Garlic Confit

Have you heard of garlic confit? It’s a recipe that’s been trending on TikTok lately and since I’m such a garlic lover, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Oh my goodness… it’s pretty much one of the best things I’ve ever tried. REALLY, if you’ve never enjoyed garlic cooked low and slow before, you are in for a major treat. 

What is garlic confit?

The term confit simply means a food that is cooked slowly, at a low temperature,  over a long period of time and usually in oil or sugar water. The term is often used for cooking meats, but in this recipe we’re doing it with garlic.

Enjoying garlic confit oven roasted is an entirely different experience than eating raw or sautéed garlic. Garlic confit is subtly sweet, so creamy and has an irresistible caramelized silky, nutty taste. Nothing at all like the raw form of garlic, which has a sharp and slightly bitter flavor. You’re going to love this handy condiment, which can be used in numerous ways. 

Ingredients needed:

This easy garlic confit recipe has just 3 ingredients, but is packed with so much delicious flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Garlic cloves. The star of this recipe! As the garlic cooks low and slow, it becomes buttery with a delicious savory-sweet flavor.
• Olive oil. Use enough to cover the coves of garlic in your baking dish. I would suggest using a high-quality light olive oil. 
• Fresh rosemary. Optional, but wonderful for adding a complexity of flavor to the cooked garlic. Fresh thyme is another great option.

How to make this recipe

Once you see how easy it is to make confit garlic you are going to become addicted. You’re seriously going to want to add it to so many different foods and recipes!

Please see the recipe card for the full, printable recipe with all of the details.

1. Prep. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place the peeled garlic cloves into a small oven safe dish and cover the garlic with the olive oil. Place the rosemary into the dish, so that it’s also submerged in the oil.
2. Cook. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 2 hours and until the garlic cloves are golden and easily pierced with a fork.
3. Cool & enjoy! Let the garlic cool to the touch and remove the herbs. Use the garlic and/or oil however you’d like. Scroll down for a list of ideas.

Pro tip: To save time and effort, you can buy a bag of peeled cloves. Bags of peeled cloves can be found in the produce department at most grocery stores.

Serving suggestions

Because you can use the flavorful oil and garlic in this recipe, there are a variety of ways to serve and use this garlic confit recipe. Here’s some ideas:

• Great as a spread, since it’s so soft and easily spreadable. We love it on toast, sliced French bread and bagels.
• Use the delicious oil any way you’d use regular olive oil. So good added to pasta and used to make salad dressing!
• Use the garlic any way you’d use regular garlic. I love to replace the regular garlic in homemade hummus with confit garlic!
• Blend either the oil or garlic (or both) into soup.
• Add them to a pan while you’re sautéing or roasting vegetables.
• Stir them into mashed potatoes.
• Use them as a pizza topping or layer them on a sandwich.
• Eat it by itself as a side dish.

Is garlic healthy?

Yes! According to a variety of studies, garlic is a superfood that can help prevent heart disease, cancer, infections, and stroke when eaten on a regular basis (Source: Healthline.com). Definitely worth enjoying garlic for so many reasons!

Storage Recommendations

There is a risk of botulance if the garlic confit is stored improperly. You can learn more about that HERE. Always store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it within 2 weeks.

To freeze: This can be frozen for up to 2 months. To use, simply place in the fridge and bring to room temperature and use within about a week.

As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and let me know how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).