Texas Roadhouse Crouton Recipe
This Texas Roadhouse Crouton Recipe is the secret to making your home salads taste like a professional steakhouse meal. It features thick buttery bread cubes seasoned with a special blend of savory herbs that smell wonderful.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of thick-cut white bread or Texas Toast bread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
Slice the Bread
- Use a sharp serrated knife to cut your white bread into large, thick cubes on a sturdy cutting board. Texas Roadhouse is famous for big croutons, so aim for cubes that are about one inch in size.
Melt the Butter
- Place your unsalted butter in a small bowl and heat it in the microwave until it is completely liquid. Using real butter is essential for getting that authentic steakhouse flavor and a beautiful golden color on every cube.
Mix the Spices
- Stir the garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, oregano, salt, and black pepper into the warm melted butter very thoroughly. Mixing the spices into the butter ensures the seasoning is distributed evenly across all of the bread cubes.
Preheat the Oven
- Set your oven to 175°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent any sticking. A steady, medium heat is the best way to dry out the bread without burning the delicate spices.
Coat the Cubes
- Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and drizzle the seasoned butter mixture over the top slowly. Use a spatula to toss the bread gently until every single cube is glistening and lightly soaked in butter.
Arrange the Pan
- Spread the buttered bread cubes out in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet with plenty of space. Do not crowd the pan, or the croutons will steam instead of becoming perfectly crisp and crunchy.
Bake until Golden
- Slide the tray into the center of the oven and bake for about fifteen to eighteen minutes total. You want the croutons to be a deep golden brown and feel firm to the touch when pressed.
Toss the Tray
- Halfway through the baking time, use your spatula to flip and toss the croutons on the hot baking sheet. This ensures that every side gets an even amount of heat and a consistent, beautiful toasted color.
Cool the Croutons
- Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the hot croutons to a wire cooling rack immediately. Cooling them on a rack allows air to circulate, which keeps the bottom of the croutons from getting soggy.
Serve Fresh
- Scatter the warm, buttery croutons over a fresh salad or drop them into a hot bowl of soup. Serve them immediately while they are at their peak crunchiness for the most satisfying and delicious eating experience.
Notes
- Use sourdough bread if you want a more tangy and very sophisticated flavor for your salad.
- Add a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese before baking for a cheesy and extra salty crust.
- If you like heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the butter for a spicy kick.
- Make sure your bread is a few days old because dry bread absorbs the butter much better.
- You can use an air fryer at 180°C for six minutes if you want a very fast snack.
- Always use unsalted butter so you can control the exact amount of salt in your finished croutons.