Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
Once you learn how to make air fryer roasted garlic, you'll never want to be without this versatile condiment again! You'll be amazed at how sweet, creamy, caramelized, and luscious garlic becomes when it's roasted in an air fryer.
Keep reading to learn how easy and how many ways you can use this fast and easy roasted garlic.
Why This Recipe Works
Roasted garlic is amazing. But heating up the oven just to cook a head or bulb (or a few bulbs) of garlic isn't.
You'll love making roasted garlic in your air fryer for so many reasons. And if you don't have an air fryer, you might want to get one because:
- Using your air fryer instead of your oven to roast garlic saves so much time and doesn't heat up your house.
- Roasted garlic is caramelized, making it SO sweet, creamy, and mellow. You could eat it with a spoon!
- It's a delicious condiment to use in mashed potatoes, roasted fall vegetables, salad dressing, and so much more.
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe needs only two ingredients. I feel bad calling it a recipe!
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Garlic. I recommend roasting several garlic bulbs at a time. You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use. Make sure your garlic is very fresh.
Olive oil. Good quality, of course. I like California Ranch Olive Oil, which is available at most grocery stores.
How to Roast Garlic in the Air Fryer
First, cut about ¼ inch off of the top of your garlic bulbs. Leave the root end intact, but remove any loose, papery skin. Place the bulbs on a piece of foil large enough to lightly wrap them up.
Second, drizzle about one teaspoon of olive oil over each garlic bulb. A little more is OK. Lightly wrap your garlic with the foil.
Third, roast the garlic at 380ºF for 25-30 minutes. I don't preheat the air fryer, but it's fine to do so if you want to save roasting time. The garlic is done when it's golden brown, and you can easily pierce a few cloves with the point of a knife.
Let your garlic cool. To use it, squeeze the bulb to release the cloves or lift individual cloves out with a fork or knife. It will be very soft and spreadable.
Expert Tips
All air fryers are a bit different, so roasting time can vary. For example, my air fryer only has even-number settings, and it heats up quickly, but yours might be different. I recommend setting your air fryer to 375-380ºF and 20 minutes. Check the garlic once the timer goes off, and add extra time if needed.
If your air fryer runs hot, set the temperature lower and roast the garlic for a few extra minutes. I find if you set it higher, there's a greater chance your garlic may burn if you're not watching it closely.
I don't add salt or other herbs when roasting because I like to use plain garlic as a condiment. Also, fresh herbs might burn in the air fryer. I think it's best to add seasonings to the recipe.
If you prefer, you can separate the garlic cloves before roasting them. To do so:
- Peel the papery skins by smashing the whole bulb with the bottom of a heavy pan. Then put the loose cloves in a bowl with a lid and shake the lid vigorously. The peels will fall off in the bowl.
- Wrap all of the cloves in a foil packet with a drizzle of olive oil and roast it. Check the cloves after 20 minutes because they may cook faster once separated.
How to Use Roasted Garlic
There are so many ways to use roasted garlic:
- Whisk it into olive oil or butter and dip or spread it onto focaccia bread or sweet potato cornbread.
- Add it to white bean dip.
- Add it to Boursin mashed potatoes
- Whisk it into pretty much any type of soup
- Whisk it into a fresh herb salad dressing
- Use it on roasted salmon, chicken, or beef.
How to Store Roasted Garlic
Store the whole roasted bulb in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the whole roasted bulbs or squeeze the garlic from the bulb and freeze it for up to one month.
When you squeeze the garlic from the bulb, squeeze it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use a knife to spread the garlic out on the parchment paper. Wrap it up and store it in a freezer bag or other air-tight container. Break off the amount needed to add to a recipe.
You can also puree the roasted garlic with softened butter or olive oil in a blender or food processor and freeze it in ice cube trays for a month.
DO NOT can garlic or add roasted (or raw) garlic to oil and store it at room temperature because it can harbor food-borne pathogens.
Recipe FAQs
Garlic is a low-pH vegetable, which makes it susceptible to toxins and pathogens, including botulism. Garlic, in combination with moisture, room temperature storage, and low oxygen (such as storing it in oil or canning it and keeping it on a shelf) can cause botulism to grow.
Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and has benefits for cholesterol, blood pressure, heart health, cancer risk reduction, and fighting viruses and bacteria. Some of its antioxidants are sensitive to heat, so roasting does reduce some of its benefits. Still, some is better than none!
Recipes to Add Roasted Garlic To
Try adding air fryer roasted garlic to these recipes.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Recipe
Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 3 medium garlic bulbs
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cut approximately ¼ inch off of the top of each garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil large enough to wrap the bulbs.
- Drizzle about one teaspoon of oil over the top of each garlic bulb. Lightly wrap the garlic in the foil.
- Set the air fryer to 380℉ for 25-30 minutes. Add the garlic packet to the basket and let it roast. Check it after about 20 minutes.
- The garlic will be finished when it's golden brown and soft when you insert the point of a knife. Remove it from the air fryer and let it cool. To use it, squeeze the cloves from the bulb or remove them with a fork or knife.
