Garlic Knots

Garlic knots are a crowd-pleasing favorite as a side dish alongside a hearty feast, or all on their own as a snack with a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping.

Unlike garlic bread, which can be a little soggy sometimes, these garlic knots are slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside—with no dampness anywhere. A generous layer of butter-garlic mixture evenly coats these knots for richness and flavor. If you like heat, add crushed red pepper. 

Garlic Knots Ingredients

To make garlic knots, you'll need:

• Fresh pizza dough: You can make your own, but to keep this a speedy recipe, buy dough at the supermarket.
• Salted butter: If you use unsalted, add a punch more salt to the seasoning.
• Garlic: What would garlic knots be without garlic?
• Italian seasoning: A great all-purpose seasoning blend for Italian-inspired dishes.
• Crushed red pepper: Adds just a bit of heat, but you can leave it out if you want.
• Garlic powder: There cannot be too much garlic on garlic knots.
• Kosher salt: To season.
• Flat-leaf parsley: Adds a bit of peppery bite.
• Parmesan cheese: For topping the knots.
• Marinara sauce: For serving. We love Rao's, but use your favorite.

How To Make Garlic Knots

Using store-bought pizza dough really makes this an easy dish. Here's a brief outline of the process with the full instructions further below:

• Step 1. Make the knots: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into four portions and flatten each into a rectangle. Cut each rectangle into four strips. Roll each strip into a rope and tie each rope into a knot. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat for all the dough.
• Step 2. Rise: Loosely cover the knots with plastic wrap, and let them rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 
• Step 3. Make garlic-butter mixture: While preheating the oven to 400°F, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Cook for about a minute until fragrant, and then remove from heat. 
• Step 4. Add butter sauce to knots: Brush each dough knot with some of the butter mixture, and then stir the parsley into the remaining butter mixture. 
• Step 5. Bake the knots: Bake the dough knots in the preheated oven until golden brown. Take them out, brush them with the remaining butter mixture and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

How To Serve Garlic Knots

Serve garlic knots warm with marinara sauce for a satisfying appetizer or party food. Or get creative and use them as clever slider buns, split in half and stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, like a pizza roll.

Can You Make Garlic Knots Ahead?

Yes, you can make garlic knots ahead. Prepare the dough, place the knots on the baking sheet, and then tightly wrap the baking sheet, and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Remove from the refrigerator, and proceed with the recipe as directed. (It may take an additional 10 minutes for dough knots to rise and puff.)

Garlic Knots Tips and Variations

Want to make this crowd-pleasing recipe even easier? Try making it with store-bought pre-rolled pizza dough.

Love garlic? Double the garlic in this recipe for an even more flavorful result.

More Rolls and Breads

Keep rolling through these great bread recipes:

• Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls
• Parker House Rolls
• Cheddar Caramelized Onion Bread
• Parmesan Herb Angel Biscuits
• Cloverleaf Rolls
• Sweet Potato Biscuits
• Buttermilk Cornbread
• Sweet Potato Rolls

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.