How to Roast Garlic in an Air Fryer

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: August 26, 2021 References

It's a hassle to heat up your entire oven just to roast a head of garlic, but it's a snap in an air fryer! You can roast just 1 head of garlic or up to 6 at one time, which is great if you're doing meal prep. Let the air fryer do the work and in less than half an hour you'll have perfectly soft, browned garlic.

Method 1

Method 1 of 8:
Preheat your air fryer to 380 °F (193 °C).

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Plug in your air fryer and turn it on. Then, program it to 380 °F (193 °C) so it heats up while you're preparing the garlic.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 8:
Cut ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) off the top of an unpeeled garlic bulb.

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Slice the top end so you can see the cloves of garlic inside. If you can't see the individual cloves, you might need to cut another ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) off the narrow top.^{[2]
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- There's no need to peel the garlic before you cut it since the papery outside doesn't affect the cooking time.
- Want to roast individual cloves? No problem— place peeled or unpeeled cloves of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Then, roast them just as you would a whole head of garlic.

Method 3

Method 3 of 8:
Set the garlic on aluminum foil.

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Place the garlic so the exposed cloves face up and the root rests on the foil. If you want to roast more than 1 head of garlic, go ahead! You can fit up to 6 heads of garlic in a large piece of aluminum foil, for instance.^{[3]
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- Don't want to use aluminum foil? It's totally fine to use parchment paper instead of foil—just wrap it tightly so it doesn't unfold in the air fryer.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 8:
Drizzle the garlic with 1 tsp (4.9 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil.

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The oil flavors the garlic as it roasts and stops it from sticking to the foil. If you don't feel like measuring out 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of oil, feel free to just drizzle a little over the head of garlic.^{[4]
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- Although the garlic has a ton of flavor on its own, feel free to season it with salt and pepper. You can also add a pinch of lemon-garlic pepper or seasoned salt.
- Try roasting the garlic with coconut oil. You might be able to detect the mellow coconut flavor which pairs with the garlic as it cooks.

Method 5

Method 5 of 8:
Gather the foil around the garlic and seal it closed.

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Bring each corner of the foil up to the middle and bunch it closed. You don't have to fold the foil neatly to seal it. Just bring all the corners to the center and scrunch them together so the oil doesn't leak out and steam can't escape.^{[5]
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Method 6

Method 6 of 8:
Put the garlic into the air fryer and cook it for 15 minutes.

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You can place it in the basket or on the lowest rack position. Then, close up the air fryer and cook the garlic until the exposed cloves turn golden brown. This means they're soft and ready to use!^{[6]
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- If your garlic still feels firm to the touch and looks pale, stick the pouch back in the air fryer and cook the garlic for a few more minutes. Large heads might need a total of 20 minutes.

Method 7

Method 7 of 8:
Squeeze the garlic to release the cloves.

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Wait until the garlic is cool enough to handle and take it out of the foil. The garlic is really hot right out of the air fryer, so wait a few minutes. Then, squeeze the root end of the garlic head so all of the roasted cloves pop out. This also pushes them out of the papery covering so there's no need to peel them!^{[7]
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- Open the foil pouch carefully—if there's still steam inside, you don't want it to burn you.
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Method 8

Method 8 of 8:
Scatter the cloves over your meal or mash it into a paste.

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Top pizza, sandwiches, or pasta with roasted garlic cloves. As it roasts, the garlic becomes mellow and has a slight sweetness so it works well with creamy pasta, cheesy pizza, or your favorite grilled panini. You can also enjoy the concentrated flavor by mashing the cloves into a paste and stirring it into pasta sauce or mayonnaise.^{[8]
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- Substitute garlic paste in recipes that call for basil pesto to get a different umami flavor.