Texas Toast

By Lidey Heuck

Updated Sept. 24, 2024

Texas Toast
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(148)
Comments
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Thickly-sliced and buttery, this extra-large toast is believed to have been created, in 1941, at the Pig Stand, a drive-in restaurant in Beaumont, Texas. Owner Royce Hailey felt the bread slices they offered were too thin, so he asked his supplier for a thicker cut. The new size didn’t fit in the toaster, so the cooks brushed the slices with butter and toasted them in the oven instead, resulting in a crisp and buttery exterior and a fluffy interior. The “Texas toast” concept stuck — you can even buy it premade in the frozen food section — but it’s almost as easy to slice a loaf of bakery white bread and make it at home. Here, a combination of melted butter and olive oil provide  flavor and a golden-brown hue. Feel free to skip the garlic and parsley if you’re looking for just plain toast.

Featured in: America Loves to Mess With Texas Toast

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 6slices thick-sliced white bread (at least ¾-inch thick) 
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for serving
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh parsley (optional)
  • 1teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

243 calories; 20 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 140 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees and arrange the bread slices on a sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine the butter, olive oil and salt, as well as the parsley and garlic powder, if using.

  2. Step 2

    Brush each piece of bread generously on both sides with the butter mixture. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Flip and bake until the second side is toasted, 3 to 5 minutes more. (It will not take as long as the first side.)

  3. Step 3

    Sprinkle the pieces of toast lightly with salt and serve hot, sliced in half, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5
148 user ratings
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Comments

Ongbundt Magilicuddy

This was a great Texas toast recipe but I swapped out the bread with branzino and swapped out the butter, garlic powder and parsley with rice pilaf, haricot verts, and an 8x10 glossy of Mickey Rooney. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it came out great!!

Steve

Wow, what a treat to see this! I was born and raised in Beaumont and knew the Pig Stand well. Sadly, it is no longer. Happy to know the origin of Texas Toast, and that the memory of the Pig Stand lives on!

tleece

I have always loved fat, crispy, squishy Texas Toast. Glad to see it codified. :) Never had wheat Texas Toast, or a Texas Toast with minced garlic. But if that's what you prefer, go for it! The food police will not come knocking on your door. Alas, no one will give you an award for pointing out white bread isn't healthy (or is it just trashy?) or fresh garlic exists. We know. Holiday cheers to the moderators. I can't imagine sifting through "processed cheese is murder" for the 1000th time.

kahyatonhsera

With apologies to Texas toast purists, I used minced fresh garlic with the butter, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. By the time the bread (slightly crusty Italian loaf) was golden brown, the garlic was just this side of burnt. The recipe didn't work as well as I'd hoped with the garlic, and I did need to increase the amounts of butter and oil by about a third to brush both sides of the bread with a modest layer.

Gary V.

@Ongbundt... Not a fish person so I swapped out to an Indian "Dosa" with two tablespoons of Ghee, potatoes, paneer, masala, a phone camera and 911 on standby to record my heart attack waiting to happen...

PeterJ

I have been making similar toasts regularly as a bedding for sliced steaks. IMHO, to get a great toast - that was introduced to me as "Texas toast" - you need to have the following: - thickly sliced hearty white bread, definitely not the fluffy one, but like a French boule - using of those factory-made breads make me cringe - toasted over live charcoal fire - the spread is made of roasted garlic, pureed and mixed with olive oil and thyme (not parsley!) with salt and pepper to taste

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Credits

By Lidey Heuck

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