This Homemade Garlic Bread recipe is the absolute BEST we have ever tried! The butter melts deep into the bread, creating the ultimate garlicky, carb filled side dish. This recipe is baked and then broiled, making it crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside.
The Best Homemade Garlic Bread
This Garlicky Cheesy Bread is EVERYTHING I want in a side dish. This recipe is better than great, it’s AMAZING! I don’t have the proper words for it other than to say it’s the ultimate and PERFECT recipe that you will make time and time again.
You can make this for Pizza Night, a movie date on the couch, or just a run of the mill Saturday spent with friends. We have discovered all the secrets of How to Make Garlic Bread and I can’t wait to share them with you! This is the type of recipe that will make you famous!
This Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe is loaded with garlic butter, baked to perfection, and then broiled a bit to really take things over the top. PERFECTION!
Tips for Making Homemade Garlic Bread
There are all sorts of recipes out there with tips and tricks for making the ultimate Garlic Bread. We feel like our recipe is truly the BEST out there, and I hope you test it and try it for yourselves! In the past, this is the kind of side dish I would have purchased frozen and not made from scratch, but we are taking baby steps here and can make it ourselves, right?
- Use quality ingredients: Amazing French Bread, quality butter, and real garlic are the foundations of a great garlic bread recipe. Don’t skimp on the ingredients that take this recipe from good to great!
- We use SO MUCH butter: This is not the type of recipe that will be kind to your waist line. I don’t recommend eating it every day, but once in a while won’t hurt! The key to making this recipe special is the bread to butter ratio. We want the butter to really bake down deep into the bread, about half way down. You won’t believe how delicious it is!
- Bake, then Broil: Some recipes only bake, and some only broil…but we recommend doing both. The baking allows for the butter and garlic to melt deep into the bread while making things all hot and toasty, and the broiling creates an amazing crispy crust around it all. When I say perfection, I mean perfection!
Do you bake in Foil?
We chose not to wrap our garlic bread recipe in foil, although you definitely can. Wrapping in foil will keep the outside from crisping quite so much. If you prefer your bread on the softer side, wrap in foil before baking and skip the broiling. We like the outside crispy, but not everyone does. The choice is yours!
What can you use instead of parsley?
If you’re not a fan of parsley, or just want to change things up, you can use your favorite fresh herbs instead! You can use freshly chopped basil (YES!) or a mix of herbs like thyme, basil, and oregano. That would definitely give your bread more of an Italian flair! No matter what, promise me you’ll use all of the butter and the garlic. That’s the truly important part!
Serving Ideas:
If you’re serving this amazing bread, you definitely need the perfect main course to go alongside. If you’re going to have this cheesy bread on the table, don’t skip the dinner part as well! The bread might steal the show, but we think you’ll love these pairing options:
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Healthy Chicken Parmesan
- Seafood Lasagna
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Healthy Lasagna (8 Weight Watchers Points!)
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup
- One Pot Chicken Alfredo Skillet
This ridiculously extravagant and EXTRAORDINARY recipe needs a place at your table the next time you’re cooking Italian food! I’m so glad that I’ve finally found a recipe that I can stand behind as the BEST EVER and make time and time again. Let me know how you like it! We ate our weight in it the night we made it, and I regret NOTHING! :)
Watch the video or see the recipe card below for How to Make Homemade Garlic Bread. Enjoy!
Other favorite Easy Bread Recipes we love:
We love EASY recipes around here, and bread recipes are no exception! Try these out next time you’re looking for CARBS but want the easy way out:
- Easy Banana Bread
- Cheesy Texas Toast Recipe
- Easy Dinner Rolls
- Chocolate Croissants
- Garlic Butter Hawaiian Rolls
- Cornbread Drop Biscuits
Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce loaf of Italian or French bread
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (12 tablespoons for the bread and 4 tablespoons for extra dipping butter)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse or flaked sea salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Slice the loaf in-half lengthwise, and place each half cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small saucepan set over LOW heat, combine butter, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a low boil and boil 1 minute. Do NOT allow the garlic to brown. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the butter through a mesh strainer and into a heatproof bowl.
- Add 1-tablespoon parsley and mix well.
- Spread or brush all except 4 tablespoons butter mixture over the bread and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake the bread at 350°F, on the middle rack of the oven, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and set the temperature to BROIL.
- If using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle it onto the bread.
- Return the bread to the oven and broil 1-2 minutes or until the bread is toasty and golden and the cheese bubbles slightly. *Watch closely so the bread doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of parsley. Allow the bread to cool 1-minute before slicing.
- Use leftover butter mixture for a dipping sauce, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
I made this to go with dinner tonight. Used a French bread loaf, because it’s what I had. I was a little concerned, as I was brushing the butter on, that it seemed to be too much. Like the bread was soaked lol, but it was absolutely delicious! So much better than the frozen stuff!
We were the same way HA! We thought we had drowned it…but its the best ever. I’m so glad you tried it and loved it!! Worth the calorie splurge :) :)
Happy to see that you don’t hide behind the fact that using SO MUCH butter makes garlic bread that much more delicious! It’s so true. I’m drooling and thinking about making some pasta to go with this.
I love the way you think :) :)
Can’t wait to try this recipe. It’s been years since the last time I had garlic bread, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hope you love it!
“We use so much butter.” This is my favorite quote. I am loving this recipe. I totally pinned to make soon. This sounds so amazing, I am highly disappointed that I’m drinking a smoothie right now instead of eating this bread.
Haha gotta own it!! Hope you love it. Balance is everything so since you had a smoothie you can totally have the bread lol!