What’s Eating You? is a weekly advice column where I answer all of your burning cooking questions. Today we are tackling how to not burn garlic when frying or sauteing it!
I feel almost ashamed to admit this, but I still burn my garlic! I consider myself a decent cook, but this culinary dark spot leaves me stressed and frantic when standing over the stove. Rather than browning the garlic in oil initially, I have started adding it after a few things are already going in the pan. This seems to work ok, but I imagine that the flavor does not develop in the same way and incorporates unevenly. Is the oil too hot? Am I not using enough? Am I cooking it too long? It always seems to go from golden to brown in a flash!
Have no shame! Garlic can be tricky. There are multiple factors that could contribute to your garlic burning problem – and there is nothing ickier than burnt garlic. It all starts with your prep work and how you plan on using the garlic. Here are a few thoughts in the matter.
The most common way of taking the skins off garlic is to use the back of your knife to flatten the clove. This is efficient (and kind of empowering), but it also crushes the garlic and releases some of its sugary juices. We don’t think of garlic as being sweet, but it has a lot of naturally occurring sugars. Notice how your hands are sticky after handing this crushed clove?
Any garlic that has been bruised like this, or is subsequently pulverized even more by rough chopping, is a prime candidate for burning. It’s all thanks to exposing these natural sugars. There’s nothing wrong with prepping your cloves in this manner. But if you do, you need to make sure that you add the garlic further into the cooking process – usually after you’ve sautéed other aromatics like onions and carrots. The onions etc. will release some of their own liquids as they sauté and create a less harsh pan environment for the garlic when it comes time to introduce it. You should only sauté the garlic for a minute or so – until fragrant. Then continue by adding more liquids to the pan, or other vegetables that will release some.
If you are introducing the garlic to a pan with hot oil alone, make sure to use perfectly sliced, diced, or whole garlic. Start by thinly slicing the ends off the cloves with a paring knife. Then cut the clove in half and remove the skins. You can thinly slice the cloves from there, or dice it much like you would an onion by making horizontal and vertical slits in the clove.
When you’re frying garlic in hot oil, you want to keep the flame on medium. Watch the pan and once the garlic starts to turn golden, turn the heat down to low or remove the pan from the stove entirely before proceeding with the next step in the recipe. Often if you’re using a heavy skillet on a cast iron cooktop, the heat will be retained long after you’ve turned off the flame. This is why sometimes it’s necessary to move the pan to a heat-free back burner if things are moving too quickly.
It can go from golden to burned in a flash, so you’ll need to control the heat and also be ready with whatever the next ingredient is you’re adding. You can always turn the heat back up once the garlic is safe from the hot oil.
An easy way to impart great garlic flavor and avoid burning it is to use whole peeled garlic cloves. Brown them in hot oil, then remove them from the pan. This also makes a dish low FODMAP, for those following that diet. You can continue with the recipe and then add the cloves back in when you’re simmering your sauce.
Lastly, don’t use a garlic press to prep your cloves unless you’re using it raw. This purposefully pulverizes the clove and leaves it pulpy and juicy – i.e. very likely to burn if frying in hot oil. There’s a better way to use that garlic, like in this salad.
The most important thing is to pay attention, and don’t be intimidated! Let me know how it goes.
The most common way of taking the skins off garlic is to use the back of your knife to flatten the clove. This is efficient (and kind of empowering), but it also crushes the garlic and releases some of its sugary juices. We don’t think of garlic as being sweet, but it has a lot of naturally occurring sugars. Notice how your hands are sticky after handing this crushed clove?
An easy way to impart great garlic flavor and avoid burning it is to use whole peeled garlic cloves. Brown them in hot oil, then remove them from the pan. This also makes a dish low FODMAP, for those following that diet. You can continue with the recipe and then add the cloves back in when you’re simmering your sauce.
I feel almost ashamed to admit this, but I still burn my garlic! I consider myself a decent cook, but this culinary dark spot leaves me stressed and frantic when standing over the stove. Rather than browning the garlic in oil initially, I have started adding it after a few things are already going in the pan. This seems to work ok, but I imagine that the flavor does not develop in the same way and incorporates unevenly. Is the oil too hot? Am I not using enough? Am I cooking it too long? It always seems to go from golden to brown in a flash!
Any garlic that has been bruised like this, or is subsequently pulverized even more by rough chopping, is a prime candidate for burning. It’s all thanks to exposing these natural sugars. There’s nothing wrong with prepping your cloves in this manner. But if you do, you need to make sure that you add the garlic further into the cooking process – usually after you’ve sautéed other aromatics like onions and carrots. The onions etc. will release some of their own liquids as they sauté and create a less harsh pan environment for the garlic when it comes time to introduce it. You should only sauté the garlic for a minute or so – until fragrant. Then continue by adding more liquids to the pan, or other vegetables that will release some.
Lastly, don’t use a garlic press to prep your cloves unless you’re using it raw. This purposefully pulverizes the clove and leaves it pulpy and juicy – i.e. very likely to burn if frying in hot oil. There’s a better way to use that garlic, like in this salad.
I think it’s safe to say that pretty much every home cook, at some point during their culinary life, has burnt garlic. And in my humble opinion, this might be one of the worst foods to burn, because there’s no turning back once you do. Unlike other veggies or meats that aren’t completely ruined if you just so happen to give them a little extra char than you intended for, garlic cannot withstand even 10 seconds too long over a flame. It turns black almost immediately and acquires an off-putting, bitter taste that can ruin an entire dish. The only fix to burning garlic is starting over.
With the luscious oil that you’ve so carefully concocted, you can make stir-fries, one-pan pasta sauces, soups, or whatever dish you want to be laced with fresh, garlicky flavor. Ultimately, this is not the only way to cook garlic, however it’s, in my opinion, a foolproof method that consistently creates a pronounced yet not-too-overwhelming garlic flavor. And I’ve burnt garlic too many times to go back to my old ways.
Let’s try this again. Instead, if you simply punch down on a whole garlic clove with the side of your knife, gently crushing it so that it’s paper skin falls off and it’s slightly cracked open, you’ll still be able to impart that garlicky flavor into the oil. By prepping the garlic this way, you’ll avoid creating so much exposed surface area (like you do when you mince it) that the whole chopped clove immediately turns to a pile of ashes after 60 seconds of sizzling. Smaller bits burn quicker, got it? If you really want to go the minced clove route, wait until the middle of your cooking process to add it to the concoction. This way, there’s less cooking time for your precious garlic to burn, and likely, more ingredients in the pan to help disperse the heat and act as a buffer for your delicate aromatic. Once you’ve got your slightly flattened cloves, put them in a skillet with oil (don’t be shy, a couple of generous glugs will do) over LOW HEAT. This temperature adjustment is crucial.
So here’s how it usually happens: You’ve got your oil heating in a skillet, maybe with an onion or some other aromatics, and you add a clove or two of minced/finely chopped garlic. Seems legit, right? We’ve got to start building the flavor of this dish at some point, so we might as well start now. Ehhhh…sure, you can do this, but just know, that if you’re going to burn your garlic, this is how it’s done. Despite the lovely, garlicky aroma that will immediately engulf your kitchen upon dumping this fresh garlic into hot oil, this is oftentimes where things take a turn for the worst. Take your eyes away from that pan for more than a minute or two (especially if you turned on the heat with abandon), and you’ve got yourself a handful of garlic that’s burned to a crisp. Not only that, but the oil and whatever other veggies are in that pan are going to taste pretty darn rotten, too.
When your cloves appear caramelized on the outside and creamy on the inside, you better be salivating, because you just created a garlic-infused oil. At this point, you can fish out the cloves, and add them to the blender to make a pesto, hummus, or any other dip/sauce that could use a garlicky punch, or spread them atop a piece of toast, which should then rightfully be finished with a frizzled egg. Heck, go ahead and eat these straight up as a deliciously pungent snack. Just brush your teeth after.
What Happens When You Eat Raw Garlic Everyday | Health Benefits of Garlic
Can You Grill garlic on a gas grill?
And the best part is you can grill the garlic right next to your steak or burgers. As long as you’ve got a little space on the grill that’s not right over the flame, you’re good to go. With a gas grill, light one side of the grill and put the garlic on the other side.
Is cooked garlic good for you?
Cooked garlic has the same health benefits as raw garlic, such as reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, promotes cancer prevention, has antibiotic properties and prevents Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Can you roast garlic on a grill?
Roasted Garlic is incredibly delicious as an appetizer, served over a slice of toasted baguette, or incorporated into a dish like pasta, dips, pizzas, or mashed potatoes. Find out how easy it is to roast garlic directly on the grill! A simple and delicious recipe and instructions on how to roast garlic on the grill.
How do you cook garlic on a grill?
Aim for around 400 degrees internal temperature of the grill. Prep Garlic: Using a sharp knife, slice the top off of each garlic bulb (about ¼ to ½ inches from the top), to expose the individual garlic cloves. Drizzle each bulb with about ½ tablespoon of olive oil (more or less depending on the exact size of the garlic bulb).