How to Make Garlic Confit

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If you’ve been wondering How to Make Garlic Confit, you’re going to be amazed at how something so delicious, can also be so easy! Cooking the garlic slowly in olive oil, creates a mild, tender, spreadable garlic that will leave you speechless (mostly because your mouth will be full! lol)

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What is garlic confit?

Garlic confit is whole cloves of garlic that have been slowly cooked in olive oil (whether on the stove or in the oven) yielding a soft, tender, mild tasting spreadable garlic that is just *chef’s kiss*!

I’m actually sitting here smelling my garlic confit in the oven as I sit here and type this and I can’t wait for you to try this and just see how amazing it smells and tastes! So let’s get right to it!

How to make garlic confit:

It’s so simple! You’ll want to start by adding your whole, peeled garlic cloves to a shallow baking dish. You can use any oven-safe dish or even a cake pan if that’s what you have on hand. Then add enough olive oil to completely cover the garlic.

I also like to add in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme to add a little extra flavor but that’s optional. If you like spicy, red chili flakes are also a great addition here! After you’ve soaked your little garlic cloves, it’s time to bake!

What temperature to cook garlic confit:

Garlic confit gets cooked low and slow. I like to cook It at 250°F for 2 hours. This will keep the garlic sweet and tender. Cooking garlic at a higher temperature can make it turn bitter so low is best for this recipe.

How to safely store garlic confit:

IMPORTANT: Garlic confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months. You may have noticed in your “garlic confit” search, that scary term botulism in conjunctionwith garlic confit! There’s some research showing that the garlic and oil, stored at room temperature can cause this harmful bacteria to grow. To avoid this, store it in the fridge for no longer than a week. Never store at room temperature. The oil may slightly solidify in the fridge but that’s ok, just let it come back to room temp and enjoy!

Ways to use garlic confit:

Serve it on a baguette with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Strain the cloves and mix it into this homemade butter
You can top make homemade bread like this dutch oven bread or this easy focaccia
Add it to your favorite pizza
Use it in marinades and sauces
Add it to your garlic mashed potatoes

My absolute favorite way to serve Garlic confit:

Take a small plate and pour some of the oil and quite a few garlic cloves. Use a fork to smash the cloves into the oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper and dip with some bread! I also love to use the oil in any recipe that uses olive oil for an extra flavor boost!

I also found my same little Staub baking dish on amazon! It’s the perfect size for garlic confit and so many other small dishes. It also fits perfectly in a toaster oven!

Coco and Ash

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups whole garlic cloves (about 4 heads or you can use frozen/peeled garlic cloves)
1 and ½ cups olive oil (or enough to cover your cloves)
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme (optional)
sea salt for serving
baguette or bread for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 250° Fahrenheit.
Peel your garlic cloves if using whole heads and add them to a shallow, oven-proof dish.
Pour in enough olive oil to completely cover all of the cloves.
Add in your fresh herbs and push into the oil as well. (You could also sub a couple shakes of dried herbs if that's what you have on hand)
Place your uncovered dish in the pre-heated oven for 1 and ½ to 2 hours.
Remove from the oven when the cloves are slightly browned and you can easily mash one with a fork.
If you are serving on baguettes, spread a layer of the garlic confit over the bread then sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy!
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE WAY TO ENJOY THIS: Take a small plate and pour some of the oil and quite a few garlic cloves. Use a fork to smash the cloves into the oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper and dip with some bread!

Notes

IMPORTANT: Garlic confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months. You may have noticed in your "garlic confit" search, that scary term botulism in conjunctionwith garlic confit! There's some research showing that the garlic and oil, stored at room temperature can cause this harmful bacteria to grow. To avoid this, store it in the fridge for no longer than a week. Never store at room temperature. The oil may slightly solidify in the fridge but that's ok, just let it come back to room temp and enjoy!

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