This Roasted Garlic Recipe takes raw garlic and transforms it into a warm, caramelized, buttery, subtly sweet paste. Use this garlic in soup, pasta, pizza, mashed potatoes, or spread it on bread or crackers!
Table of Contents
Garlic is an essential in the kitchen!
Whether it’s added to Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta, Garlic Bread, Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken, or Garlic Herb Instant Pot Potatoes…it just has a way of taking any flavor up at least a few notches.
But have you ever roasted your garlic first? This Roasted Garlic recipe takes the intense, pungent flavor of raw garlic and turns it into something soft, buttery, nutty, rich, caramel-y, and spreadable.
This incredibly simple recipe is a great way to add another layer of flavor to literally anything that calls for garlic!
Ingredients Needed:
- Garlic: you’ll need 1 whole head of garlic. Make sure to leave it intact. No need to separate the cloves.
- Oil: canola, vegetable, or olive oil work great.
How to Roast Garlic
Roasted Garlic creates incredible, decadent flavor…and it takes a total of 2 minutes to prep. Yep, you read that right!
- Prep the garlic: Cut the top off of the head of garlic and peel off the papery exterior, leaving the cloves intact. Drizzle oil over the cut side of the garlic head, then wrap it tightly in foil.
- Roast: Place the foil-wrapped garlic on the oven rack or on a baking sheet in the oven, then roast until a light golden-brown.
- Cool and mash: Unwrap the garlic and cool it slightly. Use a knife to remove each clove from the head or turn it upside down and squeeze out all of the cloves. Mash with a fork, then serve or store.
Alternative Method: Roasted Garlic in the Air Fryer
Looking for a quicker option? You can also make roasted garlic in the air fryer!
- Prep the garlic as instructed (cut, add the oil, and wrap in foil.)
- Air fry at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes or until the cloves are golden and soft.
FAQs
When garlic is roasted, it’s flavor is transformed from intense and pungent to mellow, buttery, and subtly sweet. Roasted garlic can also be easier to digest than raw garlic, so you can eat more of it. Win!
Yes! Garlic is said to boost immune and heart health, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation. It also contains a number of different vitamins and nutrients.
Roasted Garlic will last wrapped tightly in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, spread it in a thin layer in a bag and freeze it flat. That way, you can just snap frozen pieces off to use as needed. When you’re ready to use it, simply place as much as you need on the counter to thaw for 10-15 minutes or warm in the oven.
Tips, Tricks, and Notes
- Expose the cloves. Without peeling or separating the cloves, expose as much as you can. The more garlic that’s exposed, the more caramelized it gets.
- Drizzle with oil. Oil increases the surface temp of the garlic as it cooks which gives it that delicious golden exterior.
- Wrap in foil. The foil keeps the garlic from burning and helps it cook more evenly.
- Feel free to season it. A sprinkle of salt and pepper is a great way to take the flavor up a notch.
- Let it cool. Don’t try to get the roasted garlic out of the head too soon after cooking. It will be hot!
- Roast in bulk. If you’re a big garlic lover, roast in bulk and store the garlic in the freezer to have on hand whenever you need it!
Serving Suggestions
You can use Roasted Garlic pretty much anywhere you would use fresh garlic…and more!
Blend it into soups, add it to your favorite pasta dishes, serve it as an appetizer with crackers or toasted bread, layer it onto Flatbread Pizza, mix it into Mashed Potatoes, use it in Garlic Butter, you name it!
Keep in mind that the flavor of Roasted Garlic is more mellow than that of fresh garlic. You will likely need to use more of it in any given recipe.
More Garlicky Recipes You’ll Love
Roasted Garlic
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic* (in tact)
- 1 tablespoon oil (canola, vegetable or olive)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Tear off a medium-sized piece of tin foil — large enough to wrap easily around the garlic.
- Cut the top off of the head of garlic — do not peel or separate! You can peel off the papery exterior but leave the head in tact. Expose all of the cloves as best you can.
- Drizzle oil over the cut side of the garlic and wrap tightly in foil. Place directly on oven rack or on a baking sheet in the oven.
- Roast for 35-40 minutes (check at 30 and continue roasting if desired) until light golden brown. The exact cook time may vary depending on the size of the head.
- Unwrap and allow to cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to remove each clove from the head or turn the head upside down and squeeze out all of the cloves.
- Mash with a fork or use as desired. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
- Expose the cloves. Without peeling or separating the cloves, expose as much as you can. The more garlic that’s exposed, the more caramelized it gets.
- Drizzle with oil. Oil increases the surface temp of the garlic as it cooks which gives it that delicious golden exterior.
- Wrap in foil. The foil keeps the garlic from burning and helps it cook more evenly.
- Feel free to season it. A sprinkle of salt and pepper is a great way to take the flavor up a notch.
- Let it cool. Don’t try to get the roasted garlic out of the head too soon after cooking. It will be hot!
- Roast in bulk. If you’re a big garlic lover, roast in bulk and store the garlic in the freezer to have on hand whenever you need it!
Nutrition Information
Want to save this recipe?
Create an account easily save your favorite content, so you never forget a recipe again.
Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebel
Christine says
Thanks Ashley! I roasted 2 and used them in a chicken dish. Loved it!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Christine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!