Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

If you love the rich, mellow flavor of roasted garlic but don’t necessarily want to turn on the oven, you’re going to love this Air Fryer Roasted Garlic. In just about 15 minutes, whole bulbs of garlic transform into soft, golden cloves that are buttery, slightly sweet, and absolutely packed with flavor.

And yes, I realize roasting garlic isn’t exactly complicated to begin with. But when the air fryer can do the job faster—and without heating up the whole kitchen—I’m all for it.

Once roasted, the garlic cloves practically melt out of their skins. Spread them onto warm bread, stir them into mashed potatoes, toss them with pasta, add them to soups, or mix them into dips and sauces. There are so many ways to use roasted garlic that making four bulbs at once suddenly doesn’t seem excessive at all.

Plus, your kitchen is going to smell pretty amazing.

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

Traditional roasted garlic usually requires heating the oven and waiting 40 minutes or longer for the cloves to soften. Using the air fryer cuts that cooking time considerably.

This recipe takes only about 15 minutes at 400°F, depending on the size of your garlic bulbs and your particular air fryer.

A few more reasons to love it:

• It requires only two basic ingredients.
• There’s very little prep work.
• No peeling individual garlic cloves is necessary.
• You can make several bulbs at once.
• Roasted garlic can be refrigerated or frozen for later.
• It adds incredible flavor to everyday recipes.

It’s one of those simple kitchen tricks that makes you wonder why you didn’t start doing it sooner.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

You don’t need much to make perfectly roasted garlic in the air fryer.

Garlic Bulbs: Use large, firm bulbs of fresh garlic. Avoid bulbs with soft spots or cloves that are already beginning to sprout.

Olive Oil: A tablespoon of olive oil drizzled over each bulb helps the cloves become soft and flavorful while roasting.

Salt and Pepper: These are completely optional. If you already know how you plan to use your roasted garlic, feel free to season it before cooking.

Fresh Parsley: A little minced parsley makes a pretty finishing touch, especially if you’re serving the roasted garlic immediately.

You’ll also need aluminum foil and, of course, an air fryer.

How to Make Roasted Garlic in the Air Fryer

Begin by slicing approximately ¼ to ½ inch from the top of each garlic bulb. You want to expose the tops of the individual cloves while keeping the bulb intact.

Place each garlic bulb onto its own square of aluminum foil.

Drizzle approximately one tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed cloves, allowing some of the oil to seep down between them.

If desired, sprinkle the bulbs with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Wrap each garlic bulb tightly in the foil. This helps trap the steam as the garlic cooks, allowing the cloves to become wonderfully tender.

Arrange the wrapped bulbs in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400°F for approximately 15 minutes.

Carefully open one foil packet and check the garlic. The cloves should be very soft when pierced with a fork or knife. Larger bulbs may require a few additional minutes.

Once the garlic has cooled enough to handle, gently squeeze the bottom of the bulb and the roasted cloves should slide right out.

Seriously satisfying.

How Do You Know When Roasted Garlic Is Done?

Perfectly roasted garlic should be very soft, lightly golden, and easy to squeeze from the papery skin.

If the cloves still feel firm after 15 minutes, simply rewrap the garlic and return it to the air fryer for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Garlic bulbs can vary quite a bit in size, so cooking time isn’t necessarily one-size-fits-all. Your air fryer can also make a difference since different models sometimes cook slightly faster or slower.

Checking one bulb before opening all four packets is an easy way to avoid unnecessary unwrapping.

What Does Roasted Garlic Taste Like?

If you think raw garlic is a little too strong, roasted garlic may win you over.

As garlic cooks, its sharp flavor becomes much softer and sweeter. The finished cloves are creamy, buttery, slightly caramelized, and much less pungent than raw garlic.

You can even spread roasted garlic directly onto toasted bread almost like butter.

And although four entire bulbs might sound like a lot of garlic, remember that roasted garlic has a considerably milder flavor. You’ll probably find yourself adding it to everything.

Ways to Use Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

This is where the fun begins because roasted garlic is incredibly versatile.

Try spreading a few warm cloves onto toasted baguette slices and sprinkling them with flaky salt. You can also mash the cloves and stir them into softened butter for an easy roasted garlic butter.

It’s also delicious mixed into:

• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta sauces
• Soups and stews
• Homemade salad dressings
• Hummus
• Cream cheese
• Pizza
• Sandwich spreads
• Macaroni and cheese
• Roasted vegetables

You can even blend a few cloves into mayonnaise for an easy roasted garlic aioli.

Basically, anywhere you would normally use garlic, roasted garlic can add another layer of rich flavor.

Do You Have to Peel Garlic Before Air Frying?

Nope—and that might be one of my favorite things about this recipe.

You’re roasting the entire garlic bulb, papery skin and all.

Simply remove any very loose outer layers if necessary, slice the top from the bulb, drizzle it with olive oil, and wrap it in foil.

Once the garlic is cooked, the softened cloves can be gently squeezed right out of their skins.

Easy peasy.

How to Store Roasted Garlic

If you aren’t using all of the garlic immediately, allow the roasted cloves to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container.

Store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.

For longer storage, roasted garlic can also be frozen for up to three months. One convenient option is to mash the garlic and freeze small portions so you can grab exactly what you need for soups, sauces, or pasta dishes.

Just be sure to keep roasted garlic refrigerated rather than leaving it sitting at room temperature for extended periods.

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

Keep these simple tips in mind when making your garlic:

Choose garlic bulbs that are similar in size so they cook at approximately the same rate.

Don’t worry about peeling the bulbs before cooking. The skin helps hold everything together while the garlic roasts.

Wrap the foil securely so the olive oil stays inside the packet instead of dripping into the air fryer basket.

If your garlic bulbs are especially large, plan on adding a few minutes to the cooking time.

You can also use a little more olive oil if you prefer. Just avoid adding so much that it leaks from the foil packets.

And be careful when opening the foil because hot steam may escape.

Other recipes you might enjoy:
Garlic Sauteed Spinach
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Chickpeas
Homemade Pasta Sauce
Crab Meat Hors D’oeuvres

A Simple Kitchen Staple Worth Making

There’s something pretty magical about what happens to garlic when it’s roasted. Those sharp little cloves turn soft, creamy, and almost sweet—and the air fryer makes the process ridiculously easy.

With only five minutes of prep and about 15 minutes of cooking time, Air Fryer Roasted Garlic is an easy way to keep a flavor-packed ingredient on hand for meals throughout the week.

Make a batch, tuck it into the refrigerator, and add a clove or two whenever dinner needs a little something extra.

Sometimes the simplest kitchen tricks really are the best ones.