This easy olive oil bread dip is ridiculously good. It’s a lifesaver for entertaining, comes together in 5 minutes, and everyone loves it!
I can’t get enough of this delicious garlic and herb olive oil dip. It’s so easy to make and is the perfect easy appetizer when friends and family come over.
You’ll make a mixture of fresh garlic, herbs, and spices, then spoon it onto a plate and pour over olive oil. It’s perfect with warm, crusty bread or homemade focaccia! For more easy appetizers, see our fresh tomato bruschetta.
Key Ingredients
- Garlic: I love the flavor of fresh garlic, but you can use roasted garlic for a milder, sweet flavor.
- Capers: They are salty and super flavorful, which helps season the dip.
- Herbs: I like a mix of fresh rosemary and thyme with dried oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Parmesan: Use a good-quality Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano is my favorite). I grate the cheese with a fine microplane so it melts into the olive oil.
- Olive Oil: Your favorite olive oil will do! I prefer a fruity extra-virgin olive oil.
How to Make Olive Oil Bread Dip
To make my favorite bread dip, I chop everything into tiny bits, then use a spoon to smoosh them together into a loose paste. I spoon the paste onto a plate and pour extra-virgin olive oil on top.
One of my favorite things about this is that I can swap ingredients based on what I have in the kitchen or who’s coming. My go-to flavors are salty, like capers and parmesan cheese, herbs like rosemary, and lots of garlic.
I make it spicy with some crushed red chili flakes and if I have it in the fridge, a mashed-up anchovy or a small squeeze of anchovy paste is delicious. You can even add a small splash of high-quality balsamic vinegar if you want a little sweetness to the dip.
Think of it as a total flavor bomb. When mixed with olive oil and bread, it has just the right amount of flavor to make you return for more. On that note, you should make a double batch. This stuff goes fast.
Easy Olive Oil Bread Dip
- PREP
- TOTAL
This garlic and herb mixture is a flavor bomb. When topped with olive oil, it turns into a delicious dip for bread. Keep extra olive oil close by. You can always top up the plate with more.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 garlic cloves, or more depending on how garlicky you want it
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
Pinch sea salt, see tips
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional to make it spicy
1/2 cup (118ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Crusty bread
Directions
1Finely mince the garlic and capers. Add to a bowl along with the oregano, rosemary, thyme, and cheese. Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
2Use the back of a spoon to smoosh the herbs into the garlic and capers.
3Make one or two mounds of the garlic-herb mixture on a rimmed plate. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Serve with bread.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead: Prepare the garlic-herb mixture a day or two in advance and store, covered tightly, in the refrigerator. The fresh herbs may lose some color. When ready to serve, add the mixture to a plate and top with olive oil.
- Capers: We love the saltiness capers add to the dip, but you can leave them out. The dip still tastes great without them.
- Dried herbs vs. fresh: We prefer fresh rosemary and thyme, but you can use dried rosemary and thyme instead of fresh. Crush the dried herbs a little in the palm of your hand before adding them to the mix. You will also want to use a little less (about 1/2 teaspoon). To use fresh oregano instead of dried, use a teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano.
- Salt: Use your favorite salt. If you have it, I love truffle salt for this recipe.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adding a small splash of balsamic vinegar is delicious!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include bread in the calculations.
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By far the BEST sauce! I won’t call it a dipping sauce as I also put it on top of grilled and broiled fish. But of course, it makes the bread exceptional as well!
If making this ahead of time with fresh herbs, just put it in a container it fills and pour a layer of olive oil on top to seal…viola, your fresh herbs won’t brown! Really good with minced sun dried tomatoes mixed in and cocktail onions on the side
Love it! So glad you enjoyed the dip 🙂
Can I sub the dry oregano for fresh oregano? If so, how much do you recommend?
Hi Sam, Use about 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano.
YES! This is absolutely the best. I’m going to have to keep ingredients on hand at all times! Everyone loved it!
Such great news!