This Air Fryer Roasted Garlic recipe transforms whole raw garlic into buttery, caramelized cloves—so subtly flavourful you can pop them right into your mouth. Done in 30 minutes, much faster than the oven, and no tin foil needed. This is a recipe for how to roast garlic without foil in the air fryer.
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Why Roast Garlic in the Air Fryer?
Roasted garlic is like Garlic Confit, but faster. And more flavourful.
Garlic confit, which uses peeled garlic, is all about low, slow roasting. It takes about an hour to confit. Roasted garlic uses a higher temperature and takes less time, around 45 minutes in the oven. And air frying garlic makes it even quicker. Just 30 minutes for deliciously caramelized garlic!
Best of all: NO PEELING REQUIRED.
Just cut the tops off of a bulb of fresh garlic and drizzle with a tiny bit of oil. Usually you wrap the garlic in aluminum foil to keep it from burning. But there’s an easy way to roast garlic in the air fryer without using foil. You need either a small oven-safe container, like a ramekin, or a simple sheet of parchment paper.
I’ve tested this in the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia Air Fryer, but other air fryers will work too.
Ingredient Notes
There are three main types of garlic in the grocery store: softneck, hardneck, and elephant garlic.
Elephant Garlic is not a true garlic. It’s easy to spot because it’s twice as large as regular garlic. The flavour is milder than real garlic.
Softneck Garlic has a stronger flavour than elephant garlic. But it’s still quite mild. It’s a good option if you don’t like the spiciness. But that’s not a concern with roasted garlic because roasting takes out all the spicy sharp notes.
Hardneck Garlic looks similar to softneck garlic, but it has a hard stem in the middle of each bulb. (Hence the “hard” neck.) It also has a more pungent aroma. Some varieties of raw hardneck garlic taste super super hot!
Hardneck garlic is my favourite to make air fryer roasted garlic. It won’t taste spicy at all once it’s roasted, but it’ll retain all of the intense garlicky flavour.
The only other ingredients you’ll need are oil, for roasting the garlic, and some salt (optional). Olive Oil is a good option, but so is a neutral oil like Grapeseed Oil or Sunflower Seed Oil.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Herbs: Nestle some fresh rosemary or thyme under the garlic bulb to infuse the roasted garlic with herby flavour.
- Salt & Pepper: I prefer to season the garlic after roasting it, but you can add it at the beginning before roasting too.
- Chili Pepper: Scatter chipotle pepper flakes or smoked paprika over the top of the garlic. Gives it a nice smoky flavour.
- Truffle Garlic: Use truffle oil instead of olive oil. Or sprinkle with some truffle salt.
Directions
Step 1. Slice the top off a whole head of garlic so that all the individual cloves are exposed.
Step 2. Place into a ramekin or on a sheet of parchment paper, cut side up. Drizzle over with olive oil.
Step 3. Cover with a lid (if using ramekin) or wrap the parchment paper around the garlic and twist the top tightly to secure it.
Step 4. Air fry at 400 °F for 30 minutes (if using parchment paper) or 60 minutes (if using ramekin). No need to preheat the air fryer.
Step 5. Remove from air fryer and open the lid / unwrap the parchment paper to let cool.
Step 6. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves.
Top Tip
Don’t bother with peeling your garlic for this recipe. Once they’re cooked, the roasted garlic cloves will pop right out of their skin with a squeeze.
Equipment
To roast garlic in the air fryer without aluminium foil, you need a small oven-proof container with a heavy lid. The lid keeps the garlic moist and prevents burning.
You can buy a garlic roaster online which is specifically made for roasting garlic. Most garlic roasters are made from terra cotta. These need to be soaked in water for 20 minutes before putting in the air fryer. So you need a bit of planning ahead.
I prefer using a regular old PYREX, cast iron skillet, or ceramic baking dish. No soaking required. Just put in the garlic, sprinkle with oil, cover, and air fry!
Another option is to wrap the garlic bulb in parchment paper and twist it tightly at the top so that it doesn’t come apart. This is my preferred option because it’s the fastest—it only takes 30 minutes.
Storage
Fridge: Store roasted garlic in the fridge for up to three days. Garlic in oil should always be refrigerated and not stored past three days.
Freezer: Freeze roasted whole garlic bulbs in an airtight container for up to six months.
What to Make with Roasted Garlic
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Hummus
- Roasted Garlic Rice
- Spread on toast
- Compound Butter
- Buttery Steak Sauce
- Roasted Garlic Deviled Eggs
- Salad Dressing or Vinaigrette
- Roasted Garlic Chicken Congee
- Garlic BBQ Sauce
- Chicken Noodle Soup with Roasted Garlic
More Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for other recipes that can be made in an air fryer? Try these:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Roasted Garlic (No Foil)
Equipment
- Air fryer I’ve tested this in the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia Air Fryer, but other air fryers will work too
- Small oven-safe ramekin with lid, or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt *optional
Instructions
- Slice off the top of 1 head garlic so that all the cloves are exposed.
- Place the garlic into a ramekin or onto a sheet of parchment paper, cut side up. Drizzle over 1 teaspoon olive oil (and 1 pinch of salt, if using).
- Cover with a lid (if using ramekin) or twist the parchment paper tightly to wrap the garlic inside. Place it into the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 400 °F for 30 minutes (if using parchment paper) or 1 hour (if using a ceramic roaster). No need to preheat the air fryer.
- Carefully open the lid or unwrap the parchment paper. The cloves should be soft and lightly browned. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the roasted cloves.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave roasted garlic at room temperature for more than four hours.
- Garlic cooked with oil should be kept in the refrigerator at 40 °F or lower for at most 7 days.
Becca says
Ooh love this! SO easy and no clean up time.
Kelly Zhang says
Exactly Becca. Thanks for the review!