Oven roasted garlic is the easy little kitchen trick that makes so many dishes and recipes extra delicious! I’ll show you how to roast garlic to tame its bite and make it buttery, mellow, and caramelized to perfection.
You know how when you roast cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, the flavor transforms into something completely different? (As in this Roasted Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad!) If you thought those transformations were impressive, oven roasted garlic will blow your mind! The flavor goes from fiery and sharp to mellow, buttery, and slightly sweet. This isn’t something you eat on its own (although you definitely could if you wanted to), but instead, you add it to soups like my Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder, dressings, dips, pastas, and more to give them an instant upgrade.
Why Roasted Garlic Will Be Your New Kitchen Staple
When I discovered caramelized onions, I totally went through a cooking phase where I added them to everything. And now I’m in my oven roasted garlic era!
- The easiest recipe upgrade. Once you’ve got the garlic, all you need is olive oil, salt, and pepper. And the oven does basically all the work!
- So many ways to use it. You can keep the cloves whole and toss them with roasted veggies and pasta, mash them into a buttery spread, or puree them into soups, dressings, and sauces.
- Make one bulb or scale it up. Roast one head of garlic or several at a time, depending on your cooking plans. You can freeze the extra for when you need it!
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make oven roasted garlic. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Garlic – If you're roasting multiple heads of garlic, make sure they're all about the same size so they finish roasting at the same time.
- Olive oil – Helps the garlic caramelize in the oven.
- Salt and pepper – You can add other herbs or spices if you’d like, but salt and pepper are a must.
How to Roast Garlic in the Oven
Let’s go! Here a step-by-step guide to making oven roasted garlic.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425ºF and while it warms up, slice off the top of the garlic to expose the tops of each clove. Make sure all the cloves are showing!
- Season. Drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Wrap and roast. Wrap the bulb in foil and set it on a baking sheet; roast for about 15 minutes.
- Check for doneness. If the garlic cloves are soft and golden, your roasted garlic is good to go. But if you’re roasting an especially large head of garlic, it may need more time. Just keep checking every 10 minutes or so!
- Use it. Squeeze the oven roasted garlic cloves from the papery skin and use them for ALL the things.
My Favorite Ways to Use Roasted Garlic
If you need some inspiration for using your oven roasted garlic, I have plenty of ideas for you!
- Mash it with butter for roasted garlic bread or an epic Air Fryer Grilled Cheese.
- Or mash the cloves into a paste to fold into Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes or Vegan Mashed Cauliflower.
- Blend the roasted garlic cloves into salad dressings and sauces, like my Romesco Sauce Recipe.
- Add to creamy soups like this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Recipe.
- Puree it into Homemade Hummus, or use the whole cloves as garnish on top of the hummus.
- Add the cloves to a jar or bowl of good olive oil as an addition to a charcuterie board.
- Toss the cloves with pasta (like my Sausage Pasta), use them as a pizza topping, or add them to salads or roasted vegetables.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store oven roasted garlic in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. For longer storage, you can cover the cloves with olive oil and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: When freezing roasted garlic, I like to mash it into a paste and either freeze it in a small freezer bag or portion it in an ice cube tray; the cubes can be added to soups and sauces as they cook! Store for up to 3 months.
More Recipes for Garlic Lovers
Oven Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic bulb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- Cut the top off the garlic bulb so that some of the cloves are slightly exposed. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb in tin foil and place it on a baking sheet.
- Check the garlic after 15 minutes to make sure it isn't burning. If it's golden brown and soft, it's done. If it's not, leave it in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Squeeze/spoon the garlic out of the skin and use it in your cooking or store for later.
Nutrition
