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(37)
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
37 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.

Vivian Malta

May I ask a novice question? How do you handle the papery "skins" of the entire garlic head when making this recipe? Do the outer layers get peeled prior to roasting? Thanks.

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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