How to Make Croutons Over the Stove

Let’s be honest: croutons really elevate a salad. Those crunchy little cubes of bread are just satisfying.

But I have a conundrum surrounding croutons. First, most store-bought croutons are full of junk: icky oils and flavorings and chemicals. Second, I don’t want to heat up my oven in the summer to make my own croutons.

So of course I devised a method of toasting croutons over the stove. It’s really easy – let me show you how!


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You only need 5 simple ingredients: bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Start by slicing the bread into cubes. The smaller the cubes, the crustier the croutons will get.

Put the bread cubes in a bowl and drizzle in the olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

This time I was feeling lazy and just threw the garlic in with the other ingredients. I recommend waiting to add the garlic until later on in the cooking process because it can get bitter if you cook it too long.

Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring often, until the cubes are golden brown.

Remove to a plate and allow to cool. The croutons will crisp up as they cool.

Just so you know: these are quite addictive. Once you start munching, there’s no going baaaaack!

I used sourdough for these croutons, which is lovely. But keep in mind that whole grain or sourdough tends to not get as crispy as a straight-up white sandwich or crusty French loaf. I like my croutons kind of soft in the middle, but if you like them crispy all the way through you might want to try a white bread.

PS: Make sure to check out my other salad recipes!

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Easy Skillet Croutons

Croutons are so quick and easy to make in a cast iron skillet!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Erica Lea

Ingredients

• 3 slices bread cut thick
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic minced

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the bread cubes, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Make sure the bread is coated evenly.
2. Heat a large, dry cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the seasoned bread cubes and cook, stirring often, until they’re golden and toasty, about 10-15 minutes. A few minutes before the croutons are done toasting, add the garlic and cook until softened.
3. Remove to a plate and allow to cool completely. The croutons will crisp up as they cool.