Texas Toast
Thick, golden, garlicky bread is a tiny luxury that turns a weeknight dinner into something worth savoring. This Texas Toast recipe is straightforward, fast, and forgiving — the kind of side you can depend on whether you’re serving a steak, a bowl of chili, or a stack of weeknight burgers.
I’ll walk you through what to buy, exactly how to cook it, common mistakes to avoid, and sensible swaps if you need dairy-free or gluten-free options. No fluff: practical tips, gear notes, and storage advice so your next batch comes out perfect every time.
Keep this one in your back pocket. It takes minutes at the griddle, and the payoff is big: crisp edges, soft center, and that browned garlic butter flavor everyone reaches for first.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, divided — for the garlic butter and for browning the bread; the recipe splits the butter so you get flavor and a hot cooking surface.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder — flavoring for the butter; garlic powder tends to clump up after it sits for awhile, make sure it’s not clumpy.
- 6 slices pull-apart bar-b-q bread or 4 slices Texas Toast — the thick bread is the point; see Notes below for options and how to slice before serving.
What to Buy
Focus on two things: thick bread and a good salted butter. The recipe depends on substantial slices that won’t collapse when you brush them with butter. If your market stocks commercial “Texas Toast” slices, that’s ideal. If not, look for bakery-cut thick slices or pull-apart bar-b-q-style bread.
Salted butter is specified because the salt is part of the seasoning. If you only have unsalted, you’ll need a pinch of salt to taste. For the garlic flavor, the recipe uses garlic powder — it’s easy and distributes evenly in melted butter. Fresh garlic is an option, but expect a different texture and stronger, sharper bite.
Buy enough for your crowd: 6 pull-apart slices generally feed 3–4 people as a side; 4 thick Texas Toast slices serve 2–3, depending on appetites.
Texas Toast Made Stepwise
- If your garlic powder is clumpy, break up any clumps so it measures smoothly.
- Put 4 tablespoons of the salted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and gently melt in the microwave until liquid.
- Stir the 1 teaspoon garlic powder into the melted butter until evenly combined.
- Brush both sides of each piece of bread (use either the 6 pull-apart bar-b-q slices or 4 slices Texas Toast) with the garlic butter mixture.
- Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the griddle and swirl or spread it to evenly coat the cooking surface.
- Place the buttered bread on the griddle and cook 2–3 minutes per side, flipping once, until each side is golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle and serve immediately. If using Texas Toast slices, cut them diagonally into triangles before serving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s fast, forgiving, and peak comfort. The combination of melted butter and garlic powder gives you immediate flavor without the fuss of mincing and sautéing. Thick slices hold a crisp exterior and a tender interior — that contrast is the hallmark of great toast.
Textures matter here: the griddle creates an even golden crust, and the final diagonal slice makes the bread easy to handle and share. It’s a small technique that elevates presentation without added work.
Dairy-Free/Gluten-Free Swaps
If you need to avoid dairy, use a plant-based spread that melts well. Look for vegan butter labeled for baking or cooking so it browns similarly to dairy butter. Melt it the same way, and blend the garlic powder into the melted spread.
For gluten-free needs, choose a sturdy gluten-free loaf sliced thick or a specialty gluten-free “Texas-style” bread if your store carries it. Toasting slightly longer at a moderate heat helps gluten-free breads crisp without drying out.
What You’ll Need (Gear)
- Griddle or large skillet — a flat, even surface gives the best golden color.
- Small microwave-safe bowl — for melting the butter and mixing the garlic powder.
- Pastry brush or spoon — to brush the garlic butter on both sides of the bread.
- Spatula — for flipping and removing the bread without tearing it.
- Kitchen thermometer (optional) — not necessary, but a griddle surface around medium heat is key; you can test with a drop of water to check for sizzle.
Mistakes That Ruin Texas Toast
A few small missteps undo the best ingredients. Avoid these:
- Using thin or stale bread — it soaks up butter and collapses. Thick slices are essential.
- Skipping the divided butter — if you don’t reserve butter for the griddle, the cooking surface stays dry and the toast won’t brown evenly.
- Cooking over too-high heat — you’ll burn the outside before the center warms through. Medium heat gives a golden crust and tender interior.
- Not checking garlic powder for clumps — clumpy powder measures poorly and leaves pockets of flavor instead of an even coat.
- Over-brushing with butter so the bread is soggy — a light, even coat on both sides is enough. Excess butter makes the exterior greasy rather than crisp.
How to Make It Lighter
To reduce richness without losing too much flavor, use one or more of these swaps:
- Cut the butter by a third and lightly spray the griddle with cooking spray; brush just one side of the bread with butter and the other with a light olive oil mist.
- Use a lower-fat spread designed for cooking — it won’t brown exactly the same but will cut calories.
- Serve smaller pieces: slice the toast into thinner triangles to keep portion sizes reasonable while keeping the same technique and flavor.
Behind-the-Scenes Notes
Texas Toast owes its name to the ultra-thick slices popularized in regional American diners and steakhouses. The technique is simple: butter, heat, and contact with a hot surface to develop Maillard browning. The recipe’s strength lies in balancing enough fat to brown the bread without making it greasy.
Garlic powder is the practical choice here. It blends with melted butter smoothly and gives consistent flavor. Fresh garlic will add brightness but can also burn on the griddle and become bitter; if you use fresh, mix it into the melted butter off the heat and use immediately.
Meal Prep & Storage Notes
Texas Toast is best served immediately, but you can prep elements ahead:
- Make the garlic butter up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Warm gently before brushing so it’s liquid again; stirring or a short microwave burst works fine.
- Cooked toast stores poorly for texture but keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days if wrapped tightly. Reheat in a 350°F oven or toaster oven for 5–7 minutes to restore crispness.
- For freezing, cook or par-bake the slices, then cool and freeze flat in a single layer. Reheat from frozen in a 375°F oven for 8–12 minutes until warmed and crisped.
Quick Questions
Can I use fresh garlic?
Yes. Mince finely and stir into the melted butter off the heat. Use immediately and watch the griddle temperature to avoid burning the garlic.
Can I bake this instead of using a griddle?
Yes. Arrange the buttered slices on a baking sheet and bake at 425°F until golden, about 6–10 minutes per side depending on thickness. Broil briefly at the end if you want extra browning, but watch closely to avoid burning.
What if my garlic powder is clumpy?
Break the clumps with the back of a spoon or sift it before measuring. The first step in the recipe calls for this because clumps lead to uneven flavor measurement.
Bring It Home
Texas Toast is one of those recipes that punches above its weight: minimal ingredients, maximum comfort. Follow the simple, ordered steps, use thick bread, keep the griddle at medium, and you’ll have reliably golden, garlicky toast every time. Make the garlic butter ahead if you like, live by the divided-butter rule, and serve hot.
Try it alongside a bold main or keep it as the star of a casual plate with melted cheese. Either way, you’ll have a fast, satisfying side that’s easy to repeat and hard to forget.
Texas Toast
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoonssalted butterdivided
- 1 teaspoongarlic powdergarlic powder tends to clump up after it sits for awhile make sure it’s not clumpy
- 6 slicespull-apart bar-b-q bread or 4 slices Texas Toastsee Notes below
Instructions
Instructions
- If your garlic powder is clumpy, break up any clumps so it measures smoothly.
- Put 4 tablespoons of the salted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and gently melt in the microwave until liquid.
- Stir the 1 teaspoon garlic powder into the melted butter until evenly combined.
- Brush both sides of each piece of bread (use either the 6 pull-apart bar-b-q slices or 4 slices Texas Toast) with the garlic butter mixture.
- Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salted butter to the griddle and swirl or spread it to evenly coat the cooking surface.
- Place the buttered bread on the griddle and cook 2–3 minutes per side, flipping once, until each side is golden brown.
- Remove from the griddle and serve immediately. If using Texas Toast slices, cut them diagonally into triangles before serving.
Equipment
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Brush
- Griddle
- Large Skillet
Notes
I like to make Texas Toast with soft white "pull apart bread", like they do at
Raising Cane's
. Here's a link to
pull-apart bread
, so you know what I'm talking about. I grew up on this bread – Mom bought it at local small town bakeries and served it for holidays and special meals. But it's hard to find where I live now. I get mine from the bakery at
County Fair
, a grocery store where my parents now live in South Dakota. I think this bread is much more of a southern or BBQ thing, from my online search results. When we ate at
Salt Lick BBQ
outside of Austin, TX this past October, they gave our family of 4 a half loaf of this pull apart bread to eat with our BBQ meal! If you can't find pull apart bread, substitute with
Texas Toast Bread
.
