Oven Roasted Garlic

How To Roast Garlic In The Oven

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Trim the heads. Pull off and discard the loose outer layers of the garlic heads, leaving the cloves inside intact. Grab a sharp knife and slice the tops off the heads, just enough to expose the cloves inside.
2. Oil and season. Place the garlic heads on a piece of aluminum foil in a baking dish or on a sheet pan, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, so it seeps into the cloves, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil snugly around the heads to keep the steam in.
3. Roast garlic in the oven. It’s ready when it’s soft and caramelized. Once the oven roasted garlic has cooled enough to handle, press on the top of the head to loosen the cloves. Use your fingers to squeeze them out one by one.

Alternate Roasting Methods

I use the method above most often because it’s simple and makes a big batch of flavorful roasted garlic. I’ve gotten some questions about other ways, though, so here are some I’ve tried that worked well:

• Roast garlic cloves instead of whole heads – I mainly use this method when I have extra cloves left from other recipes, or want to make a smaller batch of roasted garlic. I don’t recommend peeling because it’s a lot more work than squeezing out the cloves afterward, plus the skin protects the garlic as it roasts. Otherwise the process is the same as above with oil, salt, and pepper, except separated garlic cloves roast faster. How fast depends on how many you cook together — I usually start checking around 15-20 minutes in.
• Air fryer roasted garlic – This method is much faster than the oven! Prepare the heads of garlic like I explained above, then air fry for 20-30 minutes. (P.S. You might also like my other healthy air fryer recipes!)
• Microwave roasted garlic – It doesn’t have the same deep flavor, but is still pretty good! After trimming and seasoning the garlic head as usual, place it in a shallow microwave-safe dish with a little water at the bottom. Cover and microwave for about 5 minutes, until soft.

My Favorite Ways To Use Roasted Garlic

I’ve used this roasted garlic recipe in so many different ways! Here are my favorite ways to enjoy it:

• Salad Dressings – I love adding oven roasted garlic to salad dressings because it makes people wonder what the secret ingredient is. Blend it into my creamy balsamic dressing, Italian dressing, or even Caesar dressing to take it up a notch.
• Vegetables – Roasted garlic cloves make an amazing addition to roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. When I have the garlic already done in advance, I stir the peeled cloves into the pan in the last 5-10 minutes for extra flavor. You can also roast the heads together with types of veggies that take longer, like roasted root vegetables, for their entire roasting time.
• Marinades – Most marinades already call for garlic, so I just swap in roasted cloves. It gives proteins like prime rib, turkey, or pork tenderloin a sweeter, richer flavor.
• Dips – Mix roasted garlic into dips for an instant upgrade! I’ve done this with my cauliflower hummus, ranch dip, or hot crab dip (but cold crab dip would be great too).
• Toast – You can spread it on your favorite kind all by itself, or sometimes I mash it into compound butter for an easy spread.
• Sauces – Oven roasted garlic blends beautifully into sauces. I puree it into lemon garlic aioli , stir it into tahini sauce, or melt it into marinara sauce.
• Soups – I often stir it into soups for extra depth. It’s perfect in my broccoli cheese soup, roasted cauliflower soup, or even a simple veggie soup.