Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic is golden, savory, soft, and sweet. The best way to roast garlic to achieve this delicious, mellow flavor is with one secret: a low temperature. Our recipe will show you exactly how to make the best roast garlic in the air fryer.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need
• How to Make
• FAQ
• Expert Tips
• How to Store
• How to Make a Meal
• More Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

At Two Cloves Kitchen, we take garlic very seriously. Our recipes feature garlic, our food philosophy is built around garlic, heck, our LOGO is garlic. It's safe to say garlic is our love language.

So, we tested this recipe countless times with different factors to ensure we delivered the best possible result. We used varying temperatures, more or less oil, foil or no foil, peeled and unpeeled, whole roasted garlic versus cloves.

The factor we found to be most important was temperature. Cooked at too high a temperature, the garlic became too dark and, therefore, bitter.

If cooked for a shorter period of time to avoid burning, the garlic would not be fully cooked.

This is how we arrived at our magic formula: 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes, then 10 minutes rest in the air fryer while it is off. The residual heat gently softens and finishes roasting the garlic.

Now, keep in mind that air fryers, like ovens, can vary in size and in actual temperature.

We recommend you check the garlic before you reach the 30-minute mark. You may need slightly less than 30 minutes, and you may need slightly more. It's always better to err on the side of caution when cooking garlic.

What You'll Need

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• Garlic A whole head of fresh garlic is needed for this recipe.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil The quality of olive oil matters less for this recipe. Here is a favorite brand of mine that I keep on hand.
• Kosher Salt I always recommend using kosher salt. Table salt increases the likelihood of oversalting your food because it is more concentrated. Diamond Crystal kosher salt coats food evenly and makes it easier to add salt incrementally.

How to Make

Step One: Cut your head of garlic crosswise to expose the interior of the cloves (removing about ¼ to ½ inch of the top). Check out the expert tips below for tips on minimizing waste.

Step Two Place the garlic on a piece of tin foil. Drizzle or brush the cut side of the garlic with olive oil, trying to get the oil into the crevices between the cloves and coating the top of the garlic completely.

Step Three Close up the foil and place in the air fryer basket.

Step Four Roast garlic in air fryer for 30 to 40 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, checking before the 30-minute mark to see if it is done.

Remove from the air fryer basket, peel back the foil, and insert a paring knife into a clove to see if it is cooked through.

The garlic above is not ready just yet. While the knife was inserted without much resistance, it is too pale and its flavor will not be fully developed.

You should see a golden brown (not dark brown) color. The garlic should be fragrant and easy to squeeze out of its skin. Use caution here! The foil and the garlic will be very hot.

At the 30- to 40-minute mark, turn off the air fryer but do not remove the basket. Let the garlic sit inside for 10 minutes or more to finish cooking.

Step Five Once the air fried garlic has finished roasting, remove from the air fryer basket, discard the foil, and let the garlic cool for a few minutes before serving.

FAQ

Expert Tips

• If you are sensitive to fresh garlic or sautéed garlic, roasted garlic may be for you. It is much milder, sweeter, and has none of the sharpness of other garlic preparations.
• When making roasted garlic in the air fryer, keep in mind that air fryers can vary in size and temperature, just like ovens. Check your garlic before the recommended cook time has elapsed to ensure it is not getting too dark.
• To avoid waste, take the top section you cut off and mince the remaining pieces of garlic to use in another meal. I recommend using right away or storing in an airtight container for about a day.

How to Store

Fridge Roasted garlic can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

There is no need to reheat refrigerated garlic. Just add to the dish you are making. If you would like room temperature garlic, leave it out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour.

Be sure to cool the garlic and move it to the fridge within 2 hours for proper food safety.

Freezer Once cooked, garlic can be removed from its skins, frozen on a sheet tray, then transferred to an airtight, freezer-safe container like a locking glass or plastic storage container or a gallon plastic bag.

If needed, you can thaw in the microwave for a few seconds or in the fridge overnight, but you do not need to thaw the garlic to use it. If adding to a meal, feel free to add directly to the pan while you cook.

A note on frozen garlic: Freezing garlic may alter the texture and taste of your garlic. It is likely to be milder than freshly roasted garlic.

How to Make a Meal

If you are wondering when to use roasted garlic, try these suggestions for meals, sides, and snacks:

Charcuterie or Cheese Board Arrange different meats and cheeses, nuts, crackers, veggies, and dips on a pretty board and serve with some roasted garlic. I love to add Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Almond Pesto!

Soups Try making a favorite soup, like this Chicken Pastina Soup, and serve with a piece of baguette spread with roasted garlic. You can also stir some chopped roasted garlic directly into a soup, like this Creamy Tomato Soup.

Vegetable Sides This garlic is fantastic mixed with lots of veggie sides, from sautéed zucchini to seared mushrooms to steamed broccoli.

Potatoes Roasted garlic and potatoes are a match made in heaven. Try adding some chopped roasted garlic to mashed potatoes or Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes.

Roast Chicken I made this Basic Roast Chicken in culinary school and will never make it any other way. I highly recommend this recipe. Spread some roast garlic on the cooked chicken and bask in its deliciousness.

Aioli Add to this aioli and spread on sandwiches, wraps, or drizzle over lots of different meals like grain bowls, eggs, salads - whatever you like!

More Recipes You'll Love

Here are some other amazing air fryer recipes:

Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

Air Fryer Tomatoes

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