Roasted garlic softens as it bakes to create a mellow, jammy bite that becomes creamy and tender for spreading on bread or adding to mashed potatoes, soups, sauces, and more.
Garlic is one of my favorite ingredients because just a clove or two adds so much savory flavor to any dish. From my Killer Garlic Fries that everyone’s obsessed with, to my buttery Garlic Bread, and of course this 40 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken recipe, in my kitchen you can never have too many garlicky recipes. Like caramelized onions do for onions, roasting is a stellar way to coax out garlic’s natural sweetness and mellows its sharp bite. I like smashing up roasted garlic and mixing it with room-temperature butter (to add to anything), or adding creamy roasted garlic to soups, sauces, and buttery pasta. The ideas are endless, and so delicious. And, roasted garlic couldn’t be simpler to do. Here’s how to roast garlic.
What You Need to Make Roasted Garlic
There’s not much needed to make roasted garlic besides a few plump garlic bulbs, oil, foil, and a hot oven.
- Plump heads of garlic (roast one at a time or as many as you like!)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
One Bulb or More: How to Make Roasted Garlic
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top third of the head of garlic. Peel away and discard any extra loose pieces of the papery garlic skin.
- If roasting a single garlic bulb, place it on a sheet of foil and drizzle the cut side with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt if you’d like, but salt isn’t essential.
- Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic bulb.
- If roasting more than one head of garlic, place the bulbs in the baking dish, cut side up, then drizzle with oil. Seal the top of the baking dish with foil.
- Roast the garlic until golden and soft, about 50-60 minutes. Slide a cake tester or a skewer through the bottom of the bulb to test for doneness.
- To use, peel the roasted cloves away from the base of the head. Squeeze the softened clove from the papery skin. Don’t eat the papery skin. Discard it instead.
How Long Does Garlic Need to Roast
- Individually wrapped heads of garlic will cook a little faster than cooking several in a baking dish.
- Plan on checking the garlic for doneness at 50 minutes.
- If needed, cook for 10-20 more minutes depending on the size of the heads and how many you’re roasting at one time.
How to Roast Garlic Without Burning It
As long as you oil and wrap the garlic tightly in foil (and don’t over-roast it), your garlic should never burn. Every oven runs differently, so it’s always a good idea to check on it at the 50-minute mark and test to see if it’s done.
How to Store Roasted Garlic
- Roasted garlic will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
- Or, place the shelled, roasted garlic cloves in a glass jar with a fitted lid and cover with olive oil. Refrigerate for 3-4 weeks.
Does Roasting Garlic Bring Out the Flavor
Yes! Roasting garlic gives it a mellow sweetness and a delectable richness. Best of all, it gets rid of that intense edge raw garlic can have. Roasting garlic brings out its sweetness and a rich, complex, jammy flavor.
How to Make Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top third of the head of garlic. Peel away and discard any extra loose pieces of the papery garlic skin.
- If roasting a single garlic bulb, place it on a sheet of foil and drizzle the cut side with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt if you’d like, but salt isn’t essential. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic bulb.
- If roasting more than one head of garlic, place the bulbs cut side up in a baking dish so the bulbs fit tightly, then drizzle with olive oil. Seal the top of the baking dish with foil.
- Roast the garlic until golden and soft, about 50-60 minutes. Slide a cake tester or a skewer through the bottom of the bulb to test for doneness.
- To use, peel the roasted cloves away from the base of the head and squeeze the softened clove from the cut side of the papery skin.
