Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (2024)

Published: Aug 13, 2021 · Modified: Jan 17, 2024 by Kristina Tipps · This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission.

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Roast garlic in the air fryerfor a quick and easy way to add extra garlic flavor to many dishes. When roasted, garlic cloves turn soft and buttery, easily popping out of their shell casings and becoming spreadable on crusty bread or garlic toast. Savory roasted cloves of garlic make a wonderful addition to soups, salad dressings, pastas, homemade breads and so much more.

It turned out really perfect!! Thanks for this!

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (1)

Table Of Contents

Why You'll Love This Easy Air Fryer Method
Ways To Use Roasted Garlic
Ingredients and Equipment
Step-By-Step Instructions
How To Store
Chef's Tip
Recipe FAQs
Recipe
Recipe Reviews

Using the air fryer to roast garlic cloves is one of my favorite ways to use this convenient appliance and to cook one of my favorite foods. With just 2 ingredients and about 20 minutes of cooking time, air fryer roasted garlic is ready to use in all of your best recipes - taking much less time than oven traditional oven roasting! I use the same method of making roasted garlic in my air fryer as I do when making sweet roasted tomatoes.

While roasted garlic compliments many dishes, I also love eating it right out of it's shell for a healthy and delicious snack. If you love garlic, this is hard to resist as the lovely aroma fills your kitchen.

Roasted garlic cloves are very freezer-friendly, so I find that they are best air fried in large batches and frozen in portions for easy in recipes whenever you'd like. You can make as many heads of garlic as can fit in your air fryer without changing cooking time or temperature.

Why You'll Love This Easy Air Fryer Method

This recipe works in any style and with any brand air fryer- so whether you have a basket style or toaster style, you can make air fried garlic. I use both myInstant Omni PlusandInstant Pot Duo Crisp.
It's an easy air fryer recipe for beginners to get used to how their brand and style of air fryer cooks.
Cooking time is nearly half that of the oven it takes in your oven!
The air fryer won't heat up your kitchen like the oven does.

Ways To Use Roasted Garlic

One of the most obvious ways to use roasted garlic is as a substitution for raw garlic in your recipes. But there are so many other uses too.

Pasta dishes, like homemade spinach pasta, fresh tomato sauce spaghetti, or Instant Pot tomato basil pasta.
Toasted bread, like garlic bread, cheese bread, or this super fluffy white bread.
Classic or specialty grilled cheese sandwiches, such as a tomato basil mozzarella grilled cheese and Mediterranean quesadillas.
Enhance the flavor of soups by adding roasted garlic to cabbage soup, carrot soup, cauliflower soup, loaded baked potato soup, etc.
Add to pizza dough or a topping for pizza, such as Mediterranean pizza.
Pizza, especially a margarita pizza or spinach and feta pizza.
Vegetable side dishes, such as air fried cauliflower, green beans, crispy roasted baby potatoes, zucchini and more.
Add to crockpot mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes or creamy mashed cauliflower.
Stir fry recipes, like this garlic butter chicken stir fry.

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (2)

Ingredients and Equipment

You need:

Whole head of garlic: keep the garlic bulb intact with the shell on.
Oil: use a good quality oil. I use extra virgin olive oil but avocado oil, vegetable oil and other neutral oils can be used.
Aluminum foil: tin foil is used to wrap the garlic head in so that it roasts in the olive oil and caramelizes.
Oven mitts and tongs: needed to remove the hot roasted garlic from the air fryer.

Step-By-Step Instructions

STEP 1:Keeping the garlic bulb in its shell, slice off a small amount of the bottom to expose the inner cloves. Place the cut bulb in a piece of aluminium foil large enough to tightly wrap the entire bulb. Drizzle each head of garlic with about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil so that it coats the exposed cloves and drips down the outside of the bulb. Secure the entire head of garlic tightly in the aluminium foil, keeping the top slightly exposed.

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (3)

STEP 2:Set the air fryer to 390°F/198°C. Put the foil-wrapped garlic bulbs in the air fryer basket or on the shelf (for oven type air fryers). Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the top of the garlic bulb begins to caramelize and turn golden brown.

*Start checking the garlic around the 20 minute mark. Open the foil carefully using oven mitts and tongs. If not done, return to the air fryer and continue cooking in 2 minute intervals

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (4)

STEP 3:When top of garlic has turned golden brown and reaches caramelization, remove with tongs and oven mitts. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (5)

STEP 4: Remove individual garlic cloves from their shells by gently squeezing the bottom of the roasted garlic bulb into a dish or piece of foil. Use immediately or store for later use (see storage tips below)

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (6)

Enjoy!

How To Store

There are a few options for storing leftover roasted garlic cloves. Put the individual garlic cloves in an airtight container, glass jar or freezer-safe storage bag. Pour extra virgin olive oil over the cloves. They should be completely covered and submerged. Cover tightly with a lid or seal the bag and store in your fridge or freezer.Roasted garlic will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge if submerged in oil.In the freezer, roasted garlic keeps for about 6 months.

Chef's Tip

For storing in ready-to-use portions, put a specific amount of individual garlic cloves in an ice cube tray. Pour extra virgin olive oil into each section to cover the cloves. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer. When ready to use, pop out the individual sets of garlic as needed. Thaw the garlic at room temperature before adding to recipes.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Roast Garlic In The Air Fryer Without Using Tin Foil?

Yes, you can. Roasting garlic without foil in your air fryer will will be a bit more messy, as the oil will drip down the bottom of the air fryer. Rub the whole garlic bulbs with oil, then air fry for 15-20 minutes, or until the top caramelizes but doesn't burn.

Recipe

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

Kristina Tipps

Roast garlic in your air fryer in half the time it takes in your oven! If you love roasted garlic cloves in pasta, bread, vegetables and more, this easy air fryer recipe is for you! In less than 25 minutes you can have this delicious add-in ingredient ready to use. 2 ingredients and virtually no preparation! Make as many garlic bulbs as you want, and freeze the leftovers for easy use later on.

4.70 from 94 votes

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Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 2

Calories 64 kcal

Equipment

air fryer

Ingredients

1 garlic bulb
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Keeping the garlic bulb in its shell, slice the bottom off (the side with the brown part) of the bulb to expose the inner cloves.
Place the cut bulb in a piece of aluminium foil large enough to tightly wrap the entire bulb. Drizzle with the olive oil so that it coats the exposed cloves and drips down the outside of the bulb. Wrap tightly in the foil.
Set the air fryer to 390°F or 198°C. Put the wrapped garlic in the air fryer basket or cooking pan. Air fry for 20-25 minutes, garlic begins to caramelize and turn golden brown. Remove carefully using mitts and tongs.
When ready to use, squeeze the garlic bulb gently so that the cloves easily slide out of their shells. Serve in pasta dishes, appetizers, dipping oil, or on sandwiches and toast.

Video

Notes

Ensure there is something under your air fryer basket or tray to catch oil that may drip out of the foil.

Store in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Store in an airtight bag or container.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 6mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

Did you try this recipe?Give a shout out to @tastyovenrecipes or tag #tastyovenrecipes!

Recipes To Try Next

Air Fryer Bacon
Air Fryer Sausage Patties
Air Fryer Frozen Taquitos
Frozen Potstickers in the Air Fryer

Reader Interactions

Comments

Elizabeth Freebird
September 04, 2022 at 1:14 pm

Enjoyed this very much, came back for reminder times and temp.
Reply
Sarah
March 15, 2022 at 11:10 am

Just made this. It’s incredibly good smeared on toasted sourdough.
Reply
Essess
January 08, 2022 at 9:51 pm

I tried this and it wasn't as roasted through as when I bake in the oven. I'm unsure if it needed to be rotated partway through, or if it needed more time. It was okay, but definitely not the right creamy texture I get with my conventional roasted garlic.
Reply
- Kristina
  January 09, 2022 at 7:39 am
  It likely needed more time. It doesn't need to be turned at all. It's possible your air fryer brand just needs to cook it a little longer.
  Reply
Rae
August 29, 2021 at 3:20 pm
Have you tried roasting multiple heads at once? Wonder if I could place three in one piece of foil or if I’d have to wrap each one individually?
Reply
- Kristina
  August 30, 2021 at 6:22 am
  You can put 3 garlic bulbs in 1 piece of foil. There isn't a need to wrap them individually. Enjoy!
  Reply
Toni
August 14, 2021 at 9:37 am

It turned out really perfect!! Thanks for this!
Reply
Chef Dennis
August 13, 2021 at 9:37 pm

This is perfect! I am definitely going to try this idea.
Reply
Becky
August 13, 2021 at 2:33 pm
Can u something besides aluminum foil? Thx!
Reply
- Kristina
  August 13, 2021 at 3:10 pm
  You could put it in a baking dish and top with the oil. Or, peel the garlic cloves and toss with oil, then put on a pan and air fry them like this...either way watch it closely to ensure it caramelizes but doesn't burn.
  Reply
- ANNE
  June 19, 2023 at 9:04 pm
  I ACTUALLY SMOKE THEM IN MY STOVE TOP SMOKER IN OLIVE OIL WITH THE CLOVES PEALED OF SKIN. BE SURE TO COVER THE CLOVES WITH OIL. I NOW HAVE SMOKED OLIVE OIL AND SMOKED CARMALIZED GARLIC CLOVES. IF I USE A GLASS OVEN PROOF WITH A SNAP ON LID I CAN SMOKE-LET COOL-AND STORE IN REFRIGERATOR IN ONE DISH
  Reply
Audrey
August 13, 2021 at 9:33 am

I never knew I could make this in my air fryer!
Reply
- Mary
  August 02, 2023 at 10:20 am
  
  We found that we needed to turn up our temp to 400 and bake longer, almost 40 minutes to get the garlic as soft as we like. We still enjoyed the recipe and it is better then having to use the oven. Thank you.
  Reply

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between garlic confit and roasted garlic? ›

Unlike traditional oven-roasted garlic, garlic confit roasts slowly in oil, which minimizes browning to yield a sweeter, more mellow garlic flavor. Though this garlic confit recipe calls for thyme and bay leaves, you can customize the flavor notes by swapping these out for other herbs or by omitting them altogether.

Get More Info ›

Can garlic go in the air fryer? ›

Roast garlic in the air fryer for an easy way to add flavor to lots of dishes. Once roasted, the cloves easily pop out of their paper casings and are soft as butter. Try spreading on crusty bread or crackers, or use for garlic toast.

How do you roast garlic without burning it? ›

The same goes for roasting garlic, by the way. A whole head of garlic that's been halved, rubbed with oil, and wrapped in foil then baked in an oven turns sweet, creamy, and spreadable. But keep the temperature no higher than 375˚F, or the outer edges will burn before it has time to soften.

Learn More Now ›

What's the difference between air frying and roasting in an air fryer? ›

Air fryers can get up to pretty high temperatures, making them great for roasting and broiling. When you use an air fryer to roast, it will default to a higher temperature and cook for a shorter amount of time than it does while air frying.

What is the roast setting on air fryer? ›

Air frying requires higher temperatures compared to traditional ovens. So, for roasting beef, set your air fryer at around 400°F (200°C). Cook time will vary based on the size and thickness of your cut—start checking after about 30 minutes. Don't forget to let the meat rest before slicing.

Discover More Details ›

Do you eat the skin of roasted garlic? ›

Yep, You Can Eat Garlic Clove Skin—Sort of

If you're making a sauce that you're going to strain anyway, just smash the clove and leave the skin on to add maximum flavor. If you're mincing garlic for a recipe, save the skin and throw it into a stock or broth later.

Discover More Details ›

Why does roasted garlic taste different? ›

Not only is the flavor of roasted garlic phenomenal, but it also tends to be a bit easier on your stomach than fresh garlic. 😅 The flavor of roasted garlic is much more mellow and deep than fresh garlic, and it has a beautiful sweetness from the natural sugars that caramelize during the roasting process.

Read The Full Story ›

Why does roasted garlic taste better? ›

Cooking affects the intensity, softening the sharpness and adding depth of flavor to the overall dish without being overwhelming. I prefer roasted garlic in recipes when I want a more mellow, slightly sweet flavor.

Why did my garlic turn blue in the air fryer? ›

Naturally occurring sulfur in the garlic interacts with those enzymes, occasionally turning it slightly green or blue. Sometimes the color change happens, sometimes it doesn't. Shifts in temperature, pH, and the age of the garlic can also come into play, so heating it or mixing it with acid might have some affect.

View Details ›

Can I put aluminum foil in an air fryer? ›

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Get More Info Here ›

Why does my roasted garlic always burn? ›

However, when garlic is cooked at high heat or for too long, the allicin can break down into other compounds, some of which can be more volatile and can cause the garlic to burn. This can be especially true if the garlic is finely chopped or minced, as this can expose more of its surface area to the heat.

Discover More ›

Why is my roasted garlic still hard? ›

If it's still slightly hard, rewrap the garlic and let it cook for 10 minutes before checking it again. Larger heads of garlic will take longer to roast. Continue checking the garlic every 10 minutes after the 40-minute mark.