A drizzle of homemade garlic infused olive oil brings a sweet, mellow garlic flavor to steamed vegetables, fish, or toasted bread, without the bite of raw garlic.
I roast a whole head of garlic en papillote, the French technique of cooking food in a sealed parcel (it’s where my blog gets its name). Then I put the cloves in a jar and cover them with olive oil. A few Sichuan peppercorns add a citrusy note, but they’re optional.
The idea comes from Yotam Ottolenghi’s confit garlic oil, where garlic cloves cook slowly in olive oil. I took a different route: the garlic roasts on its own in its parcel, and only afterward does it go into the oil.
Want to taste it straight away? Mash a little roasted garlic into a spoonful of oil and spread it on warm bread, what we’d call a tartine in France.
PREP TIME
10 min
COOK TIME
40 min
DIFFICULTY
Easy
STORAGE
4 days
Garlic Infused Olive Oil with Roasted Garlic
A fragrant olive oil infused with garlic cloves roasted en papillote, tender and lightly sweet.
1
small jar10
minutes40
minutesPour garder la recette visible pendant que je cuisine
Ingrédients
1 head of garlic
olive oil, enough to cover the cloves
a few Sichuan, black, or pink peppercorns (optional)
a little salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Wash the head of garlic thoroughly, keeping it whole.
- Cut off the top of the head to expose the cloves.
- Place the garlic on a sheet of parchment paper. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper, then fold the parchment around it to form a closed packet. Add a layer of aluminum foil if you like.
- Bake about 40 minutes, until a clove is tender when pierced. Bake longer if needed.
- Open the packet and let the garlic cool until you can handle it.
- Separate the cloves and place them, skins on or peeled, in a small clean jar.
- Add the peppercorns, if using, and cover with olive oil.
- Close the jar and refrigerate promptly. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below, use within four days, and discard any leftovers after that.
My grain de sel (French for “my two cents”)
- I roast a few extra heads and keep them in the refrigerator, without oil, for hummus, beans, or salads over the next few days.
Which oil should I use?
I make this recipe with olive oil: its fruity flavor goes well with sweet roasted garlic. I like to use one I’d happily dress a salad with, since you’ll be drizzling it over your food. And if you’d rather let the garlic take center stage, a neutral oil like grapeseed works too.
For the pepper, use Sichuan, black, or pink peppercorns, or skip it and keep just garlic and oil.
How to make garlic infused olive oil
Roast the garlic en papillote
En papillote simply means cooked in a sealed parcel. The garlic steams in its own moisture, loses its sharpness, and turns tender and sweet.
Wash the whole head, then cut off the top to expose the cloves. Season with a little salt and pepper and wrap it in parchment paper. For a tighter seal, add a layer of aluminum foil. Bake at 250°F (120°C) for about 40 minutes.
To check, pierce a clove with the tip of a knife: it should be tender. If not, close the packet again and bake a few minutes longer.
Cover the cloves with oil
Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, separate the cloves and put them, skins on, in a small clean jar (or peel them first if you prefer). Add the peppercorns, pour in enough olive oil to cover, close the jar, and refrigerate promptly.
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How to use garlic infused olive oil
In France, we often dress vegetables while they’re still warm, so they absorb the flavor. This oil is perfect for that: green beans (haricots verts), zucchini, or boiled potatoes, with a pinch of salt.
It’s also good over grilled or steamed fish, with a few drops of lemon juice, or in a vinaigrette in place of your usual oil.
If you roast extra heads, keep the cloves in the refrigerator, without oil, and mash them into mashed potatoes, hummus, or plain yogurt for a dip with raw vegetables. You’ll find more ideas in my roasted garlic recipe.
How to store homemade garlic infused oil
Keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and use it within four days. Discard what’s left after that, as the CDC recommends. Make a small jar, and never leave it at room temperature to infuse.
Olive oil can turn cloudy or partly solid in the refrigerator. That’s normal: spoon out what you need and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use raw garlic instead of roasted garlic?
The flavor is sharper, with more bite. I prefer roasted garlic here for its sweetness and tender texture. Raw garlic in oil needs the same storage rules: refrigerate and use within four days.
Should I mash the cloves or leave them whole?
Mashing gives a stronger garlic flavor and a slightly thicker texture. Whole cloves can be spread on bread or served with vegetables. Pick whichever suits how you plan to use the oil.
What can I do with the garlic cloves in the oil?
Squeeze the tender garlic out of its skin and spread it on warm bread, or mash it into potatoes, hummus, or plain yogurt. Use the cloves within the same four days as the oil.
Can I cook with this garlic oil?
You can, but I mostly use it in vinaigrettes or drizzle it over food just before serving, when its flavor is at its best.
Is homemade garlic infused oil safe to store?
Garlic submerged in oil creates a low-oxygen environment where the bacteria that cause botulism can grow. Roasting doesn’t change that. Refrigerate it, make only a small amount, and discard it after four days.
What’s the difference between garlic confit and this oil?
Today, confit usually means food cooked slowly and gently in fat until it turns tender and its flavor deepens. The word comes from the French confire, “to preserve”: the original confit was meat cooked and stored in its own fat. Garlic confit cooks the cloves in oil. Here I roast the garlic first, then add the cloves to the oil. Either way, garlic under oil belongs in the refrigerator.
More ways to season your food
Tender roasted garlic, herb oils, and crisp pickled onions: four recipes to serve with your vegetables, fish, and salads.
Roasted Garlic
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