Roasted Elephant Garlic Recipe

Use my recipe for roasted elephant garlic for a sweet, caramelized, nutty, and buttery smooth spread that you can use over toast, add to soups, or make dips.

If you have never roasted garlic before, then you’re in for a treat. Raw garlic itself is very aromatic, but once roasted it becomes so mellow and caramelized that it enhances the flavor of dishes.

You can even eat it straight from the oven because it tastes delicious when roasted with spices and herbs.

You must have heard about roasting garlic in a bath of olive oil which is the most common method. However, roasting whole garlic is much easier and it requires less oil in comparison. Despite that, you get the caramelized, and nutty goodness.

Once roasted, you can spread it over a piece of toast, make spaghetti, add it to soups, dips, and much more.

What do you need to Roast Garlic in the Oven

Garlic: For this recipe, we need elephant garlic. It should be firm and big in size. For the best taste, I recommend using young garlic if you can find it in the local market.
Oil: I use olive oil in this recipe, but you can use any natural oil you prefer.
Butter: Adding a little bit of butter with oil, or just butter alone adds more flavor to the recipe.
Herbs and spices: Even though some recipes keep things simple with oil only, I like to add a bit of herb and spices to the garlic to bring out the flavor. I like to use rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Salt and pepper: Last but not least, salt and pepper are sprinkled on the garlic to enhance the flavor.

How to Roast Garlic

There are two ways to roast garlic in the oven. One way is to roast the whole garlic, and the other way is to roast the cloves.

Method 1: Roast Whole Garlic

This is the easiest way to roast garlic, and it requires less oil. For this method, you just have to slice the garlic head and cut it in half.

Place the garlic halves on a piece of foil. Drizzle olive oil, butter, spices, and herbs. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

If you don’t wish to slice the garlic in half, you can just remove the bulb and peel the outer layer. Expose the cloves a bit so the oil and spices seep through.

Method 2: Roast Garlic Cloves

You can also roast individual cloves as well. Place the peeled garlic cloves in a baking sheet, add a good amount of olive oil, and sprinkle with herbs and spices.

This method takes less time to roast, as you only need to bake it in the oven for 15 minutes.

How can you store roasted garlic?

Roasted garlic can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight jar for 2-3 weeks. Make sure there is a little bit of olive oil in the jar as well.

Alternatively, you can also freeze the roasted cloves as a whole, or by mashing them. It stays fresh for over 3-4 months.

I recommend freezing the mashed garlic in a small ice cube tray, so you can easily use it in recipes, instead of thawing the entire batch. Another way is to freeze it in a thin layer so you can break the piece as much as required.

Try Other Recipes

Different Ways to Use Roasted Elephant Garlic

Mash the garlic and spread it over the bread or toast of your choice. Add cheese or cherry tomatoes for more flavor.
Add to pasta sauce to make alfredo pasta or in simple mac n cheese.
Use in dressings like tahini sauce, or marinara sauce.
Use in soups and curry.
Combine into dips or make garlic butter.
Add it into mashed potatoes to enhance flavor.