When it comes to side dishes, here’s a classic that’s almost no one will turn down: garlic bread! This garlic bread recipe is buttery, garlicky, crunchy, chewy, and absolutely irresistible. It’s tender on the inside and crunchy on top from broiling it with Parmesan cheese. Here we’ve broken down the steps with photos so it’s easy to follow. Let’s get cooking!
Best bread for garlic bread
The best bread for garlic bread is French bread, or any medium sized artisan bread loaf. It can be hard to find bread specifically labeled “French,” so just find something that looks similar to what you see here. Avoid using a baguette, which is smaller and crustier, and doesn’t make as good of garlic bread.
How to make garlic bread
This is our very favorite easy garlic bread, perfect as a side for pasta like veggie lasagna or creamy cavatappi, or as an appetizer dipped into marinara sauce. It’s got the best rich and savory flavor, and crunchy yet chewy texture. Here’s how to do it in 4 simple steps!
Step 1: Use French bread and slice it lengthwise.
Slice the bread lengthwise, as shown in the photo below. This makes for the fun strip-sized pieces you see above, versus a large round bread circle. While you’re cutting the bread, make sure you preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2: Brush the cut sides with garlic butter and bake 8 minutes.
Melt the butter in the microwave , or place it in a saucepan over low heat for a minute or two. Then transfer it into a small bowl and grate in 3 garlic cloves. The easiest way to grate garlic is with a microplane (here’s the microplane we use). If you don’t have a grater, just mince the garlic as finely as possible. Mince the fresh parsley as finely as possible as well: you’ll want it to be very fine flecks. Add the parsley to the butter, then use a brush to brush it evenly onto the cut sides of the bread. Place the halves together, cover the garlic bread loaf in foil and bake for 8 minutes until warmed through.
Step 3: Top with Parmesan and broil 2 to 3 minutes.
Here’s the fun part: remove the bread from the oven and sprinkle it evenly with grated Parmesan cheese. (Grated Parmesan is the type that looks like powder, while shredded is long shreds.). Then broil the garlic bread for 2 to 3 minutes, which gives it an irresistibly crunchy topping. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through broiling to get an even brownness.
Step 4: Slice into pieces and serve!
Finally, slice the bread into thin slices cross-wise. This makes the perfect crunchy tender strips for serving as a side dish. Serve immediately warm out of the oven. Or, you can put the strips back into the aluminum foil, turn down the oven to 350 degrees, and keep them warm until serving. Voila: the best easy garlic bread ever!
What to serve with this easy garlic bread
What doesn’t go well with garlic bread, really? Here are some great entrees that would be made more perfect with garlic bread:
Pair with Easy Stuffed Shells, Pasta Pomodoro, Penne Pomodoro or Classic Red Sauce Pasta Go for Vegetarian Lasagna with Ricotta, Lasagna Roll Ups or Zucchini Lasagna Dip it into Homemade Tomato Sauce or Baked Goat Cheese as an easy appetizer Pair it with Tomato Artichoke Soup or Classic Tomato Soup
Love garlic? Try more Great Garlic Recipes like simple and impressive Garlic Butter, Garlic Confit, Garlic Noodles, and more.
This easy garlic bread recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, omit the Parmesan cheese and use vegan butter or olive oil (still complete the broiling step since it adds a nice crunch). 4.5 from 2 reviews
