It has recently occurred to me that roasted garlic is a good cook's secret weapon. Sure, I use garlic a lot. Usually I start with it raw, mince it up, and use it in my recipes. However, there is something magical that happens when you learn how to roast garlic. Garlic takes on a whole new personality. I consider it a glow up. Keep reading to learn how to roast garlic and how to use it.
Learn How to Roast Garlic to Make Your Food Even More Delicious
Have you ever ordered a savory meal at a restaurant and it was simply amazing...then you wonder how in the world they made it so delicious?
It was probably roasted garlic.
I'm not a professional chef, and I've never been to culinary school, but I have a very strong feeling that learning how to roast garlic is one of those tricks that chefs use to take their recipes to the next level.
The great thing is that you can roast your own garlic at home with no special equipment and simple ingredients.
What You'll Need to Do This at Home:
- Whole heads of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper
- Aluminum foil
Yep. That's it.
You can roast just a few heads, or a whole bunch. No worries, we will show you how we store it later in this post.
I do recommend that you use a good quality olive oil for the best tasting results. Also, you only need a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
How to Roast Garlic:
- First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a flat surface, arrange a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap your garlic in.
- Slice the TOPS of the garlic heads off about ¼ of an inch to expose the cloves. (The top is the pointed end of the garlic, NOT the root end.)
- Drizzle the garlic with olive oil. Use about 1 teaspoon per head.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper over the top.
- Fold the aluminum foil loosely over the garlic on all sides, tucking and folding to secure it. Make sure the seam side stays up.
- Place the foil packet directly on the center oven rack and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil packet from the oven, let cool. Open and squeeze out the garlic to use.
TIP: It is best to use large, full heads of garlic for this method. This makes them easier to squeeze and get the cloves out.
I normally roast garlic while I'm baking something else. The foil packet fits easily in the oven next to just about anything. This makes it more efficient that firing up the oven if you are roasting a small batch.
The garlic cloveswill squeeze out so easily, as the roasting process turns it into a golden, nutty butter-like consistency. And your house will smell soooooo good.
How to Use + Eat Roasted Garlic:
- Serve with other roasted vegetables and eat it as is. The soft, golden cloves of garlic are mouthwatering.
- Mash the garlic cloves with softened butter for a delicious spread for bread. Stir in a few chopped herbs for color.
- Love mashed potatoes? Add a few (or several) cloves of the yummy garlic into your recipe for a twist.
- Use in your favorite pastas sauces. Like this one: Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce.
- Mix with mayo and a little sriracha sauce to create your own homemade sandwich spread.
- Smear over a grilled steak for a sauce-free experience.
- Use as a pizza topping. Yep. Pop the whole cloves right on your pizza. Dynamite.
- Whizz with oil, vinegar, and Italian seasoning for a zesty vinaigrette.
- Grab your fave store-bought hummus and stir in mashed cloves.
- Stir into your soup recipes for a deeper flavor.
- Create gourmet infused olive oil.
Recipes You Might Like:
Roasted Okra, Peppers + Vidalia
Patatas Bravas with Garlic Tomato Sauce
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken
How to Store Roasted Garlic:
There are a couple of ways you can safely freeze roasted garlic to use at a later time. Here are my most-used methods:
- Place the garlic cloves into a jar. Cover completely with olive oil. Seal and refrigerate. You can also place the whole head in oil if you prefer.
- Using a plastic ice cube tray, place one or two cloves in each section. Cover with oil and freeze. Transfer to a freezer safe storage bag and pop in the freezer. This makes them easy to grab and use as you need them.
- You can also freeze the entire heads. Place them on a tray, freeze, then transfer to air-tight freezer containers.
What are the Benefits of Roast Garlic?
In my opinion, the number one benefit of roast garlic is the amazing, rich, flavor that it adds to your recipes.
It also allows you to take advantage of excess garlic. For example, if you are a gardener and have an abundance of fresh garlic, this is a great way to use and store it for later use. The same statement applies for a great deal at your farmer's market, too.
Garlic is a well-known for its health benefits. Enjoying it roasted is another way to incorporate it into your diet.
📖 Recipe
How to Roast Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 garlic head
- 1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On a flat surface, arrange a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap your garlic in.
- Slice the TOPS of the garlic heads off about ¼ of an inch to expose the cloves. (The top is the pointed end of the garlic, NOT the root end.)
- Drizzle the garlic with olive oil. Use about 1 teaspoon per head.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper over the top.
- Fold the aluminum foil loosely over the garlic on all sides, tucking and folding to secure it. Make sure the seam side stays up.
- Place the foil packet directly on the center oven rack and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil packet from the oven, let cool. Open and squeeze out the garlic to use.
Ron
Haven't tried it yet, but certainly will. Love garlic it's one of the fine things that is actually good for you.
Teri
Yes it is! Hope you like it.