How to Roast Garlic

Learn exactly how to roast garlicโ€”it’s easy!

roasted garlic

Roasting garlic is so very simple. A basic skill that any cook should know! You may already be an expert in it, but I had to learn somewayโ€”so hopefully this will be helpful to some. Once you begin roasting garlic for your recipes, you won’t stop. The flavor is out of this world! And the smell? Even better.

Pair it with zesty flavors to make a healthy chicken quinoa salad.

Like I said, once you start roasting garlic for your recipes, you won’t stop!

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roasted garlic

Roasted Garlic

5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 5-6 heads of garlic
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Learn exactly how to roast garlicโ€”it’s easy!


Ingredients

  • heads of garlic (I like to do 5-6 at a time)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt
  • fresh ground black pepper


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC).
  2. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top of the garlic heads to expose the cloves inside. Grab a round or square cake pan (I usually use a 9-inch round pan) and pour 2 Tablespoons of olive oil inside. Swirl it around the bottom of the pan to coat evenly. Place garlic heads inside, exposed side up.
  3. Sprinkle the garlic heads with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 more Tablespoon of olive oil on top.ย You want them to have a nice coating of oil so they don’t burn easily. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
  4. Your house will smell amazing! Remove from the oven. To remove the roasted cloves, grab the bottom of the garlic head and gently squeeze until the cloves pop outโ€”they will be mushy and ready to chop up for your recipe. Or spread onto a slice of crusty bread or pizza crust before baking.
  5. For storing, remove the roasted cloves from the whole bulb, drizzle with a little olive oil, and cover tightly. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

  1. Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Pan or 9-inch Square Pan
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About the Author

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sallyโ€™s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.

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Reader Comments and Reviews

  1. Amy Crawford says:
    July 14, 2024

    Thank you. Iโ€™ve been roasting garlic for years. I freeze it and use it as needed

  2. Cynthia says:
    December 29, 2022

    Can I roast garlic in an air fryer?

    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      December 29, 2022

      We haven’t tested it – let us know how it goes!

  3. Diane Hardey says:
    August 20, 2022

    Thank you for this. I’ve never done it before but needed to! Now…I only need to know if the garlic is suppose to be soft. I left it in the oven for another 40 minutes for it to be soft. Did I do it wrong? Finally
    I think I saw a post about storing it in oil so I stored it in the oil I baked it in. Is that okay or should the garlic be completely covered? See…you were right that some of us need more info to be more confident.
    I LOVE your site and visit it first whenever I need a recipe. You are a Rock Star!


    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      August 22, 2022

      Hi Diane, thank you so much! The roasted garlic should be slightly soft. I don’t think you did anything wrong. For storing, remove the roasted cloves from the whole bulb, drizzle with a little olive oil, and cover tightly. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

  4. Sam says:
    August 1, 2022

    Very easy. I’ve used the roasted garlic on your pizza dough and most recently the zucchini casserole!