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30+ garlic recipes that make garlic the star! Including simple DIYs, sauces, dips, pasta dishes, and more – to make a garlic lover out of anyone!
Garlic is one of the most important ingredients in my kitchen. I could probably find an excuse to add it to every savory dish I make. It’s the perfect aromatic, flavor-boosting, finishing, and delicious ingredient to boost sauces, soups, and pasta dishes, enhance vegetable side dishes, and more. So, it’s high time I pull together this list of all my favorite garlic recipes that make this ingredient a star!
Cooking with garlic is not only simple. There are plenty of ways to introduce it into a dish for distinct flavor and textural differences.
And whether you’re a one-clove- or five-cloves-per-dish type of person, the garlic breath is more than worth it for the right recipes. I’m definitely in the “is there even such a thing as too much garlic?!” camp.
The most important thing to know about cooking with garlic is that the more you cut or mash the garlic, the stronger the flavor will be. This is because garlic contains flavor and aroma compounds (allicin) that are activated when cut. Therefore, adding whole garlic cloves to any dish will add a very subtle flavor. At the same time, garlic puree will have a very robust flavor and aroma.
The way you cook garlic also affects its flavor, as it decreases the allicin enzymes. For example, raw garlic is very pungent and spicy. So I usually use it in small quantities in sauces, etc.
Quick-cooked garlic (like sautéing it) mellows the harshest spice/pungency while retaining a strong flavor and slight bitterness. However, any slow-cooked garlic (like confit, roasting, in soups, etc.) will become wonderfully mellow and slightly sweet. And it will lose its bitter, harsh edge entirely.
Lastly, garlic burns quickly and easily. So if you plan to cook it in a pan, heavy-based ones are best for more even heat distribution. It’s also best to add garlic towards the end of cooking (both when pan-cooking and roasting in the oven). This will avoid burning it, which can make the entire dish bitter.
What To Do With Fresh Garlic
If you’re specifically looking for recipes that use a lot of garlic (whole heads of garlic), perhaps one of these DIYs is perfect for you.
Sauces, dressings, and dips are a delicious way to enjoy raw or cooked garlic (usually minced garlic). They give any meal a powerful boost of garlic flavor.
This Lebanese garlic sauce (Toum) is thick, creamy, and absolutely packed with fresh garlic flavor! Plus, this garlic recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan, and similar to garlic aioli but even more garlicky- yum!
If you want to make garlic dishes that are creamy and comforting, this 5-ingredients rich and creamy garlic alfredo sauce is a must try. With a base of parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, and cream at its base (+ several flavor variations!), it's perfect for adding to pasta, pouring over seafood, meat, and veggies, and more!
There is no lack of recipes with garlic and lemon and for good reason. This lemon garlic butter sauce is restaurant-quality, moreish, and perfect for serving over seafood, meat, vegetables, and pasta!
Fermented garlic honey is a tasty 2-ingredient condiment with cold and flu combatting abilities, immune-boosting properties, and an impressive shelf-life; perfect for enjoying for years to come!
Garlic and Chili Infused Honey (Spicy Honey Sauce)
Garlic and chili-infused honey sauce is perfect to use in garlicky dishes as a marinade, spread, drizzle, and more! All you need is just 3 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare it, too!
This creamy roasted garlic dressing uses just 5 ingredients, with a combination of naturally sweet, flavorful caramelized roasted garlic, zingy ginger, sweet honey (vegan optional!), and olive oil – you’ll want to eat it with everything.
No list of garlic recipes would be complete without homemade garlic aioli. This recipe is made without eggs and is perfect for enjoying with French fries, burgers, sandwiches, and more!
Ditch fresh garlic for caramelized, sweet, mellow roasted garlic in this 5-ingredient, 5-minute roasted garlic white bean dip. It's a delicious appetizer or snack to serve alongside crudites and crackers or spread over wraps and sandwiches!
Creamy authentic hummus is made with just a few ingredients, one of those being fresh garlic! Add as much or as little as you'd like, or even boost it further with the addition of roasted garlic. It's smooth, creamy, and delicious!
No list of recipes for fresh garlic would be complete without garlic bread, of course. But that isn’t the only way to pair the two ingredients for delicious results.
Combine garlic, cheese, and parsley to make incredibly appetizing ciabatta garlic bread to add a WOW factor to any meal! Bake or air fryer methods included.
This is another delicious garlic recipe for those who love the mellow, caramelized flavor of roasted garlic. By combining roasted garlic butter with the bread of your choice, you have a simple and flavorful side dish for tons of meals! Gluten-free and dairy-free methods are included.
Make delicious, traditional garlic naan at home with just 10 ingredients and a super simple process. This Indian flatbread is simple, flavorful, and a delicious garlicky food for serving alongside curries and stews. Plus, this recipe is easily veganized too!
If you're looking for "new" and interesting recipes with garlic cloves, give this dish a try. Pan con tomate is a popular Catalan tapa dish made with crusty bread, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Prepared in just minutes, this tomato bread is both humble and incredibly delicious. What makes it different? Rather than adding fresh garlic to the topping, this recipe has you rub fresh garlic cloves over toasted bread for the garlicky flavor.
Preparing vegetables is one of my favorite ways of cooking with garlic to add maximum flavor but minimal ingredients and fuss. Here are just some of my favorite garlicky vegetables.
Super simple and nutritious garlic sauteed spinach is perfect for boosting the nutrition of any meal as an immune-boosting side dish packed with delicious garlicky flavor.
Pan-fried zucchini is a quick, easy, versatile side dish for any meal made with garlic, lemon, and parmesan, and ready in under 10 minutes for a delicious low-effort option for cooking with garlic.
These 10-minute sautéed green beans with garlic (skillet green beans) are tender in the middle and lightly blistered outside for a simple, fuss-free, nutritious, and super tasty side dish! Gluten-free, low-carb, vegan, paleo, whole30, etc.!
If you thought corn on the cob and butter were the perfect duo, just wait until you try this juicy treat with garlic butter! It's so good I could honestly enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Within this recipe, you can learn not only how to sauté mushrooms to perfection with a simple process, but pair them with a garlicky seasoning for a delicious side or topping for tons of meals!
Garlic and potatoes are another pairing that works so well together, and these rosemary garlic crispy roasted potatoes are the perfect addition to a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. Using just 5 ingredients and a simple recipe, you'll end up with perfectly crispy oven potatoes every single time!
This Chinese eggplant stir-fry ditches meat by cooking tender eggplant in a super flavorful chili, ginger, and garlic sauce (using 5 cloves!) for a gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan garlic recipe!
This easy garlic and olive oil pasta (pasta aglio e olio) is the ultimate simple mid-week garlic dinner recipe. It’s inexpensive, flavorful, and satisfying, with just 6 ingredients, no fuss, and ready in under 15 minutes!
This 15-minute garlic lemon pasta (aka Pasta al Limone) is creamy, buttery, lemony, and wonderfully garlicky -ready to become your new favorite easy pasta dish! Enjoy the lemon spaghetti alone, add protein or veggies, ditch the cream, or turn it vegan – there are tons of ways to adapt this garlic meal.
These easy garlic chili oil noodles combine your noodles of choice (gluten-free, vegan, low-carb) with an aromatic garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili oil sauce for a simple 10-minute meal! Top it up with extra veggies and protein for more of a meal if preferred.
This vegetable lo mein dish combines delicious Asian flavors like chili, ginger, and garlic coating noodles and versatile veggies, for a filling meal ready in under 20 minutes. It's a perfect 'clear out the fridge' dish. Plus, it's much healthier (and cheaper) than takeout!
Rely on just four ingredients to make this aromatic garlic fried rice, perfect for enjoying as part of a Filipino breakfast or alongside lunch or dinner for any garlic lover.
This roasted garlic potato soup combines three whole heads of roasted caramelized garlic with potatoes and (optionally) mushrooms in a fragrant vegetable broth and then blends it until smooth, velvety, and creamy. The results are a cozy, comforting, and hearty winter-ready soup!
Çilbir (Çılbır) is a simple Turkish poached eggs dish served with a garlic yogurt base and drizzled with aromatic melted paprika butter and Aleppo topping. The resulting dish is a hearty breakfast in 10 minutes, delicious with simit, pita, or crusty bread.
Make perfect oven-baked salmon in under 25 minutes with a simple lemon, garlic, and thyme flavoring! It's tender, moist, flaky, flavorful, and perfect for serving with veggies, grains, salads, and more!
If you try any of these top garlic recipes, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
