To know how to roast garlic is a magical skill in the culinary world! Add roasted garlic to anything and your cooking will everything.
One of the most rewarding parts of cooking is watching raw ingredients transform.
It’s hard to find one whose transformation is more spectacular than roasted garlic (it’s even more miraculous than oven-roasted veggies!).
I don’t want to belittle raw garlic or sautéed garlic.
In any form, garlic is an essential aromatic in everything from garlic shrimp pasta to soups and stir-fries to feta dip and beyond.
Why You’ll Love Roasted Garlic
Roasted Garlic is his own supreme being.
- While raw garlic tastes strong and pungent, roasted garlic tastes sweet and mild.
Slow roasted garlic gives you that essential garlic flavor in a caramelized, spreadable form. For those looking for the most complex flavor, roasting is the best way to cook garlic.
- In the oven, the individual cloves soften and sweeten into a delightful substance that a friend of mine once likened to “happy unicorn tears.”
- The preparation takes time protocol. You don’t even have to separate or peel the cloves!
Once you’ve mastered how to roast garlic, prepare it in bulk, then squeeze the nectar from the roasted garlic cloves and use as you wish
Read on for How to Roast Garlic Without Burning It and learn how to use roasted garlic in tasty, creative ways.
how to roast garlic
Frying whole cloves of garlic in foil is virtually hands-free and the easiest way to cook roasted garlic in the oven.
You can also roast garlic without foil. Create parchment paper packets if you prefer not to roast garlic in foil.
Or, check out these Garlic Noodles to learn how to quickly roast garlic.
The ingredients
- Garlic. Roasted garlic is pure magic! A simple garlic bulb becomes a caramelized masterpiece that can be used in many ways. Plus, roasted garlic is still healthy because it’s low in calories and packed with vitamins.
- olive oil. Helps ensure the garlic doesn’t burn and adds flavor. A few teaspoons of olive oil will do!
- salt + pepper. Simple, neutral seasonings that you can use your roasted garlic with however you like.
The directions
- Peel some of the papery outer layers off the garlic bulbs, leaving the garlic whole. Cut off the tops of the heads and cut into slices.
- Sprinkle each head with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Glue aluminum foil around the heads. Place each sealed packet of foil in the casserole dish. Roast garlic at 400 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes.
- Allow each bulb of garlic to cool, then gently squeeze the cloves. Use as you like and ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Store leftover garlic in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. See “Meal Prep Tip” below for longer storage.
- Freeze. Place the garlic cloves on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then place in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 1 month. Or squeeze the garlic cloves and combine them into a paste that you can freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal prep tip
Dip roasted garlic in oil and refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up to 2 weeks.
Ways to use roasted garlic
- Bread. Simply spread the garlic on a piece of toasted bread, such as B. Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. For Garlic Cheese Bread, butter the toast, brush with toasted garlic and sprinkle with parmesan. Preheat the oven for a few minutes.
- pasta. Add roasted garlic to your favorite pasta dishes and pasta sauces. It would be delicious with this cauliflower pasta, salmon pasta or avocado pasta.
- Pizza. Nothing adds flavor to a pizza like roasted garlic. Try it on this burrata pizza, shortcut naan pizza, or use this whole wheat pizza dough to make your own homemade pizza.
- potatoes. Mix the garlic into a bowl of Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Crockpot Mashed Potatoes for an instant crowd favorite. (Mix with cauliflower mashed potatoes for a low-carb version.)
- dips and sauces. Pair garlic puree with mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt for a delicious garlic aioli that pairs well with zucchini fries, baked fries, or air fryer fries. Use it to make hummus!
- Citizens. Mix the garlic into the ground beef while you’re making your favorite burgers (like these Air Fryer hamburgers).
- steak. Knowing how to roast garlic for a steak is a wonderful skill. Add it to Air Fryer Steak for a real treat.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
Put a pan of roasted garlic in the oven this week.
I can smell the deliciousness from here!
frequently asked Questions
As with roasted red peppers, storing the garlic in oil will help preserve the garlic cloves for longer (up to 2 weeks). Bonus: you can use the oil to make a delicious salad dressing or to fry vegetables. However, make sure you store your roasted garlic oil in the fridge as storing it at room temperature can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria (botulism).
If your garlic has gone bad, it likely has a foul odor, yellow or brown spots, mold, or is mushy.
If you only have individual peeled garlic cloves on hand instead of a whole onion, you can still roast them. Wrap them in aluminum foil or parchment paper and sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper as directed. Place the packets in a casserole dish, fry according to directions and enjoy!
YES! Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary for an extra layer of flavor and aroma!
- 2 whole garlic cloves or as many as you like
- 1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (a toaster oven with a baking function will also work). Remove layers of excess skin from the outside of the garlic, leaving enough to hold the cloves together.
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Using a sharp knife, snip 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top of the garlic head, exposing the tops of the cloves inside (you may need to separate the outer ones from the top ones). such that all peaks are exposed with minimal waste). You can save the cut ends for raw garlic later or throw them away.
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Tear off squares of aluminum foil or parchment large enough to form a wrap around each garlic bulb.
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Place each head in the center of a square with the trimmed cloves facing up. Drizzle the exposed cloves with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil per head, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close the foil or parchment around the garlic to cover it completely (fold with parchment or turn up and around the garlic and secure with kitchen twine if needed).
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Place the packets of garlic, clove side up, in a small baking dish (if your garlic won’t stand on its own, place it in a baking dish to hold it, then set the baking dish on top of the baking dish). Alternatively, you can use a muffin tin and place each packet in one of the wells.
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Sauté the garlic at 400 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes until the cloves are lightly golden brown and yield slightly when pressed (be very careful when opening the package to check). If using a toaster, rotate the pan 180 degrees F halfway through.
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Remove the garlic from the hot oven and let it rest. Once cool enough to handle safely, use a small knife to snip off the skin around each clove a little. Use a small fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the garlic from the skin. Use immediately (brush roasted garlic on toast, mix with Instant Pot mashed potatoes, mix in plain Greek yogurt to garnish a baked potato from the air fryer, add to chicken pesto pasta, add to grilled naan pizza with strawberry chicken and avocado – see blog post above for even more ideas) or save for later use.
- TO STORE: Store leftover garlic in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- FREEZE: Place garlic cloves on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Store frozen cloves in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- ADVANCE: Dip roasted garlic in oil and refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up to 2 weeks.
Portion: 1(of 8)Calories: 15kcalCarbohydrates: 2GProtein: 1GFat: 1GSaturated Fatty Acids: 1GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 1GPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1GSugar: 1GVitamin A: 1ieVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
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