How to Roast Garlic

Although raw garlic often gets a bad rap for its pungent odor and negative effect on one's breath, roasting it brings out a sweet, nutty flavor that's the perfect complement for everything from plain French bread to chicken or vegetables. Our guide, how to roast garlic, will show you how to bring out the rich, buttery taste using the oven, stove, grill or microwave.
Garlic Roasting Tips
1. Buy firm garlic heads with papery skin, plump cloves and no soft spots or sprouts.
2. Roast garlic using an oven, grill, microwave, stove or specialized electric appliance.
3. Use a knife to cut about ¹/₂ inch from the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves.
4. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil.
5. Wrap the head in aluminum foil if you're using the oven or grill.
6. Place the garlic in a microwave-safe dish if you're using the microwave.
7. You can roast individual cloves by peeling them and cooking in an oven or skillet.
8. Cook the garlic until it is lightly browned and soft.

Introduction

Whether you want to use it as an ingredient in a recipe like [How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes| garlic mashed potatoes], as a rich topping or complement for a main course, roasted garlic is simple to prepare.All Recipes: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipezaar: Roasted Garlic Butter Epicurious: Prime Rib with Roasted Garlic and Horseradish Crust Read on to discover how you can use a variety of methods to turn the flavorful and aromatic herb into a delicious, nutty condiment.
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To roast garlic, slice the top of the head of garlic, so that the raw edges of the cloves are exposed. Cover the head with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Tightly wrap the head in foil and roast at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour, or at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, as directed in the recipe below.

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Buying Fresh Garlic
- To ensure your roasted garlic has the best possible flavor, follow these guidelines to select and store it properly.
Selection
1. Pick garlic heads heads with large, plump cloves since they'll be easier to work with after roasting.
2. Choose garlic heads that feel firm.
3. Look for heads with dry, papery skins.
4. Avoid garlic with soft spots or green sprouts.
5. When buying pre-peeled cloves, ensure they're white and firm with no soft spots or mold.
Storage
1. Store unpeeled garlic bulbs in a cool, ventilated area for several months.
2. Peeled garlic may be kept in a container in the refrigerator for about two weeks.
3. Store leftover roasted garlic cloves by placing them in a jar with olive oil and refrigerating them for up to one week.
Roasting Garlic in the Oven
- Whether you roast the entire bulb or individual cloves, cooking garlic in the oven will turn the cloves into versatile, soft morsels that you can eat whole, mash or spread. You can roast as many bulbs or cloves as you'd like without changing the cooking temperature or time.
What You'll Need
- Whole head(s) of garlic
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Knife
- Aluminum foil, baking dish or muffin tin
- Oven
- What to Do
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.Simply Recipes: Roasted Garlic
2. Use a knife to cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Recipe
3. Drizzle olive oil over the cloves.Food Network: Roasted Garlic.
4. Wrap the garlic in a square of aluminum foil.Food Network: Roasted Garlic
  - -Instead of wrapping in foil, you can put the head of garlic in a garlic roaster before placing it in the oven.Williams Sonoma: Le Creuset Garlic Roaster
  - -You can also place the garlic in an oven-safe baking dish.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Recipe
  - -The heads can also be nestled in a muffin tin.Simply Recipes: Roasted Garlic
5. Roast the garlic for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the cloves are tender.Food Network: Roasted Garlic.
  - -The cloves should appear lightly browned when done.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Recipe
  - -The garlic's papery covering will be browned, but not blackened.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Recipe
6. Take the garlic out of the oven and let it cool before using.Food Network: Roasted Garlic
  - YouTube Video: Cooking Tips: How to Roast Garlic (Time: 0:44)
Individual Cloves
- What You'll Need
- Desired number of garlic cloves
- Olive oil to drizzle
- Knife or garlic peeling tube
- Small baking dish or aluminum foil
- Oven
- What to Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.Star Chefs: Bobby Flay's Roasted Garlic Sauce
2. Peel the garlic cloves.All Recipes: Roasted Garlic 2
  - -Pull the individual cloves away from the head of garlic and then cut off the base of each clove with a knife to peel the rest of the skin off easily.All Recipes: Peeling Garlic Start Cooking: How to Peel Garlic
  - -Or, you can place the clove under a large, flat knife and hit the flat portion of the knife with your palm to loosen the skin on the clove.All Recipes: Peeling Garlic
  - -You can also roll a clove inside a garlic peeling tube to remove the skin.Start Cooking: How to Peel Garlic
3. Place cloves in an oven-safe pan or dish in a single layer or wrap several cloves in a piece of aluminum foil.Real Simple: Roasted-Garlic Butter All Recipes: Roasted Garlic 2
4. Rub or drizzle the cloves with olive oil.Star Chefs: Bobby Flay's Roasted Garlic Sauce
5. Bake for 35 minutes, until the cloves are soft.Real Simple: Roasted-Garlic Butter
Roasting Garlic on the Grill
- If you've already got the grill heated to barbecue meats or vegetables, it's the perfect time to roast some garlic as a condiment for a salad or side dish. Follow these steps to roast as many heads of garlic as you'd like.
What You'll Need
- Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic (or more)
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Equipment
- Aluminum foil
- Knife
- Gas or charcoal grill
What to Do
1. Heat your gas grill to high.Real Simple: Grill-Roasted Garlic
  - -If you're using a charcoal grill, burn the coals until you can see gray ash.Real Simple: Grill-Roasted Garlic
2. Use a knife to cut about ¹/₂ inch off the top of the garlic head so the cloves are exposed.Real Simple: Grill-Roasted Garlic
3. Sprinkle olive oil over the cloves.Food and Wine: Grilling Tips: Roasted Garlic
4. Wrap the garlic in two layers of aluminum foil.Food and Wine: Grilling Tips: Roasted Garlic
5. Put the garlic in the center of the rack.DIY Network: Grill Roasting Garlic
6. Grill for about 40 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when squeezed.DIY Network: Grill Roasting Garlic
Roasting Garlic Cloves on the Stove

When you just need a few garlic cloves to add to a recipe, try pan roasting them until they're soft and buttery.
What You'll Need
- Ingredients
- Peeled garlic cloves
- ¹/₂ cup olive oil
- Equipment
- Stove
- Skillet
What to Do
1. Add about olive oil to a small skillet.Food Network: Romaine with Pan-Roasted Garlic Dressing
2. Warm the oil on medium heat.Canadian Living: Pan-Roasted Garlic Toasts
3. Place the garlic cloves in the pan.Chow: Pan-Roasted Garlic Penne with Quorn
4. Cook the garlic for about 20 minutes, until it's lightly browned and soft.Food Network: Romaine with Pan-Roasted Garlic Dressing
5. Take the garlic out of the oil and let it cool before serving.Canadian Living: Pan-Roasted Garlic Toasts
Roasting Garlic in the Microwave
- If you need roasted garlic on a hot day and don't want to heat your conventional oven or fire up your grill, cook it in the microwave to generate less heat (and less mess).
What You'll Need
- Ingredients
- 1-4 heads of garlic
- Olive oil to drizzle
- Equipment
- Knife
- Microwave-safe dish
- Microwave oven
What to Do
1. Use a knife to cut off the top of the garlic bulbs so the cloves are exposed.Melissa Clark: 13 Things You Never Knew You Could Do with Your Microwave: Roasting Garlic
2. Place the garlic in a microwave-safe dish.New York Women's Culinary Alliance: 90 Second Microwave Roasted Garlic
3. Drizzle with olive oil.Melissa Clark: 13 Things You Never Knew You Could Do with Your Microwave: Roasting Garlic
4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.New York Women's Culinary Alliance: 90 Second Microwave Roasted Garlic
5. Microwave for six to eight minutes, depending on the size of the head of garlic.Recipezaar: Microwave Roasted Garlic
6. Keep the garlic covered and let it stand for 10 minutes before using.Recipezaar: Microwave Roasted Garlic
Roasting Garlic in an Electric Roaster

There's a kitchen gadget for nearly every purpose, including roasting garlic. Here's how to use the simple appliance to cook up to three heads of garlic at one time.
What You'll Need
- Ingredients
- 1-3 heads of garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt and herbs (if desired)
- Equipment
- Electric garlic roaster
- Knife
What to Do
1. Prepare the unit's terra cotta ring by soaking it in water.Roasted Garlic Express: Instructions
2. Use a knife to slice the tops off the garlic heads to expose the cloves.Roasted Garlic Express: Instructions
3. Add olive oil to the roasting cup.Amazon.com: Todco GR300-2 Roasted Garlic Express: Product Description
4. Add salt and herbs to the oil, if desired.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Express
5. Sit the garlic in the roasting dish with the cut side facing down.Roasted Garlic Express: Instructions
6. Press the start button.Amazon.com: Todco GR300-2 Roasted Garlic Express: Product Description
7. Let the garlic sit for one minute after the light goes out before removing and serving.Food Network: Roasted Garlic Express
Variations
- Consider these recipe variations to give your roasted garlic additional flavor while it's roasting.
1. Sprinkle the garlic heads with salt and pepper before roasting for additional flavor.Martha Stewart: Roasted Garlic
2. White wine and thyme make the garlic even more fragrant.Real Simple: Roasted Garlic
3. Add chicken stock when roasting in the oven for additional flavor.Food Network: Oven Roasted Garlic Recipe.
4. Include butter, thyme and chicken stock for added richness.About.com: Roasted Garlic Recipe