I’ve always made roasted garlic in the oven, which can take an hour or so.  But, did you know you can make roasted garlic in the microwave in just a few minutes? I make one garlic head at a time.

I just love garlic, especially roasted garlic, and this method makes it quick and simple when you need to add it to a dish like Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  

updated 12/03/2023 – I have checked AND RECHECKED this recipe several times. The key to this recipe is the lower power mode for cooking.

I make up a batch at a time and keep it in the fridge in some olive oil.  It’s amazing as a burger topping or in mashed potatoes, chopped up into garlic butter sauce, spaghetti, meatballs, and more.  It’s so easy to make. 

How do you Roast Garlic in the Microwave?

Set your microwave lower. I set mine at 40% power.

My microwave is 1000 watts, so the time might be different for you.  It took me a few tries to get the right time.  

First, cut the top of the garlic head, so that all the garlic is exposed.

Place it in a small microwave-safe baking dish. I like to use ramekins.

Then, add between 2-4 tablespoons of water. You’ll want it almost to the top of the garlic head.

Drizzle olive oil over the top and a little into the water. This keeps the garlic moist.

Cook on 40% POWER for 5 minutes. Carefully check the garlic to see if it’s soft, if the middle is still hard, cook for up to 2 more minutes at 40% POWER.

Once again, I have checked and rechecked this with a 1000-watt microwave. Your cooking time may vary.

When it comes out, the garlic will have softened. Carefully remove it from the microwave, and let it sit for a minute. Then, squeeze out the garlic. It should be soft and easily mashable.

After it’s cooked, you want the garlic to easily squeeze out of the cloves so that it’s soft and can easily be mashed.  I check it with a knife to see if it’s soft.

Making roasted garlic this way won’t be quite so aromatic or turn very brown as when roasted in the oven.  The flavor also won’t be as pungent.  I still found it absolutely delicious, especially smashed on a piece of crusty bread.  It’s a total time saver shortcut when you need roasted garlic or just regular garlic in a recipe because usually it takes about an hour to roast garlic in an oven.  

Depending on the recipe, you might need to mash the garlic or mince it or chop it.  All of that will be super easy once the garlic is softened by roasting. 

How do you store freshly Roasted Garlic?

I use a small plastic container and gently squeeze all the garlic pieces I can out of the garlic head.  The garlic is soft, so it can sometimes be a challenge to squeeze them out whole and not squished.  Sometimes, they do squeeze out squished or mashed, but those garlic pieces are definitely still usable. 

Once you’ve squeezed them all out, make sure none still have the papery skin on them.  Then throw all the papery part of the head away.  

Douse the garlic in olive oil.  I usually fill the container so that the garlic is completely covered in olive oil.  Keep the container tightly covered and in the fridge. The roasted garlic will last about 1-2 weeks.    

Don’t waste the olive oil when you’ve used up all the garlic because you’ll then have amazing Garlic infused Olive Oil, which tastes amazing and is perfect to add to Italian food or salad dressing.  

Microwave Recipes for Roasted Garlic 

• Microwave Cheesy Ravioli Lasagna with Meat Sauce
• Angel Hair Pasta in the Microwave
• Microwave Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
• Garlic Butter Sauce in the Microwave
• 3-Ingredient Lazy Man Lasagna in the Microwave
• Microwave Lasagna for One
• Microwave Baked Ziti Pasta for One Serving
• Simple Tomato Salad

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Yield: 1 head of garlic

Roasted Garlic in the Microwave

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

1. Cut the top off the garlic so that the tops of all the garlic are exposed in the cloves.
2. Put it in a small microwave-safe shallow dish, cut side up such as a ramekin.
3. Add the water around the garlic, so it doesn't quite cover the top.
4. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the garlic head, so it stays moist.
5. Set the microwave to 40% power.
6. Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Check the garlic. If it's still hard, cook an additional 1-2 minutes, checking after 1 minute.
8. As soon as the garlic is done, remove it from the microwave.
9. Using a potholder or towel, remove the garlic from the bowl and gently squeeze the garlic from the cloves into a clean bowl or plate.
10. Use it immediately or store it in olive oil in a sealed container for up to a week.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3 cloves

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g

Any nutritional information on justmicrowaveit.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.

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