How To Make The Absolute Best Garlic Bread On The Stovetop

No oven? No problem. Sure, garlic bread is typically toasted in the oven, emerging as the plush, crunchy, aromatic side dish we know and love. But preparing it on the stovetop can achieve an equally crispy result. Plus, it's a little quicker — no time is wasted waiting for an entire oven to preheat. With a hot stovetop at the ready, garlicky goodness is just a few minutes away.

There are a few important tips to keep in mind: Make sure your pan or griddle is sufficiently hot, allowing the bread to crisp up as it hits the surface. And speaking of griddles, be sure to leave sufficient space between your garlic rolls as you heat them over the stove. Overcrowding the pan creates steam, which can result in floppy, limp bread, rather than the toasty texture we're looking for. Gather your classic ingredients — bread, butter, garlic, parmesan and parsley — and you're more than halfway there.

Start with a bread that's sturdy, like ciabatta or a baguette. Soften your butter, mixing it with minced garlic, a shaved or grated parmesan, and freshly chopped parsley. If you'd really like to double up the garlic flavor, try adding a few additional pinches of garlic powder into your butter mixture.

Cut the bread lengthwise, spreading the butter mixture onto the soft interior. From there, heat your pan or griddle to medium heat and place your bread, butter side down, onto the pan. You should hear a deeply satisfying sizzle as the cool butter mixture hits the pan: a sign that your pan is sufficiently heated.

Use a spatula to check whether the surface has reached its preferred level of golden crispiness. Brush some melted butter onto the top side and flip it over, ensuring that both surfaces are crunchy. Slice into smaller pieces and serve with additional sprinklings of fresh parsley.