Roasted Garlic

By Kia Damon

Updated Feb. 3, 2025

Roasted Garlic
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
about 1 hour
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
5(55)
Comments
Read comments

Unlike sautéing, which enhances garlic’s aromatic bite, roasting garlic transforms it almost entirely, making it immensely soft and sweet, with a rich caramel color. It becomes ultra fragrant and easy to spread. Using roasted garlic is a simple way to add depth to dressings, sauces, dips and sides like mashed potatoes, grains and vegetables. Add it to your avocado toast or tuna sandwich for a little upgrade. Carefully peel the roasted garlic and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks or in the freezer for a month. Alternatively, you can squeeze the garlic out to use and store as a paste.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 heads garlic
  • 3heads garlic
  • 1tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

171 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 5 grams protein; 190 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut about ½ inch off the top of the garlic heads to reveal a cross-cut of the cloves.

  2. Step 2

    Set each head cut-side up on a sheet of aluminum foil that’s large enough to wrap around the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon salt, and then fold the foil over to completely enclose the garlic, leaving a bit of space at the top to prevent the caramelized cloves from sticking to the foil.

  3. Step 3

    Set the packet directly on the middle rack of the oven and roast until the garlic is very tender and caramelized. Depending on your oven, this could take 1 to 1½ hours. Let cool slightly. If not using right away, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
55 user ratings
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Comments

KatieC

Nope. Just slice through the upper part of the whole head. Once roasted you can fish out the individual cloves with the tip of a knife or just squeeze the whole thing from below and they all squish out. (Very rewarding!) Perfect to smear on bread.

Devon

If you have smaller garlic heads, I like to do this at 400f instead of 425f, and check them at 45 minutes to see if they still need more time.

lolz eatz

@Devon I do this too in my toaster oven!

John

Just tried this in the air fryer rather than heating up the kitchen… nope

Devon

If you have smaller garlic heads, I like to do this at 400f instead of 425f, and check them at 45 minutes to see if they still need more time.

lolz eatz

@Devon I do this too in my toaster oven!

amber

Just made. Delicious! Added to my simmering red sauce….!!!

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