Have you ever been to Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant? They have some great things on the menu, but if we are being honest, I could go just for the olive oil bread dip, fresh bread and a glass of wine and be a perfectly happy camper.
What is bread dipping oil?
It can be many things, but in this case it is just a basic blend of dried herbs with a quality olive oil and a crusty bread for dipping. It is honestly one of the easiest and also most popular recipes I make. It is a wildly easy recipe and perfect for quick appetizer.
When entertaining, I like to serve my olive oil dip with a variety of breads and crackers on an Ultimate Cheese Board, however I personally prefer either Italian or rosemary focaccia.
A nice crusty bread, Italian, French or even crostini are also delicious to pair with this garlic herb combo. Some folks even like it with chopped vegetables like carrot sticks, celery and bell pepper strips with a butter board or cream cheese board added on.
What Else Can I Use It For?
The herb mixture isn’t just for breads either. The spice blend will brighten up any pasta dish, especially plain white or Alfredo sauce.
It can be sprinkled on a salad coupled with a few dashes of red wine vinegar or used to season chicken, beef or pork. Blend it with cream cheese or sour cream for a lovely spread or sauce.
You can even use it as a marinade or baste is on grilled vegetables. Clearly, these aren’t just bread dipping spices, they are really an all-purpose Italian blend of deliciousness. Homemade Italian seasoning!
Ingredients
Carrabba’s clearly uses dried spices, but you can also use a variety of finely minced fresh herbs and spices. Mine includes:
- crushed red pepper flakes
- freshly cracked black pepper
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- dried parsley
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried rosemary
- coarse sea salt (or Kosher salt)
- fresh crushed garlic
- olive oil, the star of the show!
You can even mix and match fresh with dried and add a few of your own, like thyme or a dash of dried minced onion or garlic for more texture and crunch.
A dash of balsamic vinegar or a few grates of fresh parmesan cheese are also great.
If you choose to use fresh herbs, the ratio is 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried chopped herbs.
The way you slice your garlic makes a world of difference. More garlic flavor comes with severing more of the fibers. For less intense flavor use whole, roast garlic or garlic slices. For the maximum amount of flavor, minced or use a garlic press.
In fact, so many people have contacted me to tell this isn’t the right recipe, but they all claim to work there and have differing stories on how the real olive oil bread dip.
Some people also say it is similar to the Macaroni Grill version, but I’ve never had that one, so I can attest. What I can say is that it seems every location makes is a little different, so adapt accordingly.
Best Olive Oil For Bread Dip
I do get asked quite frequently about the best olive oil to use for bread dip. The number one thing you want is an extra virgin olive oil, meaning it is the first press. From there you want a quality product, but what does that even mean?
You might be surprised to know that many imported olive oil touted to be “authentic” are a blend of olive oil and either vegetable oil or canola oil. It is tough for the US to verify the validity of “pure olive oil” when it is already imported.
For this reason, I generally buy my quality olive oil domestically, from California, in fact. This one is my favorite.
Good, first press olive oil is what you want for drizzling and bread dips. It will be dark in color and a little tangy when you taste it. Of course, if you’ve just taken a trip to the Mediterranean or can guarantee the authenticity of the oil, go ahead and use it.
Light virgin olive oil will be a little less pungent because it comes from the second or third press. This makes it better for using in recipes where the flavor of the oil isn’t the main focus or for frying. In fact, olive oil has a fairly high smoke point, so while it is more expensive, it is perfect for pan frying.
Flavored oils, like garlic oil or herb infused oils are also fun and add another layer of flavor sophistication.
Best Bread for Dipping
What is the best bread for dipping? What bread can’t you dip should be the answer! For this type of dip, aim for something that is hearty enough to tear and sop up the spices and olive oil. Above all, make sure it is something you like, your favorite bread! These are my favorites:
- Focaccia
- Italian bread (loaf)
- Sourdough bread
- Classic crusty white bread
- Toasted quick rolls– white or whole wheat
- French bread
- Olive bread
- Naan, pita or flatbread
- Check out all of our bread recipes!
What Can I Dip Besides Bread?
I like to serve mine with a whole crudite platter including:
- Sliced cucumbers
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Roasted tomatoes
- Marinated artichokes
- Marinated cheese
- Diced cheese
Homemade Gifts
Restaurant style olive oil bread dip is also one of my favorite DIY gift ideas, much like my other infused olive oils. Buy cute little glass containers or mason jars at the local craft store and decorate them with fun and colorful string or silk flowers.
I like to use festive twine to attach a gourmet bottle of olive oil and voila, you have the perfect hostess gift straight from your kitchen! Label it as Bread Dipping Oil or Olive Oil Bread Dip and everyone will know what you mean.
See notes below on using fresh garlic when given as a gift.
Shelf Life & Storage
Dry mix can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container and the shelf life is good for several weeks. The salt is a natural preservative.
If you know it won’t be used for a long time, omit the fresh garlic and add a teaspoon of garlic powder instead. Or you can include a cute note asking to “just add fresh garlic to serve”.
Also beware that there is a difference between garlic powder and granulated garlic. Granulated garlic is larger and has a grainy texture. Make sure to use garlic powder, which is fine and will dissolve in leaving only flavor and not a funny texture.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this bread dip in advance. Mix your Italian seasonings and just add olive oil when you are ready to serve. Do not add the oil until you are ready. Store the mix in an airtight container.
I make a VERY large batch when I make this recipe. Salt will preserve the fresh garlic. Keep it in a dry, cool place, like the pantry, in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Check it to make sure the moisture in the fresh garlic doesn’t make mold. Again, salt should prevent this as it is a natural preservative.
It sure can. Olive oil can go rancid and the actual spice blend, when fresh garlic is used, can go bad if not stored properly. If you just make a dry spice blend, the spices themselves can lose flavor and potency, however they won’t be at the same risk for food contamination.
Pair with our Italian Recipes
While this is technically an “Italian” bread dip, you can really pair it with anything, but here are a few of my favorite Italian entrees.
Parmesan Garlic Linguine Pasta Recipe
Squid Ink Pasta with White Wine Cream Sauce
Honeycomb Pasta Recipe
Chicken Marsala Recipe
Seafood Fra Diavolo Recipe
For a simpler bread dip, try my crack dip recipe, Garlic Parmesan Bread Dip or Stinking Rose Garlic Relish or give a look through our easy appetizer recipes!
Copycat Carrabba’s Bread Dipping Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 3 cloves garlic , freshly crushed or minced
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the crushed red pepper, black pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, sea salt and crush garlic. Mix well.
- If serving immediately, place the spice mixture in a shallow plate. Drizzle the desired amount of extra virgin olive oil over, serve. Wait to combine extra virgin olive oil and dry spices until right before serving.
- If you've made this recipe at home, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Everybody in our household enjoyed it very much.My wife used it on veggies before grilling them.
Very good recipe.thanks a lot.
My family loved this! They all said it tasted better than Carrabbas.
Yay! That is what I like to hear!
Delicious!!!
Thanks!
I love your recipe and could eat this all day long. So great with any kind of bread too, sour dough, french stick, cheese sticks etc.
Years age my sister and I were in Carrabba’s in Pensacola, Florida. We asked the waiter what was in the dip. He didn’t give us measurements but he did say fresh basil, Rosemary, Italian parsley and garlic. Also dried oregano salt, black pepper, crushed peppers and granulated garlic. As you already started, measurements are not written in stone and are very forgiving.
I remember this from a few years back when I had it at Macaroni Grill. But didn’t they use balsamic vinegar, or was that a different recipe? Do you all have a recipe with balsamic vinegar? I love that stuff! But I’m just writing to tell you I love this dip too! It’s fantastic for soooo many other recipes also. I’m keeping this made up in large batches we that it’s ready when we need it (like almost every day). LOL Thanks for posting this. I found you on Pinterest.
I’ve never had Macaroni Grill’s version, but you can totally add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to this one and it will be super tasty!
I made this a couple of days ago and it was a big hit. Everyone thought it tasted just like the restaurants.
My wife just came home with the Carrabba’s Cook Book and the Herb and Olive Oil recipe is in the book. Also all the other favorites, we live in Houston so we have the two non chain owned Carrabba’s here.
Lucky you living near the non chain Carrabbas. I lived in the city for several years and people don’t know that there is a major difference between the family owned and the chains that are all over the country. I do love their meatballs! with a side salad, bread & dip & a glass of wine. Dinner is served!
So, Carrabba’s is my wife’s favorite restaurant. We go there AT LEAST once a month and have done so for about the last 5 years. We love the bread dip. Not only am I VERY familiar with the taste, I’m also a pretty decent home chef.
This is REALLY close to the actual thing. I followed the recipe as listed save for a few “edits” I used pressed garlic and I used about 5 cloves. I use only 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
Looking over the recipe I thought that 1 – 1/2 tsp Salt would be too much so I cut it down to 1 tsp. In hindsight that is STILL WAY TOO MUCH. I would say that 1/4 tsp of salt would be sufficient, (I used Coarse Sea Salt)
Other than those edits I made this exactly as the recipe stated.
I served this the way that I imagine they serve it in the restaurant. I mixed up all of the spices and then I added this tubed (garlic paste). It’s essentially garlic extruded into a toothpaste tube. And I used about 5 tsp. I mixed this in well with the spices but it formed a pretty dry paste so I added in about a tbsp of olive oil. I mixed it well and it formed a thick paste. Then I put it in a 2 oz mason jar and put it in the fridge.
When you eat this at Carrabba’s they come out with a small (approx 4inch) plate with a little ball of herbs on it. They then add about 2-3 tbsp of olive oil and mix it all up so this is exactly the way I served it.
I’m not kidding that I took a loaf of sourdough bread I made (poorly) this morning and dipped it in this and OMG it is so close to the real thing that I yelled for my wife to come try it and she agreed that it is VERY similar to the original.
Thanks for this recipe.
Also, I would disagree that there isn’t any Rosemary in the original. I’ll hunt through the oil the next time we go to see for sure but it it a flavor that I remember pretty distinctly.
Like you say, either way, I think it is BETTER with rosemary even if it’s turns out to not be in the original.
My family have LOVED Carrabba’s bread dip for almost 2 decades. We would always ask for a container “to go”. We were so glad to find this recipe. I was the first in the family to try it. Basically the flavor is ALMOST spot on. However, I found the crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt taste to be a bit overwhelming. So I made a second batch, leaving out the red pepper and salt altogether, then mixing it with my first batch. Much much better! And my grandkids could enjoy it with the heat of the pepper. Next time I will use HALF the measurement of the crushed red pepper and coarse sea salt. Or maybe substitute ground salt for the coarse.
My special addition: When serving, I add whole Pink Peppercorns, about a 1/4 teaspoon to the dipping dish. I know! I just complained about the red pepper. But Pink Peppercorns are not part of the pepper family. They have a spicy-sweet flavor. Add them whole as they are almost hollow.
BEWARE: Do Not Try This At Home if you have a NUT ALLERGY. Pink Peppercorns are closely related to the cashew family. ENJOY!
Thanks for the feedback, Linda!