Basil Oil

This homemade Basil Oil takes less than 5 minutes to make and will elevate your dishes to another level. It has a beautiful vibrant color, smells and tastes incredible, perfect to drizzle on cheese, dips, pasta, pizza and more!

I must admit, I don't have a huge green thumb, but I do have a herb garden with quite a few basil pots. I love growing my own herbs, especially basil as I add it to many of my recipes and in fresh sandwiches and panini. In the warmer months, my basil plants are flourishing and I have so much basil that I don't know what to do with it 💚. I usually make a big batch of basil pesto and freeze it for future meals, but this time I made my own basil oil and I feel silly for not doing this sooner!

It literally takes minutes to make and you are left with a beautiful vibrant green oil that has a lovely basil aroma and subtle flavor. I started adding it to literally everything and became a little obsessed haha! Think anything from cheese appetizers, fresh tomatoes, dips such as whipped ricotta or whipped feta dip, and even pasta or soups like my burrata pasta and Italian minestrone, where the flavors go so well together. A light drizzle can make any dish look restaurant quality.

You can also simply add the basil oil to a small ramekin to enjoy it on its own as a bread dipping oil with fresh crusty bread, or even better with homemade focaccia...a match made in heaven! Your guests will be over the moon and think they're in Italy 😉.

If you love bread oils, you must also try my viral bread dipping oil which is always a hit at any party when I make it.

My basil oil made is made with 3 ingredients, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt for a simple infused oil. The key is to have good quality olive oil which does make a big difference in its taste. By keeping it plain, it can go any dish really, even proteins such as air fryer salmon, shrimp or chicken. It also wont spoil as soon, since it doesn't have additional ingredients. You can however elevate the basil oil and add more flavor to it by adding red pepper flakes, fresh chilli, garlic or even a shallot when blending it.

You can keep it rustic, or with a few extra steps you can make it an even more vibrant green color by blanching the basil and also by straining it to be more clear. I have tested both and equally love them and added extra steps depending on your preference.

Table of Contents

• What makes this recipe special
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make Basil Oil
• What to serve with Basil oil? 
• Tips and Tricks
• Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• Pairing
• More Basil Recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

What makes this recipe special

• Quick & Easy: Just a few ingredients and minutes to make!
• Crazy Delicious: With a beautiful vibrant color, smells and tastes incredible 
• Versatile: You can add it to everything! From bread, pasta, pizza, soups, salads, dips, cheese and more! 
• Perfect for Meal Prep: You can make it ahead of time and use it throughout the week or also freeze it for the future
• Customizable: Here I've made a simple basil oil, feel free to add even more flavor by adding chilli and/or garlic

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Fresh basil leaves are of course the star ingredient! Bringing out that fresh, herbaceous flavor and color. Unfortunately dried basil leaves wont work for this recipe
• Extra virgin olive oil is the second core ingredient. This adds a rich, full-bodied base to the oil, using a good quality olive oil is also recommended
• Pinch of salt, a little salt enhances the flavor and brings out more flavor, you wont need much but you can also skip the salt if you prefer
• Optional additions, I prefer a simple basil olive oil, but you can add more flavor to it by adding red pepper flakes, fresh chili, garlic or even a shallot

How to make Basil Oil

To make your own basil oil is easier than you think! Here I've added some optional steps to blanch the basil to maintain that vibrant green color, otherwise you can skip ahead. Follow my simple steps below.

Blanch Basil

Make Basil Oil

What to serve with Basil oil? 

There really aren't any rules, you can enjoy it with so many dishes! Here are some of my favorite I love to drizzle it over:

• Crusty bread and focaccia
• Pasta such as burrata pasta or cherry tomato pasta 
• Soups such as Italian pastina or minestrone soup
• Dips such as whipped ricotta or whipped feta dip
• Cheese such as mozzarella, burrata
• Salads such as Italian pasta salad or caprese salad
• Classic Italian pizza or focaccia pizza
• Mushroom risotto and one pan creamy orzo pasta
• Proteins like air fryer salmon, chicken, shrimp, and tofu
• Vegetables such as sliced tomatoes or grilled veggies
• Toasts like avocado toast or bruschetta
• Sandwiches like burrata caprese sandwich and chopped Italian sub

Tips and Tricks

1. For an even brighter green color, blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 20 seconds and transfer it immediately to a bowl with ice cubes and cold water
2. Strain the basil oil through a sieve, colander or cheesecloth for a clean, clear result - totally optional or keep it rustic 
3. You can then add the disregarded strained basil to other dishes such as soups or pasta. No wastage 🙂
4. Add other ingredients such as a hint of garlic or chilli for a stronger punchier flavor
5. Freeze leftovers so they don't go to waste

Storage Instructions

• Store in an airtight glass bottle or glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
• If adding fresh garlic or chilli, it will last up to 1 week
• Pour leftovers into ice cube trays to freeze individual portions. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag

FAQs

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Basil Oil:

More Basil Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

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