How to Roast Garlic

How to Roast Garlic – irresistibly aromatic and mildly sweet whole head of garlic drizzled with olive oil and then roasted to golden buttery soft perfection along with thyme. Makes a delicious spread to baguettes or as add-ons to mashed potatoes and salads!

Hello, friends! As we move forward with this blog I’ll be sharing simple but golden kitchen hacks and how-tos. It may sound a bit too easy for some, but you never know how it may be a treasure to others just like with my How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream. Haven’t you seen it? Go check it out and you’ll never buy store-bought again. 🙂

Now, today’s how-to is incredibly easy yet fills your house with the most irresistible aroma you could ever imagine.

I’m talking about this whole head of garlic drizzled with olive oil and then roasted with a sprig of thyme until soft and mildly sweet. You’ll never find heads of garlic sitting idly in your pantry once you get used to this method.

Is Roasted Garlic Good For You?

I just simply adore the flavor of garlic. The raw ones may be a bit too pungent for others, but when you try roasting it, it becomes so mesmerizing how alchemy imparts a sweet taste into this otherwise pungent pantry staple food.

Not only that it yields a magical flavor, but it’s jampacked with healthy goodness that is what your body needs. Let me tell you some of its potential benefits before you fall head over heels with this oven-roasted garlic.

• It contains vitamin C and other antioxidants that build the structural tissue of our blood vessels, bones, and tendons, just to name a few.
• Garlic can kill bacteria, viruses, and even fungi including H. pylori which is often linked to abdominal pain and stomach ulcers.
• Roasted Garlic may help prevent cardiovascular diseases as some research would claim. Garlic has a certain content that affects cholesterol production with anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce blood clotting.
• Although it’s a big claim, consumption of roasted garlic somehow offers protection against cancer. The sulfur compound present in it acts directly against carcinogens and toxins.

Warning: With all that’s being said above, don’t just go bananas eating roasted garlic more than what’s required of you. Eating more than a head or two of garlic could usually make your stomach upset. Eating in moderation is advisable.

How to Cut Garlic

Back when roasted garlic was all new to me, I’d peel the outer skin from the garlic head and roast each garlic clove individually. It was a bit of a hassle, to be honest. Then I found an easier way to roast garlic.

After peeling the outer layers of garlic, cut the top ¼” to  ½” off of a whole head of garlic so that each individual clove should be visible. Make sure every garlic clove is exposed as seen in the picture below. This would make it easier for us to squeeze out each clove once they’re caramelized and soft.

How Long to Roast Garlic

You need not wait too long for your roasted garlic fix. You can roast one or several and just freeze up the rest. Yes, you can freeze them (more on that below)!

But it’s good to know that the exact cooking time and depth of color could actually vary depending on the size of the garlic head, its age, and your oven temperature. Generally, though, garlic heads will roast to perfection in about 35-40 minutes. You may have to start checking at 30 minutes.

The garlic would be ready when it is completely soft and fragrant and can easily be pierced with a knife or spoon. Even once soft, you can still continue roasting it – about 10 minutes more or so – for a deeply caramelized color.

How to Store Roasted Garlic

Once roasted garlic cloves are soft, let it cool first, and then squeeze the individual cloves out of the skin. You may serve it immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months. Make sure to label your containers.

NOTE: Do not leave roasted garlic at room temperature for far too long as the combination of low-acid garlic, exclusion of air, and room temperature storage could support the growth of Clostridium botulinum which is an extremely potent toxin.

Ways to Use Roasted Garlic

Now we’re onto the best part: using your roasted garlic in various ways. Yipee! You’d be spreading it like crazy on just about anything coz it tastes thaaat GOOD!

• Spread it on crackers or bread (toasted if you want 😉)
• Mashed into salad dressing or on this Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• A must for this Homemade Garlic Bread
• Used in soups, stews, casseroles, or sauces in place of raw fresh garlic
• Combine it with mayonnaise, mustard, or butter for a delicious Garlic Butter (stay tuned for the exact recipe 😉)
• Add some to your favorite juicy steak
• Mix into hummus
• Soften and rub some onto raw chicken before cooking
• Rub some onto boiled corn on the cob
• Add some to your favorite salsa

Did you make this? Would love to hear how did you use it. Feel free to leave your thoughts down below.

More Delicious Garlic Recipes

Love, love anything with garlic? You’d be over the moon once you tried any of these below. 

• Shrimp Alfredo Recipe
• Garlic Knots Bread
• Lemon Garlic Pepper Chicken
• Meditteranean Chickpea Salad
• Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta

How To Roast Garlic

Peel some of the outer layers of the garlic: Do not touch the head. Cut the top ¼” to ½” off of a whole head of garlic, so that each individual clove should be visible. Make sure every garlic clove is exposed. 

Place the head of garlic on foil paper together with the thyme. Drizzle the top of the garlic with a bit of oil, about 1 teaspoon. Wrap it up with parchment paper and tie with kitchen twine and place it in the oven. Use foil paper in place of parchment paper. 

Roast for about 35 – 40 minutes. Cooking times would vary depending on the size of the garlic head, it’s age and oven temperature. The garlic is ready when it’s completely soft fragrant and can easily be pierced with a spoon or knife. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze individual cloves out of the skin.