Roasted garlic is earthy, sweet, caramelized, soft, creamy, and delicious.

When you roast garlic your house will smell intoxicating and it will drive you nuts in the best way possible. In the oven, the garlic transforms, turning from sharp and spicy to creamy, soft, and mellow. It spreads like butter and is the best thing in the entire world.

Are you a garlic lover? Do you put 12 cloves of garlic in a recipe when it calls for 2? Do you sweat garlic butter? If so, I know you know the magic of roasted garlic. But do you know all the different ways to make roasted garlic? I am here to guide you through the world of roasted garlic. Depending on time, ease, peeled cloves, whole heads, oil usage, appliance, and deliciousness. I have complied ALL the ways to roast garlic as well as dreamed up a list of how you can enjoy it.

Roasted garlic is AMAZING. It’s nothing new but I feel like it’s been getting a revival lately because of all the roasted garlic content on Tiktok. If you’re into #foodtok at all, you’ve seen #garlictok with it’s roasted garlic snacks, roasted garlic soups, roasted garlic bread, roasted garlic pastas, basically roasted garlic everything. It’s garlic goals and I am here for it.

Why roast garlic?

Roasting garlic softens its spicy raw heat into a buttery, earthy, soft, and spreadable  eat-the-whole-clove deliciousness. Like all things cooked low and slow, heat transforms garlic into something magical. It adds depth and flavor to savory dishes and is delicious just as is. Plus, garlic is good for you, from a health perspective and a self care perspective. Even if you don’t like garlic things, I’m convinced that you’ll love sweet, caramelized roasted garlic.

How to roast garlic

There are so many ways to roast garlic. You can do it in the crock pot, Instant Pot, microwave, air fryer, on the stove, or in the oven. If you’re anything like the youths, you’ll love squishing roasted garlic out of the skins. If you’re into buying peeled cloves, I’ve got you too.

The most popular and classic way to roast garlic is to roast whole, unpeeled heads of garlic in the oven. Here’s how to do it:

Oven roasted garlic

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel off the loose, papery outer layers on the outside of as many heads of garlic as desired, leaving the head intact.
3. Cut 1/4 to 1/3 inch off the tops of the heads leaving the head intact. Place the head on a small piece of foil, large enough to wrap up and around.
4. Drizzle olive oil all over, especially into the exposed cuts. Wrap the foil up and around the garlic.
5. Place the garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minute to 1 and half hours depending on how caramelized you want it. The longer it roasts, the more brown, sweet and caramelized it becomes.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can safely touch it, then squeeze the cloves out from the bottom of the head.

Oven roasted garlic confit

Garlic confit is exactly the same as roasted garlic, except, if you don’t want to squish garlic cloves out of their skins, this is for you. Roasting whole, PEELED cloves of garlic in oil turns the cloves into soft, spreadable, caramelized golden deliciousness.

To make garlic confit:

1. Heat the oven to 200°F.
2. Place peeled garlic cloves in an oven proof dish and cover with olive oil.
3. Confit (bake) for 3 hours or until the cloves are soft and spreadable.
4. Scoop the cloves out of the oil and enjoy.

Keep any extra cloves in the fridge, covered in oil, in an airtight container.

Air fryer roasted garlic

Prep the garlic, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, then air fry at 400°F for 18-20 minutes. Let cool then squeeze out the cloves.

Slow cooker roasted garlic

1. Prep the garlic, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, then place into the insert of the crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on low until the garlic is soft and caramelized, 4-5 hours.
3. Let cool slightly, then squeeze the cloves out and enjoy!

Instant Pot roasted garlic

1. Prep the garlic, drizzle with oil and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot insert.
2. Add 1 cup of water and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
3. Let natural release 10 minutes then release the pressure.
4. Let cool slightly and squeeze out the cloves and enjoy.

Microwave roasted garlic

Technically you’re not roasting garlic here, you’re steaming it, but who cares about technicalities? Microwave garlic is soft and smushable and tastes almost as good as slow roasting in the oven. Plus it’s done in a fraction of the time.

1. Prep the garlic, place in a microwave safe dish and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Add 2 tbsp water and cover the dish with a microwave safe lid.
3. Microwave at 50% power until garlic is soft and squishable, 8-9 minutes.
4. Let cool then squeeze out the cloves.

FAQ

Can you roast garlic without oil?

Yes, but it won’t end up as golden brown and caramelized. It still tastes amazing though and if you’re trying to cut out oil it definitely works.

Can you roast garlic without foil?

Yes, you can just use parchment paper!

How to remove roasted garlic cloves

There are two ways you can easily remove roasted garlic:

• Squeeze – Do like the kids do and squeeze out the garlic from the base of the head, using your fingers to squeeze the caramelized cloves out of their skins
• Use a knife – Use the tip of a small knife to gently flick each clove out, intact.

How to store

It’s best to enjoy right away or freeze for future use. To freeze it, squeeze the garlic from the skins, place in an air tight container and freeze until ready to use. To use from frozen, thaw and use as directed in your recipe.

If you’re using the garlic the next day, you can just place it in the fridge in an air tight container. Any longer that 2-3 days, and you’ll need cover it entirely with oil so it’s completely submerged in an airtight container.

20 ways to use roasted garlic

1. Eat it on toasted sourdough bread
2. Mix it in to mashed potatoes
3. Stir it into mushroom risotto
4. Add it to pasta
5. Enjoy it on naan
6. With steak!
7. With baked brie
8. In stuffed mushrooms
9. In mac and cheese
10. With pork chops
11. In lasagna soup
12. Mixed in with the butter for a garlic grilled cheese
13. In hummus
14. In guacamole
15. On pizza
16. In gravy
17. With jammy eggs
18. In tomato sauce
19. With lo mein
20. With corn

Happy roasted garlic-ing!
xoxo steph