How to Roast Garlic in the Oven

Easy oven-roasted garlic recipe using parchment paper. Roasting garlic transforms it from sharp and spicy to sweet caramelized goodness in less than one hour. If only all makeovers were this easy!

Roasted garlic is the perfect addition to vegetables, soups, braises, or stews. Or my personal favorite our garlic aioli that we use for our Jicama Bravas. Or mix into butter to make a compound butter and slather on bread, steak, or potatoes.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust.

Please read the entire post for tips and tricks to ensure a perfect recipe every time. And don't forget to tag @peelwithzeal on Instagram so we can admire your creation!

We have been on a roasting tear at the Peel house lately.  You can check our most recent recipe, slow-roasted tomatoes here.  If you find raw garlic too harsh or simply don't like chopping garlic then roasted garlic is for you. Roasting the garlic removes the spiciness allowing the sweetness to shine. And the softened cloves are spreadable so no chopping needed.

What You Need to Roast Garlic

No special ingredients needed!  Just a head of garlic and few basic kitchen tools including

• 2 heads of garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt
• parchment paper
• butchers twine

We prefer parchment paper because a very juicy garlic head may stick to foil due to the sugars. We find it comes off cleaner from parchment paper. You can absolutely use foil, a clay garlic roaster, or even a small saucepan with a lid. But parchment is by far the easiest to clean up.

How to Roast Garlic

Roasting garlic is a very easy hands-off recipe. The key to soft garlic cloves is trimming off the tops to allow the steam to escape.  Here are the basic instructions:

• Remove any loose outer skins from garlic heads. Slice off just the top of each head of garlic to expose the tops of the cloves inside.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Wrap in the parchment paper, securing with kitchen twine.

• Roast until at 400 F degrees until they are lightly browned and tender. Typically this takes about 40 minutes but you will want to begin checking the garlic at 30 minutes. The time to finish will depend on the size of the bulb and cloves, the variety of garlic used and the age of the garlic.
• Allow the garlic to cool slightly then gently squeeze out the cloves from the skins.

How to Store Roasted Garlic

Whole roasted garlic can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Individual cloves can be removed from the paper head and stored in a small glass container and covered with a good quality olive oil for longer storage.

Roasted garlic, the full head or individual cloves can be kept in the freezer for several months. To make removing individual frozen cloves easier we recommend freezing them on a sheet pan separately before transferring them to an airtight container.

Alternatively, you can puree the roasted garlic cloves and freeze small amounts in an ice cube tray before transferring to an airtight container.  This is my favorite!

Do not keep roasted garlic out on the counter for long periods of time.

Can You Roast Individual Cloves of Garlic

The short answer is yes. BUT... we don't recommend it. Most recipes for individual roasted cloves of garlic have you peel them first. The direct heat on the cloves will make them more likely to burn. You definitely have to keep a closer eye on them.

For that reason I find it easier to roast the whole head (or even half a head, if that is what we have left). More hands off and less prone to burning.

If you try this recipe, be sure to post a photo on Instagram with #peelwithzeal! Follow Peel with Zeal on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook for the latest posts.

Let us know in the comments your favorite way to roast garlic and be sure to check out our fermented garlic and honey tutorial and are garlicky green beans.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Easy Oven Roasted Garlic

Simple method to roast garlic without foil.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Kitchen Basics

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: garlic in parchment, how to roast garlic, oven roasted garlic, roasted garlic recipe, without foil

Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 2 heads of garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt
• parchment paper*

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. 
  
• Remove any loose outer skins from garlic heads. Slice 1/4 to 1.3 inch off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves inside.
•  Drizzle the tops of the bulbs with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Wrap in the foil or parchment paper secured with kitchen twine. 
  
• Roast until the garlic cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 40 minutes. Begin checking the garlic at 30 minutes, the time to finish varies based on the saize, age and variety of garlic used.
• Let the garlic cool slightly, and then serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

• *Garlic can be roasted without foil or parchment in a clay garlic roaster like this one here or by using a small ovenproof saucepan and lid. 
• AIP compliant.