For comfort food fans, there may be few kitchen lessons more delicious than learning how to make garlic bread. This beautiful bake makes a perfect side for an Italian dinner, with flavors that complement pasta, chicken and even seafood dishes. But knowing how to make garlic bread means recognizing its value beyond a Mediterranean menu. Garlic bread can also be fantastic as an appetizer, a partner for soups and salads or as part of a small-bite platter at a dinner party.

Hoping to avoid a ton of work while boning up on how to make garlic bread? You're in luck! The best part about learning how to make garlic bread is finding out how easy the process is. Even a novice cook without a crumb of experience can master the magic of how to make garlic bread in just a few simple steps. In this exciting how-to guide, we share a variety of methods for creating savory garlic bread and explore the ingredients you'll need to get started.

Jump to Section

• Best Bread for Garlic Bread
• How to Make Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer
• How to Make Garlic Bread in the Oven
• How to Make Garlic Bread in the Toaster
• How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Ways to Serve Garlic Bread
• Garlic Bread Recipe

Best Bread for Garlic Bread

Learning how to make garlic bread is an appetizing activity that starts with determining what bread works best. Though it might seem that Italian bread is the most obvious choice for garlic bread, French loaves and baguettes are also excellent options as soft breads that easily absorb the butter-garlic mixture. Denser loaves like sourdough or whole wheat are porous and will hold the butter as well, while lending an extra flavor element. Sampling different loaves as you learn how to make garlic bread will let you find an option that works best for you.  

How to Make Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer

For home chefs who love their air fryers, using this quick cooker makes getting the hang of how to make garlic bread an even faster task. Due to the limited space in the basket, be prepared to make two separate batches to utilize an entire loaf.

To make garlic bread in the air fryer, you will need:

• 1 loaf of French or Italian bread
• 8 tablespoons butter (or ⅓ cup of olive oil)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  

Begin by setting your air fryer to 350°F and slice your loaf lengthwise and in half down the middle to create four equal slices. Combine the melted butter(or oil), minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano and coarse salt. Spread the mixture over the open face of each slice and place them in the basket side by side, two at a time, cooking for 5-7 minutes. Once your half-loaves brown, remove them from the air fryer and slice them into classic garlic bread strips.

How to Make Garlic Bread in the Oven

The most direct technique you'll learn when determining how to make homemade garlic bread is the old-fashioned oven method. In this process, you'll use the same ingredients as in the air fryer method.

To begin, preheat your oven to 425°F, then lay your sliced loaves onto a foil-wrapped sheet pan and spread on your butter and garlic-herb mixture. Place the pan in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Remove your pan from the oven, slice your bread into wedges and serve while still warm.  

How to Make Garlic Bread in the Toaster

Your toaster offers a super solution for learning how to make garlic bread in short order.  It's a great way to minimize kitchen heat and maximize cooking time.

To use a toaster oven for your garlic bread, create your sliced loaves and coat the tops with your butter and garlic-herb mixture before placing them in the toaster on a foil-lined pan. Set your dial to toast for 8-10 minutes, watching to make sure the bread browns without burning. Once toasted, remove your loaves from the toaster and slice for serving.  

For traditional toasters that offer extra-wide channels, you can pre-slice your loaf into strips and make individual pieces of garlic bread as you need them. This is a great option for smaller meals or solo dining, when preparing a full loaf might leave you with excessive leftovers. 

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread

The secret of knowing how to make garlic bread into a cheesy, pizza-like treat lies in the blend of cheeses you use. Parmesan and mozzarella are the go-to ingredients to give your garlic bread an Italian flavor profile, ideal for the mix of parsley and oregano used in the butter-garlic mixture. Feel free to try other cheeses such as cheddar, provolone or Monterey Jack to learn how to make garlic bread in its cheesiest form with an array of tastes and textures. 

15 Ways to Serve Garlic Bread 

1.  Tomato Basil Pasta

The most familiar way to serve garlic bread is, of course, with Italian dishes. Red sauce dishes like tomato basil pasta stand up nicely to the crispness of garlic bread, giving you an edible spoon for dipping or scooping up the extra sauce.

2. Buffalo Chicken Salad

With Buffalo chicken salad, you have a spicy salad that can top your toasted slices with cubes of chicken that carry a fun, peppery kick. The pairing of garlic with bold Buffalo seasoning creates layers of fun flavor that play perfectly against an array of textures in the dish.

3. Instant Pot Potato Soup

While potatoes present a hearty helping of starch, garlic bread served on the side of Instant Pot potato soup makes a great accent to the traditional flavors in most recipes. Sink a slice or two in your bowl for a satisfying lunch or dinner. 

4. Meatball Marinara

This beloved dish provides the best reasons for learning how to make garlic bread for yourself! Serving your toasty creation with a saucy meatball marinara will bring your Italian dining experience full circle.

5. Creamy Shrimp Scampi

A white sauce dish like creamy shrimp scampi lets the garlic in both the bread and the sauce shine through. Go fancy and slice your garlic toast extra-wide and serve your shrimp atop the bread.

6. One Pot Lasagna

One pot lasagna offers a prime example of how to make garlic bread into a co-star in the meal rather than letting it merely serve as a side dish. This partnership creates a culinary duet that covers the best tastes and textures in Italian cuisine.

7. Lemon Kale Salad

A lemon kale salad served with a wedge of garlic bread on the side makes a fabulous treat any time of year. The brightness of citrus stands beautifully against the aromatic charm of garlic in a dish light and healthful enough for seconds. 

8. Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Make garlic bread into a topping for Instant Pot white chicken chili that puts this tasty toast in its proper place: right in the dish. Cut your bread into toasty cubes and float them on the surface, letting them soak up the peppery juices.

9. Eggplant Casserole

The simplicity of garlic bread plays nicely with the range of flavors found in eggplant casserole. With mozzarella and Parmesan bubbling over the eggplant slices, your garlic bread brings in a crunchy punch to round out the recipe.

10. Wilted Spinach Salad

A warmed-up wilted spinach salad lends contrast in both temperature and texture that give the phenomenal flavor of your garlic bread plenty to work with. Lay a few strips across each plate as a tasty topper.

11. White Bean and Kale Soup

A mellow mix like white bean and kale soup gives you a restrained main dish to serve with your garlic bread. The savory broth and chunky vegetables are a welcoming duo for the crisp density of your toasted slices.

12. Frisee Salad

Cooler options like frisee salad can create a partnership of hot and cold if you serve your garlic bread when its fresh out of the oven. The super sweet simplicity of greens, bacon and apples provides an ideal team for the warm flavors of the bread to join.

13. Vegetable Stew

The warm comfort of vegetable stew is a delicious lesson in how to make garlic bread and a steaming bowl into a satisfying meal. Recreate the winsome charm of your favorite deli combo with this nourishing homemade twosome.

14. Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad

A cucumber tomato feta salad offers just the right amount of zing to help your garlic bread find its seat at the table. Place both dishes side by side among your dinner party offerings and invite your guests to indulge.

15. Garden Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Jazz up a batch of garden vegetable soup with pesto with a few garlic bread slices to augment the flavor palette. Learning how to make homemade garlic bread to accent this classic lets you add extra warmth to cold winter evenings.

Garlic Bread Recipe

Getting the hang of how to make garlic bread leaves plenty of room for variation. Once you know the basics of how to make garlic bread, you can tinker with seasonings and toppings to add flavors until you find a mix that pleases your palate. It may take a little experimenting before you find the best garlic bread recipe for you and your family. The good news about working through how to make garlic bread is that you’re likely to have a special combination to taste-test every time! Try your hand at the easy garlic bread recipe below.