How To Make Garlic Confit
on Jun 22, 2022, Updated Feb 26, 2025
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This is How To Make Garlic Confit, both in the oven and on the stovetop! It uses just a few ingredients but packs a ton of flavor. Roasted garlic is truly an unmatched flavor, and this garlic confit that is simmered and slow-baked in olive oil is just divine.
Use garlic confit in recipes such as Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken, or Herb and Calabrian Chili Garlic Bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Garlic confit is a versatile condiment that can be paired with so many recipes, but can also be eaten on its own on toast, or even on a cheese board.
- Long Shelf Life: Store your garlic confit in the fridge, or even the freezer for months, so it’s always ready when you want it.
- Versatile and Customizable: Not only can you mix and match with different flavors for the actual garlic confit, but the confit pairs well with all types of meals.
- Depth of Flavor: Add umami and punch to any dishes using this confit as your base. It becomes flavorful, soft, and sweet.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
Peeled raw garlic cloves: You can use already store-bought peeled garlic cloves, or peel your own. Pre-peeled garlic ahead of time is totally fine!
Extra-virgin olive oil/pure olive oil: garlic and olive oil are just a match made in heaven. We’re adding a generous amount to cover the garlic completely and simmering until super tender. You can also use other oils like grapeseed oil or vegetable oil.
Seasonings we’re using: black peppercorns, kosher salt to taste, pinch of chili flakes
Optional fresh herbs you can add: thyme, fresh thyme, bay leaves, oregano or rosemary
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips and Substitutions
- Use High-Quality Olive Oil: Using the best oil possible will result in a silky garlic confit finish, and allow you to eat the confit in its purest form.
- Low and Slow: Cook the confit low and slow to result in a creamy and flavorful texture.
- Storing: Store in the fridge right away for up to a week, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to Make Garlic Confit
Step 1 For The Oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place garlic, oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and any herbs you desire (we’re using rosemary) in an ovenproof small saucepan or oven-safe dish. Add oil until all the garlic is submerged.
Step 2 For The Oven: Bake until the garlic cloves are tender, and golden, about 1 hour-1 1/2 hours. Transfer garlic cloves and oil, or use a slotted spoon and store separately in a container.
Step 1 For The Stovetop: In a saucepan or deep skillet, place your peeled garlic cloves, and cover completely with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of red chili flakes as well as rosemary sprigs.
Step 2 For The Stovetop: On low heat, cook and confit the garlic. You will slow-cook the garlic until it is completely jammy and easily spreadable, about 30 to 40 minutes.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
Recipes as simple as salads, salad dressings, dips, over roasted potatoes, smeared on toast, mixed in sauces, made into garlic confit butter for garlic bread, for roasted vegetables, in soups, using the oil for garlic oil, a pasta dish, mixed in hummus and sandwiches – just as some thought starters as amazing ways to use his! (Clearly, the list goes on!)
- Mash your garlic for instant garlic butter, such as in our Herb and Calabrian Chili Garlic Bread.
- Add garlic confit to our most popular potato recipe, Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes.
- For an appetizer to pair with dinner, make our Roasted Olives with Feta, Garlic & Citrus, or Roasted Garlic and Herb Yogurt Dip.
Garlic Confit FAQs
Garlic confit consists of roasting garlic in extra virgin olive oil on low heat, slowly, until tender, and browned. The taste of garlic confit is nutty and silky, and it has so many different ways it can be used!
For more confit recipes, you can also check out our tomato confit recipe!
Garlic confit is fit for SO many different recipes! Toss it in pasta, make a roasted garlic confit dressing or vinaigrette. Serve on toast, or you can serve it with homemade focaccia.
To store in the fridge: Garlic is a low-acid ingredient, which means it can’t be stored at room temperature. To eliminate any errors for bacteria like botulism, make sure you are placing it immediately in an air-tight glass jar/ container in the refrigerator. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days to 1 week.
To store in the freezer: The confit can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, absolutely! Just be sure you are storing the oil in the fridge per food safety guidelines.
Yes, as long as you store the confit correctly in the fridge or freezer after making it, you will be golden!
More Homemade Recipes
If you do make this Garlic Confit recipe, leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, we would love to hear what you think! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram, we love to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest in your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter. We can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest!
How To Make Garlic Confit
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups peeled garlic cloves, around 8 to 10 heads of garlic
- 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Kosher Salt, to taste
- pinch of chili flakes, optional
- fresh herbs of choice, we're using 2 sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
How to make garlic confit in the oven
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place garlic, oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes and any herbs you desire (we're using rosemary) in an ovenproof saucepan or dish. Add oil until all the garlic is submerged.
- Bake until the garlic cloves are tender, and golden, about 1 hour-1 1/2 hours depending on your oven, uncovered. Transfer garlic cloves and oil, or use a slotted spoon and store separately in a container, and transfer right away to the fridge or freezer.
How to make garlic confit in a pan
- In a saucepan or deep skillet, place your peeled garlic cloves, and cover completely with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of red chili flakes as well as rosemary sprigs (or any fresh herb of choice).
- On low heat, cook and confit the garlic. You will slow cook the garlic until it is completely jammy, and easily spreadable. Don’t boil the oil, you want this over low and a gentle, soft simmer. This will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on your desired doneness/color. It should be creamy, buttery and silky, and the garlic cloves should be a little darker in color.
- Use a slotted spoon to place your confit garlic to a jar, along with the garlic oil (or store garlic oil separate if you want it separate). Store in the fridge right away for up to a week, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Video
Notes
- Use High-Quality Olive Oil: Using the best oil possible will result in a silky garlic confit finish, and allow you to eat the confit in its purest form.
- Low and Slow: Cook the confit low and slow to result in a creamy and flavorful texture.
- Storing: Store in the fridge right away for up to a week, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I did the recipe with five bulbs. It was enough for two small jars. One goes to my boyfriend’s family, as part of a gift basket for Christmas 😛
I love it!! Enjoy!
An amazing condiment and basic to have under your melt for all types of meals! Enjoy!