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If you’re a garlic lover, learning how to roast garlic in the oven is a must-have basic skill. And this whole roasted garlic recipe is here to make it EASY for you! It takes just minutes to prep, but if you want to roast individual cloves or use a different cooking method, I have several other options for you below.
Plus, I’ll show you ideas for ways to use your roasted garlic once it’s ready. It adds amazing garlic flavor to anything and everything. After mastering garlic, try homemade roasted red peppers next!
Why You’ll Love This Oven Roasted Garlic Recipe
- Rich, nutty, and sweet flavor
- Smooth and creamy texture
- Made with just 2 basic ingredients
- Super easy and versatile

Basic Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for a roasted garlic head, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Garlic – We obviously need garlic to make oven roasted garlic cloves! Look for whole heads without browning.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Olive Oil – Use a high quality olive oil for best flavor, but avocado oil would also work. The amount you’ll need is about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil per head of garlic.

How To Roast Garlic In The Oven
This section shows how to make this roasted garlic recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Peel. Peel and discard the loose, outer layers of the whole garlic heads.
- Trim. Use a sharp knife to slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top of each head, so that you can see the garlic cloves inside.
- Season. Place whole heads of garlic onto a piece of aluminum foil inside a baking dish or baking sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil over the top of the cloves. Wrap the foil around the garlic heads and seal.
TIP: Make sure oil runs over each clove. It helps to pour slowly so you get a little bit on every surface.


- Roast garlic. Bake in the oven until soft and caramelized.

How Long To Roast Garlic?
Roasted garlic takes about 30-40 minutes in the oven.
What Temp To Roast Garlic?
This whole roasted garlic recipe is best baked at 400 degrees F.
How To Remove the Cloves After Roasting
Once the garlic has cooled enough to touch, you can use two fingers to squeeze out a roasted garlic clove from each opening in the top of the head.
Variations
In case you prefer another method, here is how to make roasted garlic as individual cloves or using other cooking methods:
- Roast garlic without foil – You don’t have to use foil for oven roasted garlic, but you do need it to be covered so that it “steams” the garlic a bit and it doesn’t dry out. If you don’t want the foil touching your garlic, you can place garlic bulbs in muffin tin (and top with another muffin tin) or a small pan topped with foil. Alternatively, you can also line the foil with parchment paper before placing the garlic on it. This way, the garlic does not have direct contact with the foil.
- Roast garlic cloves (unpeeled) – Drizzle raw garlic cloves (unpeeled) with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Squeeze garlic out of skin when cool enough to touch. If you want to roast garlic cloves rather than a whole bulb, I prefer this method because squeezing the cloves out after roasting is much less work than peeling beforehand.
- Roast peeled garlic – Peel and place individual cloves of garlic in a small baking dish. Season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees F, stirring a few times during baking, until golden brown and soft. I think this method is more work, because you have to peel the cloves individually before roasting.
- Roast garlic in the air fryer – Trim and season the heads of garlic the same way as this recipe. Then, instead of baking, cook in air fryer at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. (If this is your favorite method, check out my other healthy air fryer recipes.)
- Roast garlic in the microwave – Trim and season the garlic head as shown above. Place it into a shallow microwave safe dish and add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of the dish. Microwave for about 5 minutes at 40% power.
- Seasonings – Sprinkle on some rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning before roasting. I don’t usually find this necessary.
How To Store Roasted Garlic
Storage is super easy! You can keep whole roasted garlic heads in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but they will last much longer if you remove the cloves from the skin and submerge them in olive oil before placing in the fridge.
How long does roasted garlic last?
Whole roasted garlic heads will last 3-4 days in the fridge, but cloves submerged in olive oil will last up to 2 weeks.
Can you freeze roasted garlic?
Yes, you can freeze roasted garlic for 2-3 months.

What To Do With Roasted Garlic
There are so many ways to use roasted garlic! Here are some ideas:
- Salad Dressing – Roasted garlic will have people wondering what you added to your salad dressings! Try it in my creamy balsamic dressing, any vinaigrette-style dressing (like zesty Italian dressing), or even into Caesar salad dressing.
- Vegetables – Add a deeper garlic flavor to roasted vegetables by using roasted garlic, instead of minced. Try it in garlic roasted broccoli, roasted garlic cauliflower, oven roasted green beans, or stirred into mashed cauliflower (or regular potatoes, if that’s your preference).
- Marinades – These recipes all call for garlic, so add in roasted cloves to proteins like perfect prime rib, herb butter turkey, or garlic pork tenderloin.
- Dips and Spreads – Level up your dips and spreads… or add both fresh and roasted to really bring up the flavor. Try roasted garlic cloves in cauliflower hummus, cream cheese dip, or cold crab dip.
- Sauces – Puree it into your favorite sauce, like lemon garlic aoili (or simply mayonnaise), tahini sauce, or just about any pasta sauce.
- Bread – Spread oven roasted garlic over your favorite bread or toast! Mine is this keto white bread.
- Soups – Stir garlic into soups, like broccoli cheese soup, roasted cauliflower soup, or vegetable soup.
Tools For Roasting Garlic
- Baking Dish – Use this baking dish for making this roasted garlic recipe in the oven.
Easy Roasted Garlic Recipe
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers that made this also viewed these recipes:
How To Roast Garlic In The Oven: Roasted Garlic Recipe
Learn how to roast garlic in the oven, the easy way! This oven roasted garlic recipe makes perfectly creamy, caramelized garlic cloves and takes just a few minutes to prep.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) .
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Peel and discard the outer layers of the whole garlic bulbs. Cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.6 to 1.3 cm) off the top of each head of garlic, exposing the cloves inside.
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Line a baking dish with a large piece of foil. Place the garlic heads onto the foil, cut side up.
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Sprinkle each head of garlic with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of oil over each, making sure it runs between the cloves.
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Close the foil around the garlic and seal. Roast garlic in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
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Let the garlic cool from hot to warm. To remove the roasted garlic from the heads, squeeze from the root end into a bowl.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 head of garlic
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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22 Comments
Wayne
0I can not have oil is it possible to roast garlic without oil. Thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Wayne, I have never tested the recipe without the oil so I am not sure what the results would be.
Susan
0Roasted garlic is the BEST! Thanks for all the great ways to make it (I haven’t tried it in the air fryer yet!) and all the wonderful ways to use it!
Aya
0I love garlic a lot, and so I was so happy to find this recipe. I roasted the garlic and added them to my shawarma sandwich, and it was the best thing ever! Thanks for the recipe and easy to follow instructions!
Mikayla
0This is my all time favorite way to use garlic in recipes. Also love to make a big batch and freeze in serving sizes for later use!
Heather
0What a classic dish that is so versatile – I love it simply spread on toast with plain cream cheese!!
Jessica
0As a garlic lover, I’m a bit ashamed to say I never roasted it until recently when I came across these directions. It turned out absolutely perfect and now I can’t stop thinking about all the dishes I can incorporate it into. Thanks!
Linda
0So easy and always comes out perfectly. This is my go-to recipe to roast garlic!
Amy L Huntley
0Roasted garlic is the absolute best! It makes the entire house smell amazing too!
Natalie
0My favorite way to prepare garlic! We use it in so many recipes!
Tracy
0Such great tips! We love roasted garlic in everything! Beautiful shots!
Colleen
0We are big fans of roasted garlic and use on so many things. Thanks for the great tips.
laura
0One of our all time favorite ways to enjoy garlic!
Dana
0The best recipes use roasted garlic. Thankfully this recipe is easy!
Cindy
0Thanks for the great recipe! Loved it squeezed out on some French bread.
Toni
0This is so awesome! I love how easy it is!! Thank you!
Kristyn
0The oven is the perfect way to roast garlic! And, it couldn’t be any easier. It gives the garlic a delicious flavor!
Glenda
0Your post lays out this process in great detail. Thank you! Roasting garlic takes dishes to a whole new level of scrumptious!
Marta
0I always thought that roasting garlic would be this long strenuous event. I have no idea why. It’s actually so easy and your instructions made it easier. Thanks for this!
Andrea Thueson
0I love the flavor of roasted garlic adds! I am so glad I found this recipe. Now I can make it from scratch and store it and use it when needed!
Liz
0Whenever I come across a recipe that calls for roasted garlic, I always think, “well shoot,” because I have never found an easy way to do it! This seems so simple! Thanks for the share!
Deanna Striver
0We roast garlic all the time, it’s our favorite! Great tips!