How to Make Garlic Confit for Everything
Senior Editor & Writer
Nicholetta Bokolas
Award-winning food blogger and writer sharing simple recipes, good food, and the stories that come with them.
There are recipes you make because they’re impressive. Then there are recipes you make because they make everything else taste better. This is one of those recipes. Once you learn how to make garlic confit, you’ll find yourself reaching for it constantly. I honestly don’t remember the last time I made a batch that lasted very long because I end up adding it to just about everything. Pasta, sandwiches, burgers, rice, roasted vegetables, salad dressings, mashed potatoes, soups—even smeared onto warm crostini with a little flaky salt. If you can make this garlic confit recipe, you can make almost any savoury meal taste even better.
The hardest part? Peeling all those whole garlic cloves. After that, the oven does all the work while your kitchen fills with the most incredible smell of garlic, rosemary, and thyme.
That’s the kind of cooking I love.
Simple ingredients, very little effort, and a payoff that lasts for days.
At a Glance
- Ready in about 1 hour
- Mostly hands-off cooking
- Perfect for meal prep
- Adds incredible flavour to countless recipes
- Naturally gluten free
- Keeps well in the fridge or freezer
Ingredients:
- 4-5 heads garlic, cloves peeled
- 1-1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil (enough to completely cover the garlic)
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- Add the peeled garlic cloves to a small oven-safe baking dish, loaf pan, or small saucepan that can safely go into the oven.
- Arrange the cloves in a single layer if possible.
- Pour the olive oil over the garlic until every clove is completely submerged.
- Add the fresh thyme, rosemary, and black peppercorns, if using.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45–60 minutes, checking after about 45 minutes.
- The garlic is ready when the cloves are soft, lightly golden, and easily mashed with the back of a spoon.
- They should not be browned or crispy.
- Remove the dish from the oven and allow the garlic confit to cool completely.
- Remove and discard the thyme and rosemary sprigs.
- Transfer both the garlic cloves and the infused garlic oil to a clean airtight glass jar, making sure the cloves remain covered with oil.
- Store the garlic confit in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.
- For longer storage, divide into small portions and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use the soft garlic cloves anywhere you'd normally use roasted garlic—spread onto crostini, stir into pasta, mash into butter, add to sandwiches, burgers, rice, roasted vegetables, soups, sauces, or salad dressings.
- Don't forget to drizzle the infused garlic oil over your favorite savoury dishes, too.
- Don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment!
Why Garlic Confit Is Worth Making
If you’ve never had garlic confit before, prepare yourself.
Slowly roasting garlic in extra virgin olive oil transforms it completely.
Instead of sharp, spicy garlic, you’re left with buttery-soft cloves that spread like butter and melt into sauces, pasta, vegetables, and soups.
The olive oil becomes infused with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns, creating a garlic oil that’s just as valuable as the cloves themselves.
Nothing goes to waste.
The garlic becomes sweet, mellow, and incredibly creamy while the infused oil becomes liquid gold for cooking.
It’s one of those simple recipes that instantly makes your everyday cooking feel a little more special.
How to Make Garlic Confit: Notes From My Kitchen
I honestly think this is one of those recipes everyone should know how to make.
It’s the kind of thing I always want tucked away in the fridge because it rescues dinner on those nights when everything feels a little boring.
Plain rice?
Add garlic confit.
Grilled burgers?
Spread garlic confit onto the bun.
Simple pasta?
Mash a few cloves into the sauce.
Roasted vegetables?
Toss them with the garlic oil before they go into the oven.
It’s amazing how one little jar can completely transform a meal.
And yes…peeling all those garlic cloves takes a little patience.
Once everything is peeled, the rest couldn’t be easier.
Ingredient Tips That Make a Difference In This Garlic Confit Recipe
Use Fresh Garlic
Fresh, firm whole garlic cloves produce the sweetest flavour and the smoothest texture.
Avoid garlic that’s already sprouting.
Choose a Good Olive Oil
Since the olive oil becomes part of the finished recipe, use an extra virgin olive oil you actually enjoy eating.
You’ll use every drop.
Fresh Herbs Are Worth It
Fresh rosemary and thyme gently perfume both the garlic and the oil without overpowering either.
Don’t Rush It
Low, slow cooking is what creates that silky texture everyone loves.
If the temperature is too high, the garlic can brown instead of becoming soft and buttery.
Fifteen Ways I Use Garlic Confit
This is where this dish really shines.
Some of my favourite ways to use garlic confit include:
- Tossing it into fresh pasta.
- Spreading it on sandwiches.
- Stirring it into butter.
- Mixing it into mashed potatoes.
- Adding it to soups.
- Whisking it into salad dressings.
- Tossing roasted vegetables with the garlic oil.
- Stirring it into rice.
- Adding it to burgers.
- Spreading it onto crostini.
- Mixing it into mayonnaise for an easy aioli.
- Spooning it onto pizza.
- Adding it to grain bowls.
- Serving it alongside a charcuterie board.
- Simply spreading it on warm crusty bread.
I honestly don’t think there’s a savoury dish that isn’t improved by garlic confit.
If you’re looking for another excuse to make this recipe, garlic confit potatoes are it.
Simply toss roasted potatoes with a few soft cloves of confit garlic and a drizzle of the infused garlic oil before serving.
The garlic melts into the potatoes, coating every bite with rich, mellow flavour. Finish with fresh herbs and a little flaky salt and you’ve got one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make.
Food Safety & Storage
Because garlic is stored in oil, it’s important to follow safe food handling practices.
Allow the garlic confit to cool completely before transferring it to clean, airtight glass jars.
Always store it in the refrigerator—never on the countertop—and use clean utensils each time you scoop some out. This helps reduce the risk of contamination.
For the best food safety, enjoy refrigerated garlic confit within about one week. If you’d like to keep it longer, divide it into small batches and freeze it. The cloves thaw beautifully and the garlic oil is just as useful after freezing.
A little attention to proper refrigeration means you’ll always have a safe, flavour-packed ingredient ready to elevate your cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is garlic confit?
Garlic confit is garlic cloves slowly cooked in olive oil until they’re soft, golden, and spreadable.
Can I use dried herbs?
Yes, but fresh rosemary and thyme give the best flavour.
Can I use the garlic oil?
Absolutely. Drizzle it over vegetables, pasta, soups, or use it in salad dressings.
How long does garlic confit last?
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about one week, or freeze it for longer storage.
Can I freeze garlic confit?
Yes. Freeze it in small portions so you can thaw only what you need.
Final Thoughts On This Garlic Confit Recipe
If I could convince every home cook to keep one little jar in their fridge, it would be this one.
Learning how to make garlic confit is one of those small kitchen skills that pays you back over and over again. It’s simple, affordable, incredibly versatile, and somehow manages to make almost every savoury dish taste just a little more special.
Once you’ve made your first batch, don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking for excuses to use it. I certainly do.
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Nicholetta Bokolas
Nicholetta is an award-winning food blogger and writer whose work lives at the intersection of food and story. She shares simple, approachable recipes inspired by the flavours she grew up with, grounded in the belief that good food should never be too complicated. She is currently writing a food memoir that traces her grandmother’s journey from Greece to Canada, and the recipes that carried her through building a new life and a successful restaurant. A lifelong home cook, Nicholetta is most at home in the kitchen, cooking for the people she loves and gathering around a table where food is as much about connection as it is about what’s on the plate.
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