it cool briefly, and then cut each piece of bread into 4 pieces (for a total of 16 pieces).
- Serve.
Notes
- Salted Butter Substitute: If you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter and add 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon regular table salt.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 16 pieces of garlic bread, for a total of 8 (2-slice) servings.
- Storage: You can store leftover garlic bread wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days; after that, it can start to get really hard and stale-tasting.
- Reheating: My favorite way to reheat garlic bread is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F, wrap the bread with foil, put it on a baking tray, and bake until warm, about 10 to 15 minutes. Garlic bread also reheats well in the air fryer! Preheat the air fryer to 350F and air fry until warm, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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