Mustard Free Garlic Basil Herb Oil
Herb-infused oils are one of those kitchen staples that instantly elevate everything they touch, from crusty bread to roasted vegetables to a simple bowl of pasta. This version builds deep, aromatic flavor by gently warming garlic, thyme, and rosemary in good extra-virgin olive oil until the cloves turn pale golden and fragrant — low and slow is the whole secret. Fresh basil goes in off the heat, steeping in the residual warmth until the oil takes on a gorgeous green tint and a perfume that fills the whole kitchen. For anyone navigating condiment labels and ingredient lists, this is a clean, from-scratch alternative to store-bought flavored oils that often sneak in unexpected additives. Every single ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify, which makes it a genuinely stress-free recipe to pull together. Drizzle it over grilled chicken, use it as a dipping oil, or spoon it onto fresh mozzarella — it's endlessly versatile. Stored in the fridge, it keeps for up to five days, so you can make a batch at the start of the week and reach for it whenever you need a quick flavor boost.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest heat your burner allows and warm until the oil reaches a gentle, lazy sizzle around the garlic — small bubbles forming slowly at the edges of the cloves, about 8–10 minutes. The garlic should turn pale golden and fragrant but not brown; if it begins to color quickly, lift the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves, pressing them gently into the warm oil with a spoon. Let the basil steep in the residual heat for 5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the oil is bright green-tinged and fragrant.
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