Calling all garlic lovers out there! This easy Air Fryer Roasted Garlic is sweet, tender, and rich with a nutty flavor that is to die for. It takes only 20 minutes and can be served as a side dish with bread, mixed with butter for garlic bread, or as an addition to soups, pasta dishes, mashed potatoes, and more.
I am a huge fan of garlic and its wonderful flavor. Garlic is such a flavor enhancer in all sorts of dishes from Honey Garlic Chicken to Garlic Spinach to Bacon Wrapped Shrimp but it is equally great on its own too. So when I found out that I could roast it in my air fryer, which just happens to be my favorite appliance, and cook it in less time, I was all in!
And it's so easy to make too! Just a few ingredients, 20 minutes in the air fryer and it's ready. Don't have an air fryer? No problem! You can roast it in the oven as well and it can be done alone or whenever you are using your oven for a casserole or roast. See directions in the recipe card below.
Table of contents
Why does roasted garlic taste different than raw?
The roasting action actually changes the chemical makeup of the garlic and makes it easier to digest. It transforms the garlic's raw, crunchy texture to one that is buttery soft, caramelized, and almost sweet. In other words, simply irresistible!
Frequently Asked Questions
Using an air fryer, it takes only 20 minutes to roast a garlic head. If using a conventional oven, it takes approximately 40-60 minutes.
It will keep in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for 2 weeks.
Absolutely! I like to make several garlic heads at a time and freeze as is or squeeze cloves from papery skin and freeze. Remember to let it cool prior to freezing. It will keep up to 2 months in the freezer.
Yes, it is! It's low in calories, and rich in Vitamins C, B6, and manganese, which may help prevent or reduce the severity of illnesses like flu and the common cold. Garlic also improves blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and osteoarthritis.
One of the simplest and most delicious ways to prepare garlic is roasting it. Once roasted there are any number of ways you can use it. You can squeeze out the bulb and spread it over warm bread, top a baked potato or bring an ordinary Grilled Cheese Sandwich up a notch by rubbing the outside of the finished sandwich with a roasted garlic clove. Just get an eyeful of all the different ways you can use this vegetable.
How to Use Roasted Garlic
- Delicious eaten right out of the head spread on toast rounds
- Add to pasta dishes like this Pasta Primavera
- Stir into mashed potatoes for a real WOW moment
- Mix into hamburger meat for a more flavorful burger
- Combine with mayonnaise or ketchup for a great burger spread
- Spread on corn on the cob when mixed with butter
- Make an awesome garlic bread!
- Add it to soup
- Top a pizza
- Make a compound butter like this Easy Garlic Herb Butter from Grits and Pinecones
- Stir it into hummus like this White Bean, Garlic and Kale Hummus
- Make it into a dip by mixing with sour cream
Pro Tip: Roasted garlic is a great replacement for minced garlic in recipes. Simply add a single roasted garlic clove in place of 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic or ½ teaspoon of minced garlic.
How to Make Roasted Garlic in Air Fryer
This recipe has only 3 basic ingredients - garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure you purchase large garlic heads (they don't have to be elephant garlic) so that the cloves can be easily removed once air-fried. If cooking more than one at a time, try to get heads that are all about the same size.
- Remove as much of the papery outside skin as you can which will make it easier to remove the individual cloves after roasting. Then cut about ¼"-½" off the top of each garlic head. You want to cut off just enough so you can see the tops of the cloves.
- Place each garlic head onto a square of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap around the head and seal it. Pour 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over the open cloves. This oil actually increases the surface temperture of the garlic helping it to caramelize and prevent it from drying out.
- Season it with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the heads tightly in the foil to enable the garlic to cook in the steam. This creates that creamy texture that everyone loves.
- Preheat your air fyre then place the wrapped garlic in the basket and air fry for 10 minutes.
The roasting process transforms the garlic's raw, crunchy texture to one that is soft and sweet with deliciously nutty undertones. Just look at all that caramelization! Doesn't that just make you want to dig in?
I don't think anything beats the aromas that waft through the house when you're roasting garlic. It's bound to have everyone drooling way before dinner. And if the irresistible aroma and flavors aren't enough for you, it's actually good for you too! So roast away and, a word of advice, make sure everyone eats the same dish so you can talk to each other after. lol Enjoy!
More Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan is a crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, dinner that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Easy Air Fryer Salmon is a quick, easy, flavorful dinner that's ready in 15 minutes. The salmon is cooked perfectly with a slightly crispy outside and an inside that is tender and juicy. Drizzle with lemon butter sauce and serve.
Air Fryer Tuna Patties are a 20 minute dinner that starts with canned tuna. The result is a patty that is deliciously soft and flavorful on the inside with a crunchy and slightly cheesy outside.
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds are a quick and easy snack. You can make them with different flavors for a healthy and tasty treat.
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Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 garlic head
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 380 degrees.
- To prepare garlic, remove the loose skin then cut ¼″ off the top of the garlic head so that you can see the individual cloves.
- Place the head on a square of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap around it.
- Pour olive oil over the top the head so that it is well coated, usually about 1-2 teaspoons then season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the head tightly and place in air fryer basket and air fry for 16-20 minutes at 380 degrees.
Notes
- Delicious eaten right out of the head spread on toast rounds
- Add to pasta dishes, soup, mashed potatoes and hummus
- Make a compound butter or dip
- Spread on corn on the cob, top a pizza or make garlic bread
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