Roasting garlic is a simple yet flavorful way to bring out the natural sweetness of the cloves. When roasted, the pungent bite mellows into a rich, almost nutty sweetness that adds incredible depth and aroma to any dish.
While oven roasting is the traditional preparation, using an air fryer cuts down the hands-on time without sacrificing any of that delicious roasted garlic flavor. With just a few ingredients and 20 minutes, you can have tender, caramelized garlic ready to incorporate into spreads, sauces, sandwiches and more using this easy air fryer method.
This simple recipe shows you how to leverage the convenience of the air fryer to easily achieve meltingly tender roasted garlic in less time. Read on to learn the effortless process step-by-step, along with serving ideas, storage instructions and even more ways to utilize roasted garlic in your everyday cooking.
💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Tasty: The air fried garlic cloves become soft, sweet, and nutty, making them perfect for adding to many dishes. The roasted garlic can be added to various dishes, such as sauces, spreads, pizzas, and meatballs.
It can also be used to make garlic bread, and its puree can be added to soups to upgrade the flavor. The possibilities are endless, making it a staple ingredient in any kitchen.
Healthy Ingredient: Garlic is incredibly healthy. Garlic is known for its many health benefits, such as boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation, and lowering cholesterol levels.
Roasting the garlic in the air fryer with a small amount of olive oil helps to preserve these benefits while enhancing the flavor.
Easy And Quick to Make: This recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make, making it a perfect side dish for busy weeknights. The air fryer does all the work, and it only takes around 30 minutes from start to finish.
✨ Recipe Ingredients
To make the perfect air fryer roasted garlic you will need:
- 2 heads Garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
👨🍳 How To Make
Follow this easy recipe to make the perfect air fried garlic:
Step 1
Cut the top of the head of the garlic, leaving the cloves slightly exposed.
Step 2
Place each of the garlic heads in an aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly.
Step 3
Air fry at 380F (190F) for 20-25 minutes. Make sure the aluminum foil doesn’t touch the heating element. Then, leave it in the turned-off air fryer for 5 more minutes.
Step 4
Carefully unwrap and remove the cloves from the skin. Be very careful- it’s very hot!
💡Tips
1. Choose the Right Heads of Garlic
When selecting garlic heads for roasting, choose bulbs that feel heavy and firm for their size. This usually indicates that the individual garlic cloves will be plump and juicy when roasted, rather than shrivelled.
The papery skin on the bulb should be tight and intact, not loose or damaged. Avoid any bulbs with visible mould or soft spots, as this indicates rot has set in.
2. Cut the Tops Carefully
When you cut off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves, take care not to slice too deep. You want to lightly slice off just the very top of the head, without cutting deeply into the cloves themselves.
If you slice too deep, the juices from the cloves can leak out during roasting which leads to shrivelled cloves rather than plump, creamy roasted garlic.
3. Let It Rest Before Unwrapping
Have patience when your roasted garlic heads come out of the air fryer, as resisting the urge to tear open the packets immediately is key. Letting the bulbs rest undisturbed for 5 full minutes allows the hot juices inside to soak back into the cloves, ensuring they stay perfectly plump, moist and creamy.
If you unwrap too soon, built up steam escapes and the precious garlic juices won’t set, causing deflated cloves.
4. Boost Flavor with Fresh Herbs
Conside adding extra flavor to the garlic packets by including fresh herbs before roasting. Rosemary, thyme and oregano all perfectly complement roasted garlic. As the garlic roasts, the herbs gradually infuse the cloves with aromatic essence. This adds another layer of tasty depth without extra work.
Variations
1. Roasted Garlic & Herb Compound Butter– One delightful way to utilize the mellow sweetness of roasted garlic is to blend it into a rich, savory compound butter. Simply combine the roasted garlic cloves with softened, unsalted butter, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a pinch of kosher salt.
Allow the flavors to mingle overnight in the refrigerator before spreading atop steaks, seafood, roasted vegetables, or even using as an enriching base for pasta sauces and soups.
2. Roasted Garlic Hummus– The beloved chickpea spread hummus gets a wonderfully aromatic boost from the addition of roasted garlic. Blend the roasted cloves into the traditional base of cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil.
Season to taste with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper for a truly vibrant dip or sandwich spread that is sure to disappear quickly amongst guests. For extra flair, swirl the hummus into a bowl and garnish with a last minced clove of mellow roasted garlic, a dusting of smoky paprika and a final glug of grassy, fruity olive oil.
3. Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Fries- For a popular snack with a gourmet twist, roast garlic cloves alongside crispy, salty fries in the air fryer. Toss hand-cut potato wedges with olive oil, garlic powder, parsley and salt.
Add peeled whole garlic cloves, then air fry until the fries are perfectly crisped and browned, and garlic soft and caramelized.
Storage
Store the roasted garlic heads in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
The roasted garlic can also be frozen for longer term storage. To freeze, allow the roasted garlic to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. It will keep frozen for 2-3 months.
Thaw frozen roasted garlic overnight in the refrigerator before using. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Use the roasted garlic cloves as a spread on bread or bruschetta. You can also add them to pasta, pizza, salads and more. Enjoy!
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What type of garlic works best for airfryer roasting?
The best garlic variety to use is a firm, fresh head of garlic. Soft or older garlic may not hold its shape well when roasted. Stick to fresh, robust heads of garlic for perfect results.
2. My garlic came out burned or mushy. What went wrong?
Burned garlic likely cooked at too high of heat. Reduce the heat next time. Mushy garlic either cooked too long or the head wasn’t fresh. Use firm heads and don’t exceed 25 minutes airfry time.
3. How do you eat or serve roasted airfryer garlic?
Squeeze the soft garlic cloves onto bread or bruschetta. Mash cloves into a spread, sauce, dip, or compound butter. Mix roasted garlic into pasta, pizza, vegetables, eggs, potatoes, salad dressings, chicken, fish and more for extra flavor.
4. Can I air fry more than two heads of garlic at once?
Yes, you can! As long as you don’t overload the air fryer basket and allow for good air circulation, you can roast larger batches. Just adjust the timing slightly depending on the number of heads, adding a few extra minutes for larger quantities.
Roasting garlic in the air fryer results in tender, sweet cloves that can be used to elevate the flavor of so many dishes. I hope you’ll give this simple yet tasty preparation a try soon.
Feel free to check my site for even more air fryer recipes and inspiration. I’d love to hear about your experience making this in the comments below! Let me know if you have any other questions – I’m always happy to help fellow home cooks get the most out of their air fryers.
Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
- 2 heads Garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Cut the top of the head of the garlic, leaving the cloves slightly exposed.
- Place each of the garlic heads in an aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly.
- Air fry at 380F (190F) for about 20-25 minutes. Then, leave it in the turned-off air fryer for 5 additional minutes.
- Carefully unwrap and remove the cloves from the skim. It's VERY hot, so be careful.
