Homemade Garlic Confit (A Flavorful Kitchen Staple)
This Homemade Garlic Confit brings deep, savory flavor into any dish. The cloves of garlic are slowly roasted in olive oil making them tender, buttery, and spreadable. Add into soups and stews, salads and sauces, or whip with butter and herbs for the ultimate garlic bread. It’s the versatile, flavor-enhancing secret to a delicious dish, every time.
Hot tip: The oil is just as useful as the garlic itself!
What is Garlic Confit?
Garlic Confit is the decadent result of slow-cooking peeled cloves of garlic, fully covered in olive oil until tender and spreadable. The cloves become a bit sweet, have less of a bite than raw garlic, and are highly versatile for all of your favorite shareable savory dishes.
Why We Love Garlic Confit
This recipe is simple in that it only requires two ingredients- garlic and olive oil – and a bit of time. You can gently smash and peel the heads of garlic yourself or buy pre-peeled, whole cloves to make the process more efficient.
- Buttery, tender texture
- Sweet, nutty, balanced flavor
- Simple ingredients, minimal equipment
- Make it ahead and use for several weeks
- Makes a great hostess gift or takeaway gift for your dinner guests
Ingredients
- Garlic – whole, peeled cloves, the base of this decadent, flavor enhancing recipe
- Olive Oil – brings richness, decadence, melds into the garlic and creates magic
Pro Tip: Higher quality olive oil will make a difference in the flavor of the Garlic Confit, but isn’t necessary. Use what you have, and if you feel like splurging on a good quality oil, this is a great time to do it.
How to Make Garlic Confit
- Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 225℉.
- Step 2 – Peel 3-4 medium heads of garlic, separating the cloves until you have about 1 cup of whole, peeled cloves.
- Step 3 – Place the garlic cloves into a shallow 8×8-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish. Pour enough olive oil over the garlic to completely submerge the cloves, about 1 1/2-2 cups.
- Step 4 – Bake for 45 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are completely tender and easily smashed with a fork. The cloves may begin to turn lightly golden, and your kitchen should smell wonderfully fragrant.
Tips for Success
- If you’re using a larger baking dish, consider doubling or tripling the recipe. Otherwise, the ratio of garlic to oil may be off as you’ll need more oil to completely submerge the garlic cloves (which is critical to get the buttery texture and avoid burning!).
- This is a great recipe to use an infused olive oil such as Herbs de Provence, lemon, or even a pepper-infused oil. Use what you have!
- You can also enhance the flavor of your Garlic Confit by adding a bay leaf, some rosemary sprigs, or even a handful of basil. Use your favorite herbs to make it your own.
Notes for the Host
- Make Garlic Confit ahead of time for use in your favorite hostable dishes.
- Use in place of raw garlic for a more subtle, less offensive fragrance when enjoyed by dinner guests.
- This makes a delightful hostess gift or take-away gift for dinner guests who love to cook. Seal tightly in a small glass jar and adorn with a piece of twine and a small note card with simple ways to use it.
Variations and How to Use Garlic Confit
- Add your favorite herbs, peppercorns, or zest of citrus to create a more specified flavor profile.
- Use the oil to cook with – it is richly infused with garlic flavor.
- Use as the base for a garlic-aioli.
- Mash or blend 2-3 cloves of garlic confit and fold into your favorite pasta sauce.
- Use in place of raw garlic in your favorite soups, salads, dressings, and dips.
- Garlic Confit is an incredible addition to homemade hummus!
Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing
- Garlic Confit needs to be refrigerated. Once cooled, transfer to a clean, air-tight container and refrigerate. Use within 4 days, or you can freeze for longer storage and to use in future recipes. Unfortunately, it isn’t safe to store Garlic Confit at room temperature.
- To use for a longer period of time, freeze into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. This method is great when you want just a little bit at a time.
- To use from the freezer, allow to come to room temperature and use in your favorite recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Smash the garlic onto toasted sourdough with a bit of flaky salt, blend into your favorite sauces, spreads, and dips. You can substitute Garlic Confit anywhere garlic is called for in a recipe. Try it in my Creamy Potato Leek Soup, Green Olive Tapenade, or mixed in with Oven-Baked Meatballs. Delish!
It’s richly infused with garlic flavor and is amazing to use when sautéing meats and vegetables, drizzling on salads, or frying eggs.
Yes. Garlic Confit must be refrigerated. Once cooled, transfer to a clean, air-tight container and refrigerate. Use within 4 days, or you can freeze for longer storage and to use in future recipes. Unfortunately, it isn’t safe to store Garlic Confit at room temperature.
Homemade Garlic Confit
Equipment
- Pairing Knife for easy peeling
- Measuring cup
- 8×8-inch or 6×4-inch baking dish
- 16-ounce jar with airtight lid for storing
Ingredients
- 4 heads Garlic about 1 cup peeled cloves
- 2 cups Olive oil more or less to submerge the cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225℉.
- Peel 3-4 medium heads of garlic, separating the cloves until you have about 1 cup of whole, peeled cloves.
- Place the garlic cloves into a shallow 8×8-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish. Pour enough olive oil over the garlic to completely submerge the cloves, about 1 1/2-2 cups.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are completely tender and easily smashed with a fork. The cloves may begin to turn lightly golden, and your kitchen should smell wonderfully fragrant.
Notes
Tips for Success
- If you’re using a larger baking dish, consider doubling or tripling the recipe. Otherwise, the ratio of garlic to oil may be off as you’ll need more oil to completely submerge the garlic cloves (which is critical to get the buttery texture and avoid burning!).
- This is a great recipe to use an infused olive oil such as Herbs de Provence, lemon, or even a pepper-infused oil. Use what you have!
- You can also enhance the flavor of your Garlic Confit by adding a bay leaf, some rosemary sprigs, or even a handful of basil. Use your favorite herbs to make it your own.
Variations and How to Use Garlic Confit
- Add your favorite herbs, peppercorns, or zest of citrus to create a more specified flavor profile.
- Use the oil to cook with – it is richly infused with garlic flavor.
- Use as the base for a garlic-aioli.
- Mash or blend 2-3 cloves of garlic confit and fold into your favorite pasta sauce.
- Use in place of raw garlic in your favorite soups, salads, dressings, and dips.
- Garlic Confit is an incredible addition to homemade hummus!
Notes for the Host
- Make Garlic Confit ahead of time for use in your favorite hostable dishes.
- Use in place of raw garlic for a more subtle, less offensive fragrance when enjoyed by dinner guests.
- This makes a delightful hostess gift or take-away gift for dinner guests who love to cook. Seal tightly in a small glass jar and adorn with a piece of twine and a small note card with simple ways to use it.
Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing
- Garlic confit must be refrigerated. Transfer the cooled garlic and oil to a clean, covered container and refrigerate promptly. Use within 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Do not store garlic confit at room temperature.
- To use for a longer period of time, freeze into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. This method is great when you want just a little bit at a time.
- To use from the freezer, allow to come to room temperature and use in your favorite recipes.
