29 Recipes That Put Garlic Front and Center
For people who always add an extra clove (or three).
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness
You want garlic flavor? (We’re guessing so, since you’ve arrived at a list of garlic recipes.) Or lemon-garlic flavor (the key to a classic hummus)? Honey-garlic? Ginger-garlic (a purée of it, rubbed on meat as a marinade*)? Anything-garlic? Then you’re going to have to deal with garlic breath (although there are also some ways to deal with that). And you’d be smart to learn how, because there are some serious health benefits involved: Fresh garlic is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. Sulfur compounds, which have medicinal properties, form when you chop or crush it. (Actually, that’s a good trivia question: “Which is healthier, raw garlic or minced garlic?” Bet most people won’t guess that it’s the latter.) So, get thee to the grocery store, fill up your tote bag, and make these garlic recipes. They’re our 29 favorite ways to cook the allium.
* “Yum” is right.
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Photographs by Laura Murray, food styling by Simon Andrews, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
1/29
Grilled Eggplant With Garlicky Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
This garlic recipe features a method for grilling whole heads until the garlic cloves are tender and jammy (which means they’re spreadable). Eat them with crusty bread and a drizzle of good olive oil.
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Photo by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Haubert, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky
2/29
Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
Take two comfort dishes, grilled cheese and garlic bread, combine them, and.… There aren’t words, really. Just don’t rush the cooking process; moderate heat allows the cheese inside to melt fully without burning the outside.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris
3/29
Garlicky Buttery Scallops
We love how easy but luxe this recipe is; it works for a dinner party just as well as it does a weeknight family supper. Make some garlic butter, sear the scallops, add some vinegar and herbs and you’re finished.
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Laura Murray
4/29
Homemade Caesar Dressing
Probably the most famous garlic-heavy salad dressing in the world, whipping up homemade Caesar is easier than you might think. We’ll show you how to do it.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani
5/29
Shish Taouk (Grilled Chicken Skewers With Toum)
Toum, an intense garlic sauce usually paired with shawarma, is used as both a marinade and a condiment in this Lebanese chicken dish. Want to plan a dinner party around it (something we recommend)? Make this entire Lebanese feast.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness
6/29
Pasta With 20 Cloves of Garlic
When we think “garlic noodles,” we think of this pasta dish. Twenty—that is not a typo—cloves of garlic, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast turn it into an umami bomb. And if you like this, here’s another pantry pasta that leans on garlic, plus anchovy fillets and Parmesan.
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Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop styling by Sophie Leng
8/29
Garlic-Miso Butter Mashed Potatoes
A couple of spoonfuls of miso add extra umami and saltiness to these creamy garlic mashed potatoes. And they are mashed, by the way; this recipe does not require a ricer or food mill.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness
9/29
Ginger-Garlic Fire Cod
Modeled after Hunan-style steamed fish, this fiery, flavor-blasted weeknight-friendly dinner is rounded out with a cooling, crunchy cucumber salad and steamed white rice.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser
11/29
Squishy Garlic Dill Rolls
Garlic bread gets a pillowy pull-apart makeover. Golden and glossy, gleaming with a brush of garlicky butter and dappled with dill, we’d say this is definitely next-generation stuff.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
12/29
The Garlickiest Fried Rice
Have we died and gone to heaven? Because this recipe involves a crispy fried garlic topping, rice fried in the leftover garlic oil, and scrambled eggs.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams
13/29
Garlic Confit
You’ve got to be a Garlic Lover with a capital L for this one. All it takes is three heads of garlic, a couple cups of grapeseed oil, low oven heat, and two hours. Once the cloves are gone, use the garlicky oil in a salad dressing or marinade.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
15/29
Herby Pasta With Garlic and Green Olives
Fresh herbs like parsley and basil bring fresh flavor and a bright green color to this garlicky pasta, but what’s that pale-green ingredient? Castelvetrano olives, also known as the best olives.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li
16/29
Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts With Hot Honey
Crispy-edged roasted broccoli proves it works just as well as an appetizer as it does a side dish. Tip: Leave the peels on the garlic cloves so they steam and become creamy when roasted.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
18/29
Bean and Grain Stew With Garlic and Chiles
File this under “Things That Restore Your Faith in Everything” and also “Things That Kind of Make You Feel a Little Superior Because They’re Filling, Delicious, and Healthy All at the Same Time and You Freaking Made Them.” (We know. Feelings are layered and complicated.)
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Heidi’s Bridge
19/29
Garlic Knots
If you work in an Italian American pizza shop in the New York area, you’ve probably served garlic knots. If you’re a customer of shops like that, you can probably list the ingredients off of the top of your head: pizza dough, butter, fresh chopped garlic, garlic powder, parsley, salt. Side of marinara not optional.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
20/29
Slow-Cooked Halibut With Garlic Cream and Fennel
When garlic is cooked gently in plenty of fat (in this case, cream), it becomes something else entirely: Raw cloves go silky and sultry, warm and welcoming.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
21/29
Roast Chicken Legs With Lots of Garlic
The title of this recipe, Roast Chicken Legs With Lots of Garlic, is both serious and vague. Serious because we’re talking lots of garlic, but vague because, well, just how much garlic is Lots of Garlic? You’ll have to click to find out.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
23/29
Garlic-Chile Vinegar
Make a big batch of this spicy-tangy vinegar and it will become your secret weapon in soups, stews, braises, and creamy dressings. Another funky condiment we love: Fermented Garlic Honey, which acts as a damn fine glaze on this Pepper Chicken.
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Peden Munk
24/29
Marinated Red Peppers With Garlic and Marjoram
This simple side dish—charred and peeled red bell peppers infused with garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and marjoram—goes with everything you’re grilling this summer.
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Photo by Laura Murray, styling by Judy Mancini
26/29
Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pie
Yes, you read that ingredient list right: This savory pie takes a whopping 6 peeled garlic cloves—and heirloom tomatoes, and Taleggio and Parmesan cheeses, and shallots and thyme—to make.
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Peden Munk
27/29
Garlicky Harissa
Make this harissa on Sunday and cut down on prep time for easy dinners throughout the week: Smother it on meat and you’ll take a simple grilled steak or chicken to the next level, no fancy technique or special care required.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen
28/29
Chickpea and Celery Soup With Chile-Garlic Oil
Like Kim from Maine, you may find this gluten-free recipe disarming: “I wanted an economical, easy dinner, and this worked. It sounded boring as written, but it came together beautifully.” (We appreciate the honesty, Kim.)
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Alex Lau
29/29
Steak Short Ribs with Crispy Garlic and Chile Oil
The garlic recipe within the steak recipe, here, is for thin little fried savory chips that act as a tasty garnish—and they belong on much more than beef. Sprinkle them on soups, salads, sautéed veggies, and more.
Senior Associate Web Editor. When she’s not torturing herself by grinding coffee beans by hand and making her own butter, Rochelle writes about cooking techniques and seasonal eating for bonappetit.com. She comes to BA by way of a small farm in Central New York, where she worked as a farmhand… Read more
