How to make the best garlic confit in oven

Garlic confit is one of the best thing to do with garlic and is so incredibly simple to prepare! Garlic cloves, infused in olive oil and herbs, become tender, lightly sweet and perfectly creamy, adding so much flavor to everything, from pasta to burgers or potatoes.

My garlic lovers, this one is for you! And trust me, if you usually don't like raw or cooked garlic, you'll change your mind with this recipe, as it's definitely not what you can expect when you talk about garlic.

💙 Why you'll love it

• Simple ingredients - all you need is a few easy ingredients, to find and to use... 
• A cinch to prepare - you just have to put peeled garlic cloves in a dish with other ingredients and let it cook on its own.
• All you have to do is...something else - while it's cooking, all you have to do is rest in your sofa with a cup of tea and your favorite episode of Friends!
• Garlic confit can go in every dish - I dare you to name a single recipe that doesn't go well with oven-roasted garlic confit? Savory, of course because no, chocolate cake doesn't count!

🧀 Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this easy garlic confit recipe. You can find a full list and measurements in the recipe card below.

• Garlic - use extra fresh garlic heads or store-bought pre-peeled garlic cloves if you want to be faster (there are some in almost every grocery store). And I suggest to choose your garlic carefully, so you do not encourage the slavery of Chinese prisoners. Read my Eco Tips on the subject.
• Olive oil - I recommend using extra virgin olive oil. As it's one of the main ingredients of the recipe, use quality!
• Herbs - I used dried thyme (fresh thyme works perfectly too) and a sprig of rosemary to infuse the cooking oil, but a bay leaf can also be added.
• Red pepper flakes - because I like my confit a little spicy, but it's completely optional. You can replace them with a pinch of red chili flakes.

🍔In which recipes to use oven garlic confit?

The right question would be: in which recipes NOT TO USE oven garlic confit, as it's so delicious and it pairs very well with almost everything!

• In salad dressings or to add some flavor in a salad, in pasta sauces or on a pizza.
• In a soup
• On a burger or a toast - as you'll have spreadable garlic cloves, don't hesitate to spread some and add a pinch of sea salt, it'll be delicious. With grilled mushrooms, it can also be delicious.
• In some Greek yoghurt with fresh herbs, to make a tasty sauce or in Vinaigrettes.
• With some potatoes
• In a homemade bread, such as Focaccia or Ciabatta, or to make garlic bread of course!
• And the infused oil can be used for pretty much anything!

✨How to make it?

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make homemade garlic confit at home. You can find recipe details and quantities in the recipe card below.

• Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C on natural convection/static heat high and low.
• Add garlic cloves to an oven-safe dish.
• In a bowl, mix olive oil with salt, black pepper, dried thyme and red pepper flakes.

• Pour the mix on the garlic cloves, they must be at least 75% submerged, otherwise use a smaller dish or add some more oil.
• Add rosemary sprig.
• Bake uncovered for one hour to one hour and a half, until the cloves are tender and golden.

• Let cool slightly before storing or using directly in a recipe.

👩🏻‍🍳 Chef's Tips

1. Put enough oil in your dish - garlic cloves must be submerged at 75% at least. If they are not, I suggest to use a smaller dish or to add some oil.
2. How to peel garlic fast - put whole cloves of garlic in a mason jar or in an airtight container, close it and shake for 20 to 30 seconds. You're done!
3. The oil may solidify a bit in the refrigerator, but it's no big deal.

💡Frequently Asked Questions

✅​Is garlic confit safe?

In most cases, as long as you store it correctly, garlic confit is perfectly safe to eat.

However, there may be a risk of botulism, a food-borne illness that can be fatal if not treated immediately, caused by the ingestion of powerful neurotoxins (botulinum toxins) which are present in contaminated food. 

To consume garlic confit safely, it is imperative to follow a few easy techniques:

• Use sterilized airtight jars and utensils. You can follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation's recommendations.
• Use an airtight jar to store your garlic confit.
• Make sure the garlic is completely submerged in oil before you store it.
• Store it in the refrigerator as soon as it's slightly cooled and never store it at room temperature.
• When you take some garlic confit out of the jar for a recipe, use a clean slotted spoon and immediately place the jar back into the refrigerator.
• Make sure the temperature of your refrigerator is not higher than 40°F/4°C (it's even better if it's lower). You can use a thermometer if needed.
• USDA recommends to eat garlic confit within 7 days. They also say you can freeze it if you want to store it longer.

❄️Storage and freezing

Store - Once garlic confit has slightly cooled, place garlic cloves with oil in a previously sterilized airtight jar, which you'll put directly into the refrigerator. USDA recommends to eat garlic confit within 7 days. If you store your garlic confit with cooking oil, USDA says you can use the oil within three days. If you want to keep your garlic confit for up to 7 days, I recommend storing it with fresh olive oil.

Freeze - follow the instructions given provided the USDA.

😋 Other recipes you'll love

• Garlic herb butter toast with parsley shrimp
• Wild garlic Pesto
• Parmesan garlic shrimp zucchini noodles