Carrabba’s Herb Dipping Oil
Carrabba’s Herb Dipping Oil is a blend of fresh herbs and seasonings that infuses with your favorite extra virgin olive oil! Great for dipping crusty bread!
A Delicious Appetizer
I had a friend that used to work at Carrabba’s back in the early 2000’s and when I saw this recipe in the Carrabba’s cookbook (affiliate link), I checked with her on the accuracy of this published recipe with how she remembered making it. She confirmed this is almost the exact same recipe they made (she couldn’t forget it because she made it so often!) The only thing she added was that they used all fresh herbs back then and also fresh garlic along with garlic powder (so I added that to the notes.) She recently went back there for dinner and said it appears they don’t make it the same way these days. But if you used to love it back in the day, then I think you will love this version of the recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Not really. The crushed red pepper flakes add a little warmth, but the dip is not overly spicy. I am pretty sensitive to spice these days (thank you acid reflux) and I honestly don’t get spiciness from this. So I think many of you will be surprised it’s always been in there if you’ve enjoyed this dip before. However, feel free to leave it out or do a small test with a tiny bit in there and go from there.
Because I know someone will ask if I have some other recipe they make at Carrabba’s, I know I need to add this here. No I do not, sorry. I don’t have any of their other recipes posted here. I don’t generally like to post recipes from published cookbooks because that takes away from the work of the author and there can be copyright issues (unless I am reviewing their cookbook and have been given explicit permission.) I only did this one because I changed it up a bit and changed the instructions to make them flow a bit better and to add my ingredient changes. If you want the other recipes, I would suggest purchasing the Carrabba’s cookbook (affiliate link.)
I may work on a recipe in the future (as I like to experiment with copycat recipes) but it will be my own personal creation, not a recipe from that cookbook.
I will tell you, I tested this with dried herbs and it tastes nothing like the fresh herb version. It tasted good but definitely not like Carrabba’s, so if you really are going for a truly authentic (and the most delicious version) of this dip, then you must use fresh. Please do not come back and fuss at me because you made this and that it didn’t taste like Carrabba’s and then mention that you used dried herbs. This is your official warning that fresh is going to give you the absolute best results!
Having said that, you can technically use all dried herbs but they are stronger so you’ll need less. Start with about one-third of the amount listed for the fresh herbs and adjust to taste.
Yes. The herb mixture can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
About 1 teaspoon of the herb mixture works well for each small dipping bowl before adding olive oil.
Absolutely. The dry herb and seasoning mixture equals about 4 teaspoons total, making it easy to scale up for parties or gatherings.
Crusty bread is the classic choice, but it’s also great with steak, grilled chicken, pork, roasted vegetables, or even drizzled over pasta.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- fresh Italian parsley – as I stated above, you must use fresh for best results and best taste. Please don’t skimp on this.
- fresh basil
- fresh rosemary
- dried oregano – you can certainly use fresh here as well. I went by the Carrabba’s recipe book recipe but feel free to rift on this. My Carrabba’s friend mentioned they used fresh oregano as well back in the day. You would use 3/4 teaspoon.
- fresh garlic – ok, this is optional but as I have stated a few times, the ex-Carrabba’s employee told me they always put fresh garlic in it back in the day but she believes they may have changed that original recipe since the early 2000’s but that it was absolutely in there. So I wanted to add that in here. She suggested one garlic clove, minced and that it was used in conjunction with the garlic powder.
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes – yep, believe it or not red pepper flakes are in there and I think some people who are sensitive to spice might be surprised by this, but as I said about the friend who worked at Carrabba’s, it is absolutely in there. So you may find that you actually prefer that kick without it being hot or spicy.
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil – seriously, this makes ALL the difference and was the main thing my friend mentioned that was essential. You can see what I used in the ingredient image below.
How To Make Carrabba’s Herb Dipping Oil
Prepare the herbs
Place the parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Place about 1 teaspoon of the mixture into a shallow bowl or plate. Add in fresh garlic if using.
Pour in the olive oil
Drizzle in olive oil to serve. If you prefer, you can gently stir this up a bit.
Enjoy with crusty bread.
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Carrabba’s Herb Dipping Oil
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
- ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano (or 3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- good quality extra virgin olive oil (this is very important, use the good stuff!)
Optional additional ingredient
- ¼ teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic (see notes below)
Instructions
- Place the 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil, ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and pinch crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Place about 1 teaspoon of the mixture into a shallow bowl or plate. Then (if using) add 1/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
- Drizzle in olive oil to serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- My good friend used to work at Carrabba’s back in the early 2000’s and when I saw this recipe in the Carrabba’s cookbook (affiliate link), I checked with her on the accuracy with how she remembered making it. She added that they used all fresh herbs (no dried) back then and also fresh garlic along with the garlic powder (so I added those optional changes/additions to the recipe card above.) So, if you want to make this like they did back the early 2000’s, then use fresh oregano (not dried) and use fresh garlic along WITH the garlic powder. Also, fresh garlic is VERY strong and pungent to eat raw so please use caution if you aren’t used to eating it raw in a dip like this.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
