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Roasted garlic is the easiest way to turn a sharp, raw bulb into soft, sweet, spreadable gold, and once you learn this trick you will want to add it to everything. I keep a head roasting in the oven whenever I bake, then smear it on bread or stir it into our garlic mashed potatoes.
All it takes is a little olive oil, some foil, and a low and slow roast to coax out that mellow, caramelized flavor.
Roasted Garlic Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 60 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: About 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 1 head of garlic
- ⚡ Calories: 129kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Mellow, sweet, and buttery with a deep caramelized garlic flavor
- ✋ Difficulty: Beginner easy, about as simple as our garlic cheese bread
Quick Answer
To make roasted garlic, slice the top quarter off a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves, set it on a piece of foil, and drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap the foil into a sealed packet, place it in a baking dish, and roast at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until the cloves are golden and fork-tender. Let it cool, then squeeze the soft roasted garlic right out of the skins.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Low and slow is the secret. Roasting at a moderate temperature for a full hour lets the natural sugars in the garlic caramelize instead of burning.
- Foil traps the steam. Wrapping the head in foil steams and roasts it at the same time, so the cloves turn meltingly soft.
- Olive oil does double duty. A drizzle of oil keeps the exposed cloves from drying out and helps them brown into that golden color.
- Cutting the top exposes the cloves. Slicing off the top quarter opens up every clove so they roast evenly and squeeze out easily.
- One ingredient, huge payoff. A single head of garlic transforms into a rich, sweet spread that upgrades almost any savory dish.
- It is completely hands off. Once the packet is in the oven, there is nothing to stir or watch, making it the easiest flavor booster around.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It turns sharp raw garlic into a sweet, mellow, spreadable treat.
- It is almost entirely hands off, just wrap, roast, and squeeze.
- It makes everything taste better, from bread to our creamy roasted garlic cream cheese dip.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need to roast a perfect head of garlic. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Garlic: Choose firm, heavy heads with tight, papery skins for the sweetest roasted flavor.
- Olive oil: A good drizzle keeps the cloves moist and helps them caramelize to golden brown.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the cloves and brings out their natural sweetness as they roast.
- Black pepper: Adds a little warmth and balances the mellow, sweet garlic.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to change up your roasted garlic.
- Roast several heads at once: Make a big batch and keep the extra cloves in the fridge for the week.
- Add fresh herbs: Tuck a sprig of thyme or rosemary into the foil for an aromatic twist.
- Use an air fryer: Roast the wrapped packet at 380 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes for a faster version.
- Drizzle with balsamic: A splash of balsamic before roasting adds a sweet, tangy depth.
- Mash it into a compound butter or stir it into our aglio e olio pasta for instant flavor.
How to Make Roasted Garlic
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top quarter off the head of garlic to expose the cloves, set it on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the foil up around the garlic to form a sealed little packet, set it in a baking dish, and roast for 45 to 60 minutes depending on how browned you like it.
- Carefully open the foil and check that the cloves are golden and fork-tender. Let the head cool, then squeeze the soft roasted garlic right out of the skins.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pick heavy, firm heads with tight skins, since soft or sprouting garlic will not roast as sweetly.
- Do not let the foil touch the cut cloves too tightly, or the exposed tops can scorch.
- Check at 45 minutes and keep roasting up to an hour if you want a deeper, browner color.
- Roast extra heads at the same time since they keep well and you will use them fast.
- Save the garlic-infused oil left in the foil and drizzle it over bread or vegetables.
- Let it cool before squeezing so you do not burn your fingers on the hot cloves.
- Store the squeezed cloves in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Roasted garlic is incredibly versatile. Smear it straight onto warm crusty bread, stir it into mashed potatoes, whisk it into salad dressings, or blend it into hummus and dips for instant depth.
It is the secret weapon behind so many cozy favorites. Spread it on toasted crostini with a little flaky salt, or fold it into our roasted garlic cream cheese dip.
Once you have a jar in the fridge, you will reach for it constantly. Try it in our garlic cheese bread or tossed with pasta like our aglio e olio.
Roasted Garlic FAQs
Roasted garlic comes out best at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This moderate heat caramelizes the natural sugars and softens the cloves over 45 to 60 minutes without burning the outside before the inside is tender.
A whole head of roasted garlic takes about 45 to 60 minutes at 400 degrees. Check it at 45 minutes; if you want a deeper golden color and softer cloves, leave it in closer to a full hour.
Squeeze the cooled roasted garlic cloves into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. You can also cover them in olive oil or freeze them in small portions for several months.
Yes. Place the cut heads in a small oven-safe dish or muffin tin, drizzle with oil, and cover tightly with a lid or another piece of cookware. A covered ramekin traps the steam just like foil does.
If your roasted garlic is still firm, it likely needs more time or a tighter wrap. Make sure the foil is sealed to trap steam, and keep roasting in 10-minute increments until a clove slides easily off a fork.
Use roasted garlic anywhere you want mellow, sweet garlic flavor. Spread it on bread, stir it into mashed potatoes, soups, and dressings, blend it into dips, or mash it into butter for an instant upgrade.
Now that you have a jar of roasted garlic ready, smear it on our garlic cheese bread next.
How to Roast Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Take a knife and cut off the top 4th of the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the cut head of garlic, cut side up, onto a piece of foil that is big enough to wrap around the entire head of garlic. Drizzle the olive oil over the exposed cloves. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil up around the garlic head to form a little package. Try not to touch the exposed cloves with the foil as the garlic can tend to burn.
- Place the package into the oven and cook for 45-60 minutes, depending on how browned you want it. Carefully remove the package with tongs and open the foil. Check the garlic to see if it is soft by piercing a clove with a fork. If it slides in easily with no resistance and is golden brown, it is ready.
- You can now allow the garlic head to cool completely and then squeeze the cloves out or you can open up the cloves individually if you want to keep them whole. Use in your favorite recipes that call for roasted garlic or smear it directly on crostini and enjoy!
Notes
- You can roast as many garlic heads as you’d like.
- This can be used in or on a variety of things, see my tips above.
- Make sure that you roast unpeeled.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- When adding to dishes keep in mind that the garlic flavor has mellowed out a lot so you would need to add more roasted garlic than you would fresh raw garlic.
- When adding to dishes like Mashed Potatoes, Alfredo Sauce or used in a vinaigrette make sure you smash it all first with a fork.
- The cloves are easily removable from the head after roasting.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Sounds great, YUM!
Dana, it’s amazing how roasting garlic makes it so sweet and delish! You’ve reminded me I need to roast some for my next mashed potatoes 🙂
You could always make a larger batch and just keep it in the fridge (or freezer) to add a lil extra sumthin sumthin to any dish!
We LOVE roasted garlic. We never think far enough ahead to make it. Must remember….
Aww, thanks so much! How can anyone live without roasted garlic, YUM!
There is nothing better than using this on pizza or vegetables. Wow your photo captured the perfect reason everyone should be seeing this post! Great job!