Garlic Bread

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A quick and easy garlic bread is a great way to elevate a meal! This one is buttery, crisp, and full of flavor thanks to fresh garlic and chopped parsley. Whether you’re serving it with pasta, soup, or a hearty stew, it adds the perfect finishing touch.

This recipe uses sub rolls or a halved baguette—whatever you have on hand. It’s just as fast and easy as the frozen kind, but so much better. A quick bake followed by a short broil makes it golden and toasty on top, with a soft interior that’s perfect for soaking up sauces.

What You’ll Like About This Recipe

• Golden, crisp edges with a soft interior. Baking the bread first warms and crisps it gently, while a short broil at the end creates lightly browned edges without drying out the center.
• Mellow, aromatic garlic flavor. Cooking the garlic briefly in butter softens its bite and releases aroma, giving you rich garlic flavor without bitterness or harshness.
• Simple ingredients, dependable results. With just bread, butter, garlic, and parsley, this recipe delivers consistent results without unnecessary extras.
• Quick from start to finish. Garlic bread comes together in minutes and bakes quickly, making it easy to add even when dinner is already underway.
• Easy to customize. This method works as a base for cheesy, herby, or extra-garlicky variations without changing the core technique.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter – Unsalted butter gives you better control over seasoning. Melted butter spreads evenly and penetrates the bread for better flavor.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic provides the best aroma. Cooking it gently prevents bitterness.
• Sub rolls or baguette – Sub rolls offer a soft interior and crisp crust, while baguette gives more crunch. Choose based on what you’re serving.
• Fresh parsley – Adds color and a mild herbal note that balances the richness. Dried parsley can work in a pinch but is less vibrant.

Steps to Make Garlic Bread

1. Split the bread so both cut sides are exposed, giving maximum surface area for the garlic butter.
2. Warm the butter and garlic together just until fragrant, keeping the heat low so the garlic doesn’t brown.
3. Brush the garlic butter generously over the bread, letting it soak in rather than pooling on top.
4. Bake briefly to warm the bread through and start crisping the edges.
5. Finish under the broiler, watching closely, until the surface is lightly browned and aromatic.
6. Serve immediately while the bread is hot and crisp.

Pro Tips

• Garlic: Keep the heat low when warming garlic to avoid bitterness.
• Broiler: Stay close—garlic bread can go from golden to burnt quickly.
• Bread: Softer bread absorbs more butter; crustier bread stays crunchier.
• Serving: Slice after baking to keep the bread from drying out.

Recipe Variations

• Cheesy: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or grated Parmesan over the bread before baking.
• Herbs: Add a dash dried oregano, basil, or an Italian herb blend to the melted butter and garlic.
• Heat: Kick it up with a dash of red pepper flakes.
• Lemon: A dash of lemon zest can add a fresh, zesty taste.

Serving Suggestions

• Salad: Garlic bread is fabulous with a tossed salad, or use it to make croutons for a Caesar salad.
• Pasta: A spaghetti dinner is wonderful, and even better with crusty garlic bread ! Or serve the garlic bread with this tasty chicken tetrazzini or spicy shrimp Alfredo.
• Soup: When making onion soup, replace the traditional French bread with a slice of garlic bread. New England clam chowder is another excellent soup to pair with garlic bread, or serve it with this easy slow cooker chicken chowder.

How to Store

• Refrigerate: Not recommended, as refrigeration dries out bread.
• Freeze: Freeze baked garlic bread tightly wrapped for up to 2 months.
• Reheat: Reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through and crisp again.