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Garlic

How to Roast Garlic

September 7, 2019 (Last Updated: January 5, 2023) by Chris Collins

Here I share with you some simple tips and tricks to perfectly roasting garlic in the oven. PLUS so delicious recipes to use it in!

Closeup of roasted garlic fresh out the oven

Oven Roasted Garlic

If you’ve never roasted garlic before your life is about to change forever. When you roast garlic you completely change to flavour and texture. It caramelizes and turn gorgeously sticky and sweet. The texture turns silky and soft. It’s just an all round good time.

We’ll chat about how to use it in just a sec, but first let’s see how easy it is to make.

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven (quick summary)

  1. Slice the tip off your garlic bulb to expose the cloves.
  2. Place on foil and drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Wrap.
  4. Place in the oven until deep golden, sticky and caramelized.
  5. Unwrap and allow to cool for a few mins.
Top Tip #1 – Low and slow is key! You’ll roast the garlic at 180c/356f for up to an hour to get best results. Don’t be tempted to crank up the heat to speed things up, the garlic won’t caramelize properly.

how to roast garlic - step by step

Top Tip #2 – Use a fresh bulb of garlic, not the one you just found knocking around at the back of your cupboards. Older garlic tends to come out more dry and slightly more chewy. Fresh is best!

From there it’s just a case of peeling away any outer layers from the garlic bulb and squeezing out the roasted garlic.

Roasted Garlic Butter

One of my favourite things to do with roasted garlic is to make roasted garlic butter. Perfect to melt on a steak, even better on baked bread!

How to make Roasted Garlic Butter (quick summary)

  1. Mash roasted garlic with salt until completely smooth.
  2. Add butter, parsley, olive oil and seasoning.
  3. Mash until completely smooth.

how to make roasted garlic butter - step by step

Mashing the roasted garlic with salt is great to smooth out the garlic if there is any tough or chewy bits!

And here’s my Roasted Garlic Bread Recipe if you fancied a ganders!

Roasted Garlic Bread fresh out the oven with roasted garlic by the side

How to use Roasted Garlic

Beside turning it into roasted garlic butter and spreading it on bread, here’s another couple of ideas:

Alrighty, let’s tuck into this how to roast garlic recipe already!

Spoonful of mac and cheese being pulled out of baking dish with cheese dripping down

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven (Full Recipe & Video)

Closeup of roasted garlic fresh out the oven

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven

Here I share with you some simple tips and tricks to perfectly roasting garlic in the oven. PLUS so delicious recipes to use it in!
5 from 4 votes
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Servings (click & slide): 1 bulb
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Universal
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
Calories per serving: 76kcal
Cost per serving: 50p / 50c

Equipment:

  • Chopping Board
  • Sharp Knife
  • Aluminium Foil

Ingredients (check list):

  • 1 large bulb of Garlic
  • Olive Oil

Instructions:

  • Slice the tip off the garlic bulb to expose all the cloves (only the tips, don't slice off too much).
  • Drizzle with olive oil (1 tsp should suffice).
  • Wrap in foil and place in the oven at 180c/356f for 45-60mins, or until knife tender, golden brown and caramelized. Don't be tempted to whack up the temp, low and slow is the aim of the game.
  • Leave for a few minutes to cool down, then peel away the outer layers. Squeeze out as much as you can, making sure the outer peel doesn't mix in.
  • Use as a spread or in a butter, stir through a cheese sauce or even in a dip!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Garlic - This works best with fresh garlic, step away from the garlic you've just discovered in the back of your cupboards. Chances are that's already started to firm up, meaning it'll come out quite dry and chewy.
b) Smooth - The garlic should squeeze out like a smooth paste. If for whatever reason it's a little firm/lumpy then squeeze it on to a flat surface, add a pinch of salt and smash with a fork. This is what I actually do with my Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese to ensure it's as smooth as possible.
c) Measurements - 1 large bulb will give you about the same as two small bulbs. You're looking at around 1 heaped tbsp's worth of roasted garlic.
d) Time - Low and slow is the aim of the game, so don't whack up the heat to try and speed things up. You're looking for a deep caramelization, it should be sticky when you peel the foil away. You can check multiple times throughout to check how it's getting on.

Your Private Notes:

Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts
How to Roast Garlic in the Oven
Amount Per Serving
Calories 76 Calories from Fat 42
% Daily Value*
Fat 4.62g7%
Saturated Fat 0.643g3%
Trans Fat 0.002g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.533g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.286g
Sodium 4mg0%
Potassium 96mg3%
Carbohydrates 7.93g3%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 0.24g0%
Protein 1.53g3%
Vitamin A 2IU0%
Vitamin C 7.5mg9%
Calcium 43mg4%
Iron 0.43mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.
Tried this recipe?Show me how you got on by tagging @dontgobaconmyheart_ on IG and #dontgobaconmyheart
Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

If you loved this Roasted Garlic recipe be sure to pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!

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10 Comments

  • Reply
    georgie
    September 8, 2019 at 2:54 am

    5 stars
    I’m obsessed with roast garlic, this looks SO flavourful and I love that you’ve roasted it whole!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 8, 2019 at 11:05 am

      Thanks Georgie 🙂

  • Reply
    Tayo
    September 8, 2019 at 1:17 am

    5 stars
    This is such an excellent post and I really appreciate all the tips. I shy away from using garlic but I will definitely try roasting it!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 8, 2019 at 11:04 am

      You totally should 🙂

  • Reply
    Lisa Bryan
    September 7, 2019 at 11:52 pm

    Love this post! Roasting garlic itself can be overlooked, but a great way to make use of it while cooking to bring out flavors.

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 8, 2019 at 11:04 am

      Sure is! 🙂

  • Reply
    Sara Welch
    September 7, 2019 at 11:43 pm

    5 stars
    This is amazing! Thank you for sharing this; can’t wait to use this in some of my recipes! Delish!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 8, 2019 at 11:04 am

      Enjoy! 🙂

  • Reply
    Beth
    September 7, 2019 at 10:42 pm

    5 stars
    I needed this recipe in my life! I love, love roasted garlic and can’t wait to mix this into everything!!

    • Reply
      Chris Collins
      September 8, 2019 at 11:04 am

      Enjoy! 🙂

    5 KNOCKOUT

    DINNERS

    YOU'LL NEVER STOP MAKING!

    A FREE EMAIL SERIES, FROM ONE FOODIE TO ANOTHER