Cheesy Garlic & Herb Tortilla Pull-Apart Bread
This Cheesy Garlic & Herb Tortilla Pull-Apart Bread delivers crispy edges, soft layered centers, and melted mozzarella in every fold. No dough to deal with, no yeast, and basically no work. Just bake and pull.
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I tend to love anything that feels impressive but secretly isn't.
This cheesy garlic bread is one of those things people assume takes effort because typical bread requires dough rising, shaping, waiting...
But this recipe skips all of that.
You take tortillas, fold them accordion-style, tuck them into a dish, and flood the layers with garlicky basil oil and mozzarella. That's it.
In the oven, the edges get crispy and golden. The inside stays soft and layered. The cheese melts down into the folds so every pull is stretchy and buttery and oh so freaking delicious.
It's garlic bread without ever touching yeast!
This goes perfectly with pasta, with soup, or anywhere garlic bread is appropriate. You can also just throw it in the middle of the table and watch it disappear.
If this tortilla hack is your style, definitely check out my spanakopita tortilla quiche or any of my crispy rice paper spirals. Easy to use ingredients that bring elevated results is the name of my game!
Why this Cheese Garlic Tortilla Bread Works
Folding the tortillas creates layers that mimic pull-apart bread. The herb-infused olive oil seeps into the folds while the mozzarella melts and binds everything together. High heat crisps the exposed edges while keeping the inside tender.
"This is the best of garlic bread with none of the work! My family loved it at dinner. We even loved it cold from the fridge the next day..."
- Sharon (email subscriber)
Recipe
Cheesy Garlic & Herb Tortilla Pull-Apart Bread (No Dough!)
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Ingredients
Method
- Preheat: Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Fold: Fold each of the 6 tortillas back and forth like an accordion and place them snugly into an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Blend: Add ½ cup olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, ¼ cup basil, ¼ cup parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Stir: Stir 1 cup shredded mozzarella directly into the herb oil mixture.
- Spoon: Spoon the mixture evenly over the folded tortillas, pressing it into the folds so it seeps between the layers.
- Bake: Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the tortilla edges are golden and crisp.
- Finish: Let cool slightly, then pull apart and sprinkle with chili flakes if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to press the oil and cheese mixture down into the folds. That's where the magic happens.
- If your edges brown quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last few minutes.
- You can swap basil and parsley for thyme, or whatever herbs are hanging around your fridge.
- This reheats shockingly well in the oven or air fryer.
- If you want to get wild, add a little grated Parmesan on top before baking.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions for the Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Tortilla Bread
Of course. They'll be slightly less crispy but still work well. Gluten-free, etc also work here.
Anything you can put on a pizza you can put on this bread. Cooked crumbled sausage or shredded chicken can be layered between folds, other cheeses, etc. Go wild!
You can definitely assemble it ahead, cover, and refrigerate. I'd suggest baking just before serving so that you get to savor the deliciousness of the crispy edges.
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Yummmyyyy
its. so. good.
Super quick and delicious. Perfect accompaniment to soup, salad.
I threw an extra garlic clove and some oregano in there.
Big hit!
Thank you for the win!
so glad to hear! more garlic is always a good thing. 🙂
Can dried herbs work in place of fresh?
Yes they definitely work! That said, you'll be losing out on that fresh, herby punch of flavor.
I haven't tried this yet, but plan on adding shredded chicken in sauce . yumm
Yum that sounds delicious!
This is so, so good! I used chimichurri that I made! I like cilantro better than basil! Thank you for sharing all the wonderful recipes, Chef Josh!
So simple and yet irresistible. Brilliant idea!
Can’t wait to make this and serve it up with a nice San marzano marinara and homegrown eggplant.
Can I use butter in place of the oil? I'm fresh out and drooling over this.
Definitely! Butter would give it an even richer drool-worthy flavor. Go for it. And, enjoy!!
could you use corn tortillas? I am gluten free and short of making my own alternate tortillas first, corn tortillas would be a quick sub.
Hi Kathy! You can. Corn tortillas won't quite pull-apart in the same way that flour does, so you'll sacrifice a little of the texture here, but the tortillas will certainly still hold all of the garlic cheesy goodness so they'll still be delicious!
I’ve got some homemade salsa verde that I want to use up and thought I’d try it instead of the oil herb mix, then with blend with Mexican/Mozzarella cheese…think it’d work?
I think that's genius!! This recipe is super forgiving and there are 100 ways to work it (I do a pizza version, too). Let me know how yours turns out!
Have you tried any gluten-free tortillas? I saw the viewer who asked about corn tortillas, but what about those tortillas made with cassava or rice/tapioca/potato starch? Do you think they'd act more like the ones in your recipe? Looks SOOOO yummy!!
Hi Renee, great question! I should have flagged that when I responded to the corn. Cassava, tapioca, and potato starch will all give you noticeably more stretch and pull-apart chew than corn. Cassava would be the stretch champion, of the three (in my opinion). Please let me know if you try, I want to hear the review!
This looks amazing! I’m wondering if it would work if I used the “Siete” brand tortillas made with almond flour ?
Hi Lily, I love siete!! It'll work for sure. The "pull-apart" component is what you'll sacrifice. Almond flour tortillas won't strech/pull the same way regular flour tortillas would, but otherwise they'll work just as well. Enjoy!
Can the flour tortillas that you have to cook first be used, and if so, do you have to cook them first or just put them directly in the casserole dish?
Hi Liz! This recipe uses regular ready-to-eat flour tortillas (the kind you'd use for a burrito or quesadilla, straight from the package). No cooking needed beforehand. You just fold them and place them right into the baking dish raw, then the oven does all the work. If you're thinking of the raw tortilla dough rounds you sometimes see in the fridge section that need to be cooked on a griddle first, those aren't what's used here. Grab the regular pre-made ones and you're good to go!