Garlic Pita Bread Recipe

A quick and easy recipe to bake your own garlic pita bread in the oven using store bought pitas. This is the perfect snack, side, or base for your favorite hummus or Mediterranean-style dishes.

I am always looking for new things to dip into my favorite hummus, and this garlic pita bread recipe is my new favorite! Don’t get me wrong, I love dipping my favorite veggies but there is nothing like warm, fresh garlic pita bread.

Not only do I love this pita bread with hummus, but you can take your sandwiches up a notch or pair it with some rice, chicken, and tzatziki sauce! Yum!

Pita bread is delicious on its own, but this recipe makes it even better with added flavor and a slight browning in the oven. Make this recipe your own by using whole wheat or low carb pita bread and adding different seasonings or herbs!

Why This Recipe Works:

This garlic pita bread recipe is not only extremely easy to whip up, but it is also the perfect snack or side to any Mediterranean-inspired meal. I decided to make this recipe using store bought pita bread, and then take it up a notch by adding butter, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and a bit of fresh parsley. Once toasted up in the oven, the pita comes out slightly crunchy and so flavorful.

If you love pita chips, then this garlic pita bread recipe is definitely for you. I kept my pitas in their pocket form, but you can also cut these up into triangles for chip shaped pita bites!

“School” Supplies:

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Sauce Pan
• Pastry Brush or Spoon

“Class” Notes:

Welcome to my virtual classroom! Use the guided notes below where I often answer commonly asked questions I get from readers and cooks just like you.

This information is meant to help you have a more robust understanding of this recipe and the process so you can find success all on your own.

Ready to begin cooking? Jump to the recipe card below and start.

Ingredients:

• Pita Bread– You can choose low carb, whole wheat, or gluten free pita breads at the store if you prefer.
• Butter– Either salted or unsalted butter will work in this recipe.
• Garlic– The star of the show in this recipe is freshly minced garlic. This gives the pita a savory and rich flavor that we are looking for.
• Sea Salt– Sea salt is perfectly crunchy and has larger grains than normal salt. If you don’t have sea salt on hand, then course kosher salt would work well.
• Red Pepper Flakes & Fresh Parsley– These are optional for a bit of spice and freshness added at the end. If you are sensitive to spice, skip the red pepper flakes and just add some freshly chopped parsley at the end!

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Remove the pita bread from the package and place three pitas onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
4. Add in the garlic and the red pepper flakes (if using). Let the butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes simmer slightly for about 2 minutes in order to cook the garlic. We don’t want the butter to brown here, so keep a close eye on the butter at this point.
5. Remove from heat and let the butter mixture cool slightly.
6. Use a pastry brush or spoon to coat both sides of the pita bread, using about 1/2 teaspoon per side. Then, season each side with sea salt.
7. Bake in the oven for about 4 minutes. Remove the pitas from the oven and flip them over, then bake for another 4 minutes. We want to slightly brown the pitas, not make them too crispy. The pitas are still going to be soft.
8. Remove the garlic pita bread from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley. Cut in half to make pita pockets and enjoy!

Pro Tips:

• If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, try adding dried parsley to the butter mixture for some of that same flavor.
• If you are in a pinch, you can just combine the butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes without cooking in a saucepan. Keep in mind that the garlic will have a stronger flavor since it won’t be precooked. I find that the flavor comes out better if I melt the butter and cook the garlic in it first!
• Another fresh herb that would be lovely to garnish this pita bread with is fresh dill. Especially if you whip up a Lemon Dill Sauce to go along with this garlic pita bread recipe.
• Store your garlic pita bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave, in a pan, or in a toaster oven or air fryer.

What To Serve With Pita Bread:

You can serve this pita bread with a wide array of meals and snacks. You can dip this garlic pita bread into hummus for an easy snack. Or fill it with turkey, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes for a pita pocket sandwich. Try pairing this garlic pita bread recipe with some of my favorites:

• Smoked Baba Ganoush
• Greek Cauliflower Rice
• Whole Roasted Chicken Shawarma
• Roasted Crudite Platter
• Grilled Greek Chicken Platter