How to Roast Garlic
Once you know how to roast garlic in the oven, you are going to want to put it in everything! This easy, two-ingredient recipe will transform any dish that calls for garlic in the best possible way.
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Roasted Garlic Recipe
Don’t get me wrong: I love a complicated recipe when I have the time.
But sometimes, you just need something super simple. A silver bullet that never fails to impress.
Roasted garlic is just that. It’s made with two ingredients — fresh garlic and olive oil — and it never fails to add tons of mellow and rich garlic flavor to any dish.
You can spread it right onto bread, use it in pasta recipes or just about any recipe that calls for garlic.
Why I love this recipe:
Garlic fans, this recipe for roasted garlic might just change your life, for a few reasons:
- Roasted cloves can elevate any dish that calls for fresh garlic.
- It only requires two ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time to make.
- You can freeze leftovers to drop into any recipe calling for garlic in the future.
Basically, this is one of my favorite ways to add extra flavor to any dish that calls for garlic.
More oven roasted recipes to try: Oven Roasted Tomatoes | Oven Roasted Okra | Roasted Butternut Squash Soup | Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic | Roasted Green Beans
What is roasted garlic?
Roasted garlic is a condiment and recipe ingredient made from roasting fresh garlic in the oven at a higher temperature. When roasted, each clove of garlic becomes soft and spreadable and the simple ingredients are elevated.
It can be used instead of fresh garlic or minced garlic in a recipe and lends a sweeter, caramelized-like flavor to dishes without being overpoweringly potent. It’s one of my favorite recipes to add bold flavors to any dish.
While the roasting process isn’t super fast, this is a great way to add deeper garlic flavor without that garlicky punch to any dish. And it’s an easy method that is scalable, so you can roast several whole bulbs of garlic in the same amount of time.
Add it to soups, sauces, salad dressings, pizza, dips, marinades and more, cook it with proteins or mash it, then spread it on bread. That’s absolutely heavenly.
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Aluminum foil
- Small baking dish or baking sheet
- Ice cube tray or a small Souper Cubes tray
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Whole garlic bulbs — you’ll need at least one whole head of garlic. I like to roast a few at a time and freeze the extra for later.
- Olive Oil — regular olive oil gets my vote for this recipe, but you can use any type of cooking oil, like extra virgin, avocado or even vegetable oil.
You could add a pinch of salt, too, though I like to hold off on that until I’m using these whole cloves in a recipe.
How to Roast Garlic
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Measure out a sheet or two of foil, and set aside.
Use a sharp knife to remove the top of the bulb. Leave the peel on for the time being.
Discard that, then place the bulb in the center of a piece of foil.
Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. The foil will catch any extra that drips off.
Then wrap the bulb in the foil, pressing down on the bottom a little to make a little stand so it won’t fall over.
Pro tip!
Roast a few heads at a time — you can use it in recipes like garlic herb butter, roasted garlic aioli, cheesy garlic bread and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. You can also freeze it for later.
You may place it on a small baking dish or a sheet pan. It can also go straight into the oven like this to bake, so long as you’ve sealed it well.
Roast for 45(ish) minutes or until it smells amazing and the garlic is SOFT. The bulb will also turn a golden brown color, thanks to the oil.
Let the garlic cool, then remove from the foil and squeeze it out of the head of garlic into a storage container. This can get sticky with the papery skin, so go slow.
You could use a fork or your fingers to individually remove the roast garlic cloves from the pods, if you want them to keep their shape.
If making it later, place the cloves in a food-safe, airtight container and pop it in the fridge for up to a week.
How to remove roasted garlic from the pods
If you want it to retain its shape, pick each clove out individually with your fingers or a cocktail fork.
For a more spreadable situation, or if you don’t mind them being squished together, just squeeze them out of the garlic bulbs.
How to store roasted garlic
To store roasted garlic for later, you can either refrigerate it or freeze it. See freezing instructions below.
If storing in the refrigerator, place the cloves in a food-safe, airtight container. Drizzle with more olive oil. Place it in the fridge and use the cloves within a week.
How to freeze roasted garlic
This is one of my absolute favorite kitchen hacks. I roast extra garlic, use the individual cloves that I need for my recipe, then freeze the leftovers with oil or (cooled) melted butter in ice cube trays.
Then when you’re ready to use them, you can simply pop a frozen garlic cube into your recipe and let those flavors melt into your dish. Here’s how to freeze it:
- Place individual roasted garlic cloves or a spoonful of the mashed roasted garlic into the cavities of an ice cube tray.
- Cover them in olive oil and freeze until solid, about 12-24 hours. Then pop out the cubes and add them to a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag.
- When ready to add to a recipe, simply pull out a cube and defrost it in the microwave or add it to a hot skillet and stir it in.
The frozen cubes will keep for about 6 months in the freezer, but they’ll taste the best if used within 3 months.
Uses for oven roasted garlic
Roasted garlic can be used any time a recipe calls for fresh garlic. It’s perfect for any garlic lover.
Here are a few ideas:
- For an appetizer, try roasted garlic hummus with pita chips and veggies.
- It’s delicious for garlic bread — a must for spaghetti & meatballs night.
- Spread it on bread, crostini or even as a base for bruschetta.
- Use it in garlic butter for a mellower garlic flavor — my favorite for garlic butter steak.
- Add it to marinades like this citrus chicken marinade.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
- Use roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic for any recipe. It changes the flavor slightly to make the end result a bit sweeter and less garlicky.
- Make a roasted garlic spread to add to bread for a dinner party.
- Keep a stash of roasted garlic in the freezer so you always have some ready to go for any recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, roasted garlic that’s been drizzled with olive oil will last about a week. It can also be frozen into ice cubes, which are best within 6 months.
Roasted garlic provides a mellower, less “garlicky” flavor than raw garlic. The heat from the oven helps to caramelize the garlic, giving it a slightly sweet flavor. Roasted garlic can be used instead of raw garlic in most recipes.
If stored properly in the fridge, roasted garlic lasts about 1 week. If stored in the freezer as ice cubes, the roasted garlic is best used within 3-6 months.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best roasted garlic
- Make sure to press the bottom of the foil balls against the counter to give them a “stand.” This helps prevent the garlic from falling over in the oven and letting out the important oil that they need for roasting.
- Place a sprig of fresh rosemary or a few fresh basil leaves inside the foil to infuse some fresh flavor into the roasted garlic.
- Store it in more olive oil in the fridge to help preserve it for up to 1 week.
More condiment recipes:
Here’s how we make this…
How to Roast Garlic
Ingredients
- 2-3 whole garlic bulbs
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of foil. Set aside.
- Slice off the tops of the garlic bulbs. You want to be able to see the cloves–this will help you extract them when they’re done roasting, but it also helps the oil seep into the cloves.
- Place the sliced bulbs onto the foil. Drizzle them with olive oil.
- Wrap the bulbs in the foil, pressing down on the bottom a little to make a little stand so it won’t fall over. You may roast them on the baking sheet or simply put them directly on the rack in the oven, but PLEASE be sure you’ve sealed it well so it does not leak.
- Roast at 375°F for 45(ish) minutes or until it is fragrant and the garlic is SOFT.
- Let it cool, then remove the bulbs from the foil.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the head of garlic OR use your fingers to individually remove the garlic from the pods, if you want them to keep their shape.
- Transfer to a food storage container. Drizzle with olive oil. Store in the fridge for up to a week and use in a variety of dishes.
Notes
How to freeze roasted garlic:
- Place whole roasted garlic cloves or a spoonful of the mashed roasted garlic into the cavities of an ice cube tray.
- Cover them in olive oil and freeze until solid, about 12-24 hours. Then pop out the cubes and add them to a freezer-safe ziptop baggie.
- When ready to add to a recipe, simply pull out a cube and defrost it in the microwave or add it to a hot skillet and stir it in.
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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