Learn how to roast garlic using a fantastic little gadget – a garlic roaster.

Who doesn’t love roast garlic? Roasting garlic in the oven brings out its sweet flavour and makes it spreadable too.

You can spread your roast garlic onto crackers, bread or even add it to mayonnaise, sauces and dips. It’s great in pasta and soups as well, not to mention added to mashed potatoes.

For maximum taste and flavour try smoking garlic slow and low on your smoker.

A fantastic and versatile smoking side dish.

What is a Garlic Roaster?

If you have never heard of a garlic roaster before, it’s a terracotta pot shaped like a garlic bulb which helps you avoid overcooking garlic in the oven.

If you don’t have one you can of course just wrap your garlic bulb in foil, but to get the best results we would recommend you use a garlic roaster.

How to Roast Garlic Step 1 – Place Your Garlic Roaster in Cold Water

To make sure the garlic roaster doesn’t overheat in the oven, we need to submerge it in water for about 15 minutes first.

The terracotta will absorb the water which will create moisture while the garlic is roasting as well.

How to Roast Garlic Step 2 – Cut the Stem & Tips of the Garlic Cloves

Now it’s time to prepare the garlic. We are going to keep the  cloves in their skins, but cut the stem at the top of the bulb.

Using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife snip each of the cloves so that the top of each garlic clove is visible. 

This will help to ensure an even cook throughout the bulb.

How to Roast Garlic Step 3 – Roast Garlic in the Oven For 1 Hour

Place the garlic bulb inside the garlic roaster. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Rosemary pairs really well with garlic. You may like to add a sprig of rosemary or a small handful of thyme.

Put the lid of the roaster on, and place it in the oven at 350°F or 180°C for 1 hour.

Make sure the oven is cold when you put the roaster in. Only preheat the oven if you are using foil.

How to Roast Garlic Step 4 – Squeeze Garlic From Skins and Serve

Remove from the oven and gently squeeze the garlic out the skins.

You should have a lovely sweet, nutty, gooey paste which you can spread on your bread or add to your favourite dish!

FAQ’s About Roasting Garlic

How Much Minced Garlic Equals a Clove?

Garlic cloves can be different sizes, even within the same bulb. Roughly speaking, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic is equal to an average sized clove. 2 teaspoons of minced garlic is equal to 2 average sized cloves.

What Happens When You Roast Garlic?

Roasting garlic brings out the sweet, nutty flavours and removes any bitterness. It also makes it smooth so that it can be spread on toast, bread or crackers.

Roasted garlic goes soft and golden and it smells and tastes delicious.

How Long to Roast Garlic at 375?

At 375F it will take around 45 minutes to roast garlic until it has a buttery, smooth and creamy texture.

What to Do With Roasted Garlic

Roasted garlic can be added to mashed potatoes, pasta, enjoyed with cheese and crackers, spread on bread or toast or used to make garlic mayo or a garlic dip.

Why Use a Garlic Roaster?

A garlic roaster helps to keep the bulb moist during cooking, and stops the garlic from overcooking. 

Garlic can be bitter if it is overcooked.

Other great roasting or smoking side dishes would include cooking white and red onions, peppers, or chilli peppers in a similar way.

If you enjoyed this article you could try our ‘Korean BBQ Chicken,’ recipe.

Or our ‘How to Smoke Brisket Recipe.’