Easy Oven Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is one of the best things you can make in your oven. We’re sharing how to roast garlic and lots of ways to use it.

Watch the Video

Oven Roasted Garlic Recipe Video

Related: Use roasted garlic to make this garlic bread!

How to Roast Garlic in the Oven

Roasted garlic is creamy, sweet and spreadable. It’s practically dreamy. We love eating the cloves whole alongside dinner — this roasted chicken being one of our favorites. You can also mash it into butter and spread on toast or add to soups and sauces. Mashing some into mashed potatoes is also an absolute must.

We’re on a garlic kick lately, have you seen our easy fried garlic or this garlicky olive oil dip? It’s comes together quickly and it never fails. I mean, who doesn’t want to dip bread into an herby, garlicky, parmesan cheese infused olive oil?

Roasting garlic is seriously easy. You can turn the oven on just to roast garlic or throw in a batch next to something else that needs a hot oven. We stick around 400 degrees F, but if you have something baking in the oven at a lower temperature, don’t worry the garlic will still roast nicely.

Roasted garlic

In a 400° F oven, you are looking at 40 to 70 minutes for the garlic to turn caramelized, soft and spreadable. If you are using a cooler oven, it may take a few more minutes.

To prevent the garlic from drying out, roast it in little packets with a little salt, pepper and olive oil. In our photos, we’ve used parchment paper and kitchen twine to make the packets, but foil works too.

Garlic with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

When we have some in the kitchen, we’ll add a bed of fresh thyme. This way, as the garlic roasts it’s infused by the thyme. The kitchen smells incredible!

Garlic inside parchment paper packets before roasting.
Roasted garlic

Storing Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic can be refrigerated for a few days or to extend their shelf life, remove the roasted garlic cloves, add them to a clean food storage container and then cover with olive oil. Store the garlic and olive oil in the refrigerator up to two weeks (the oil can also be used).

You can also freeze roasted garlic — either as whole cloves, mashed up into a puree or covered in olive oil. The frozen garlic should last up to three months.

For more easy recipes, check out our Easy Focaccia Bread with Garlic and Herbs, our Easy Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken Breasts and our Guilt-Free Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles Pasta.

Roasted Garlic

Easy Oven Roasted Garlic

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Eat roasted garlic straight out of the cloves or spread onto warm bread. Mashing some into butter, sauces and creamy dips is also an excellent idea. You can use foil or parchment paper to roast garlic. If using parchment, you will need to secure the packets with kitchen twine.

3 whole heads garlic

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

3 whole heads garlic

3 sprigs fresh thyme, optional

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

    1Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

    2Prepare three squares of parchment paper or foil large enough to wrap each head of garlic.

    3If the garlic has extra layers of papery white skin, peel them away, but leave enough layers so the head of garlic stays together. Cut a 1/4-inch from the top of the cloves so that you can see inside the individual cloves of garlic.

    4For each head of garlic, place down a sheet of parchment or foil onto a work bench. Make a small bed of thyme by shaping it into a small ring. Then place a head of garlic, cut-side-up, on top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with some salt and fresh ground black pepper.

    5Pull the sides of the parchment paper or foil up and around the garlic so that you make a little parcel. If using parchment, secure with kitchen twine.

    6Place packets of garlic onto a baking sheet. Bake until the cloves inside the packet are light brown and soft, 40 to 70 minutes. Check on the garlic every so often to see how it is progressing.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • If using parchment, trim excess paper from the tops of the packets so that they do not touch the top of your oven.
  • Instead of thyme, try other fresh herbs like rosemary or dill.
  • Storing: Roasted garlic can be refrigerated for a few days or to extend their shelf life, remove the roasted garlic cloves, add them to a clean food storage container and then cover with olive oil. Store the garlic and olive oil in the refrigerator up to two weeks (the oil can also be used) You can also freeze roasted garlic — either as whole cloves, mashed up into a puree or covered in olive oil. The frozen garlic should last up to three months.
  • Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 whole head garlic / Calories 93 / Protein 2 g / Carbohydrate 12 g / Dietary Fiber 1 g / Total Sugars 0 g / Total Fat 5 g / Saturated Fat 1 g / Cholesterol 0 mg / Sodium 161 mg
AUTHOR:  Adam and Joanne Gallagher
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18 comments… Leave a Review
  • Tandra Spradling June 22, 2023, 11:53 am

    This recipe is so easy and so delicious. Freezes nicely. Don’t be afraid to try different herbs. I used the stems from fresh basil and wow..use your imagination ladies. Thanks for all the tips for freezing and refrigeration.

    Reply
    • Adam September 18, 2023, 12:25 am

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  • Bruce Sigler October 29, 2022, 3:07 am

    Great

    Reply
  • Loretta Martin January 21, 2022, 7:58 pm

    Can I roast my garlic in foil in muffin tin?

    Reply
    • Joanne November 8, 2022, 2:04 pm

      Yep!

      Reply
  • Geraldine McDwyer October 27, 2021, 12:28 pm

    Trying it today..thanks for the tip on freezing and addition of herbs

    Reply
  • Kirk Charlesworth August 31, 2021, 6:27 pm

    Woo,woo…It’s so good and easy, and what a great airfreshner smells Great in the house. Thank you.

    Reply
  • Anba April 1, 2021, 1:04 am

    I used this recipe to add to mayonnaise for a garlic/mayo for hamburgers and french fry dips,,,, DELICIOUS!!

    Reply
  • Michele March 19, 2021, 5:06 pm

    This worked out great! I’m using it on homemade pizza tonight.

    Reply
  • Deb January 17, 2021, 1:58 am

    How do you store the roasted garlic? How long does it keep? If substituting for raw or sautéed garlic do you use same amount? Or is roasted milder?

    Reply
    • Adam February 7, 2021, 8:32 pm

      Hi Deb, We have updated the recipe to include storing tips. You can store garlic in the refrigerator and in the freezer. Check the recipe for details.

      Reply
  • Kristine Williams January 13, 2021, 3:01 pm

    While I might eat the entire thing, how do I store what I don’t eat?

    Reply
    • Adam February 7, 2021, 8:32 pm

      Hi Kristine, We have updated the recipe to include storing tips. You can store garlic in the refrigerator and in the freezer. Check the recipe for details.

      Reply
  • Theresa Kingsley November 13, 2020, 9:19 pm

    That’s alot if garlic to do at one time. Can you freeze it?

    Reply
    • Adam February 7, 2021, 8:32 pm

      Yes, you can freeze roasted garlic. We have added freezing tips to the recipe above.

      Reply
  • Gene Norris August 30, 2020, 12:26 pm

    I’ve tried microwaving garlic for various times at 50% power. The result is quite soft after 3 minutes or so, but it lacks the flavor of garlic.

    Reply
  • susan February 14, 2018, 12:26 pm

    This is SO SO Good! I luv garlic and this is great for battling the flu or colds. I do several pouches and put different herbs in each one.

    Reply
  • Lea Cutcher January 4, 2018, 10:15 pm

    I think your recipes are inspiring. I stumbled upon your website while searching for recipes. I’m so glad I discovered your soulful recipes. Can I freeze roasted garlic? So yummy but I baked too many bulbs? Thank you. P.S., I’ve tried out your focaccia recipe and pumpkin scones. Both recipes are terrific.

    Reply

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