How to Roast Garlic (Oven Roasted Garlic)

Once you know how to roast garlic, you’ll be using roasted garlic in all of your cooking! It’s simple to make, easy to store, and loaded with flavour.

Oven-roasted garlic is easily one of my top five favourite foods! Possible one of my favourite food groups. As if garlic wasn’t incredible enough, roasting brings out its flavours like you wouldn’t believe.

Roasted garlic is rich and buttery, with smooth, mellow flavours of garlic. That harsh, pungent bite that you’re used to from raw garlic is gone, and in its place is garlic that’s tender, caramelized, and something you can literally eat it on its own. 

While you can use regular garlic in recipes where I call for roasted garlic (like this baba ghanoush), I recommend using roasted garlic! It lasts a long time in the fridge and you can roast several heads of garlic at once, keeping them on hand for whenever you need them.

Notes on Ingredients

Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.

• Garlic – Use fresh garlic that doesn’t have any shoots sprouting up.
• Olive oil – A high-quality olive oil adds a rich flavor to your roasted garlic.

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven

Roasting garlic is so simple, I think the hardest part is waiting for it to be done!

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Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450°F/230°C. Cut the top off of the garlic head, exposing all of the garlic cloves. Place the garlic head onto a piece of foil, then drizzle olive oil over the top. Fold over the foil and make sure it’s tightly sealed.

Roast. Place the wrapped garlic head directly onto the rack in your oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the cloves are lightly browned, tender, and velvety. 

Cool and use. Let the garlic cool for at least 10 minutes, or until you can comfortably touch it. Squeeze the cloves into a small bowl and mash them with a fork if you plan on using the roasted garlic as a paste. Otherwise, you can carefully peel away the skins if you want whole garlic cloves to use in a recipe.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way for making perfect roasted garlic.

• Use fresh garlic. Or if not, ensure you don’t have any rotten garlic cloves in the bunch. If you cut the garlic head and see any cloves that are brown, remove them before roasting.
• Don’t rush it. I know we all look for shortcuts, but just like caramelised onions, there is no good way to speed up the garlic roasting process. The good news is that if you make bunch of roasted garlic all at the same time, you’ll have it on hand when you need it!
• Putting your roasted garlic to use. My favourite way to use roasted garlic is to slather it on a piece of crusty bread. You can also spread it on sandwiches, burgers, and crackers, or stir it into jarred pasta sauce.

Recipes That Use Roasted Garlic

If you’re looking for a recipe that uses roasted garlic, here are a few to try:

• Garlic Roasted Alfredo Pasta
• Homemade Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce
• Basil Pesto
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Best Homemade Authentic Hummus 

How to Store Roasted Garlic

You can store roasted garlic in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 4 days.

Can This Be Frozen?

Freezing is the best way to store roasted garlic so you have it on hand when you need it! To freeze, you can spread the roasted cloves on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen, store them in a sealed plastic bag. You can also mash the roasted garlic and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Store the cubes in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container and thaw them as needed. Roasted garlic can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Enjoy friends! If you make this roasted garlic recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!