This Confit Garlic recipe is going to be your new staple condiment! Confit Garlic is slow-cooked garlic cloves that are soft, buttery, & savory. It goes so well on toast, with pasta, or even on proteins!
Confit Garlic is truly one of the finest delicacies in life. If you are a fan of garlic, this recipe might just change your life. Confit is a culinary term that refers to something cooked in its own fat–typically, duck confit. Garlic confit is slow cooked in olive oil until it becomes soft, tender, and savory.
The outcome is similar to that of roasted garlic, yet softer and a bit easier to work with. You can keep the slow-cooked cloves whole or you can strain the oil (which becomes a garlic-flavored olive oil) and blend the cloves to make a garlic paste. This recipe is so simple and it works in the oven, on the stove, or even in the Instant Pot!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 2 Ingredients - Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, that's it!
- Versatile Condiment - Use this as a spread for toast, stir it into some pasta, use it as a coating for proteins, and SO much more!
- SO Easy! All you have to do is set it and forget it! Then it's ready!
What You Need for This Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Garlic Cloves - Use whole, peeled garlic cloves. Minced garlic from the jar will not work.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - High quality EVOO is best. I don't recommend using any flavored oils. Other neutral cooking oils such as grape-seed will work also.
Equipment:
- Pot or Oven-Safe Dish or Instant Pot
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Peel Garlic
Peel about 30-40 cloves of garlic, making sure to keep the cloves whole as much as possible.
Measure 1 ¼ - 2 cups extra virgin olive oil.
Step 2: Cook the Garlic
Instant Pot Method:
Add all of the garlic cloves and olive oil to the Instant Pot.
Set the Pot to the 'slow cook' function on the lowest setting.
Cover with a regular lid, not the Instant Pot lid.
Slow cook for about 1 hour and 30-40 minutes, or until garlic is soft and is easy to pierce with a fork.
Stovetop Method:
To a small or medium sized pot, add all of the garlic cloves and the olive oil.
Next, turn the stove on to low heat.
Cook on low for about 1 hour, or until garlic is soft and is easy to pierce with a fork.
Oven Method:
Add all of the garlic cloves and olive oil to a small casserole dish or other oven-safe vessel.
Heat the oven to 200ºF.
Cook for about 2 hours, or until garlic is soft and is easy to pierce with a fork.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Once the garlic is soft, remove it from its heat source.
Either add the garlic and the oil to a glass jar and refrigerate or strain out the oil. If you strain the oil, I recommend keeping the oil in a glass container and using it as a cooking oil.
I also recommend blending the cloves (without the oil) in the food processor and keeping the garlic paste so it is easier to use.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use enough oil to cover the garlic cloves. If you use the recommended amount and the garlic is still exposed, add more.
- With the leftover oil at the end, save it in a glass container and use it as a garlic-infused olive oil for cooking!
- Stir this into pastas, whisk into vinaigrettes, spread on toast, or use as a coating for skin on chicken or fish. You will not run out of ways to use this!
Recipe FAQs
Confit typically refers to a meat which is slow cooked in its own fat–most commonly, duck. Garlic confit is slow cooked in olive oil.
Garlic confit can be used for so many different things! Spread it on toast, mix it into pasta sauce, stir it into mashed potatoes, use it as a coating on proteins, and more!
Yes! This process turns the olive oil into a garlic-infused oil, which can be used like regular olive oil and it can flavor all of your food!
Garlic confit and infused olive oil needs to be refrigerated, due to a risk of developing botulism and other bacterias. It is best to used within 4 days, per food safety guidelines. Please be aware that storing homemade garlic confit and garlic oil for longer – or improperly – poses an inherent food safety risk.
That being said, I have stored it for longer than 4 days with no problem. The risk is up to you.
Yes, you can store this in the freezer for a few weeks.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:
Vegan Garlic Scape Basil Pesto
Hibachi Fried Rice With Yum Yum Sauce
Instant Pot Vegan Mac & Cheese
📖 Recipe
Confit Garlic (Stovetop, Oven, & Instant Pot)
Equipment
- Pot, Oven-Safe Dish, or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 30-40 Garlic cloves peeled
- 2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Peel about 30-40 cloves of garlic, making sure to keep the cloves whole as much as possible.
- Measure 1 ¼ - 2 cups extra virgin olive oil.
Instant Pot Method
- Add all of the garlic cloves and olive oil to the Instant Pot.
- Set the Pot to the 'slow cook' function on the lowest setting.
- Cover with a regular lid, not the Instant Pot lid.
- Slow cook for about 1 hour and 30-40 minutes, or until garlic is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Stovetop Method
- To a small or medium sized pot, add all of the garlic cloves and the olive oil.
- Next, turn the stove on to low heat.
- Cook on low for about 1 hour, or until garlic is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Oven Method
- Add all of the garlic cloves and olive oil to a small casserole dish or other oven-safe vessel.
- Heat the oven to 200ºF.
- Cook for about 2 hours, or until garlic is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
Remaining Instructions:
- Once the garlic is soft, remove it from its heat source.
- Either add the garlic and the oil to a glass jar and refrigerate or strain out the oil. If you strain the oil, I recommend keeping the oil in a glass container and using it as a cooking oil.
- I also recommend blending the cloves (without the oil) in the food processor and keeping the garlic paste so it is easier to use.
Notes
- Be sure to use enough oil to cover the garlic cloves. If you use the recommended amount of oil and the cloves are still exposed, add more until they are submerged.
- With the leftover oil at the end, save it in a glass container and use it as a garlic-infused olive oil for cooking!
- Stir this into pastas, whisk into vinaigrettes, spread on toast, or use as a coating for skin on chicken or fish. You will not run out of ways to use this!
- Nutrition Information is for 1 serving, which is equal to 1 cloves or 2 tbsps of blended garlic. This information includes the olive oil.
- Calories: 266 cal
- Total Fat: 30 grams
- Total Carb: 2 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
Sharon says
Sounds delicious! How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Emily says
To avoid any food risk of bacteria or botulism, 4 days is on the safe side! If you're willing to take a risk, it should last a week or two. I have kept it in the fridge longer than 4 days with no problem.
Yolanda says
For the instant pot instructions is the lowest setting the “low” setting which on mine is 185F…of lowest slow cooker mode can go which in my case is 103F? I am thinking just the “low” setting but then I started over thinking…
Emily says
Hi Yolanda! I just used the slow cooker button on my Instant Pot and made sure it was set to low. The great thing about this recipe is that its pretty hard to mess up. If you have it set too low, it'll just have to cook a bit long. Too high, it may cook faster. Just keep an eye on it, make sure the oil doesn't start to splatter or that the garlic doesn't start to get crispy or burnt or anything!
Donette says
How do you use this on toast, in pasta, etc. if you don't turn the garlic into paste? Do you just take out however much garlic you need and make it into a paste each time you need it?
Emily says
The garlic cloves will be so soft once cooked that you could sort of just mash it on toast or into pasta with a fork!
Gina says
Can it be preserved by “canning” in sealed jars/hot water bath?
Emily says
Hi Gina, I know canning can be a complicated process and possibly dangerous if not done correctly. Unfortunately, I don't feel that I know enough about canning to provide you with a certain answer! You may want to reach out to Sarah at https://www.sustainablecooks.com/, she specializes in canning!
Christine says
Hi Gina! To can low/non-acid foods you have to use a pressure CANNER. (**not cooker, canner is lower pressure**)
That said *wink* I have successfully canned broth & pasta sauce the hot water bath method. It just takes longer-like 2 or 3 hours. I ate said foods 6-12 months later with no ill effects.
Kristin L says
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try this!
And thanks for the botulism warning. I’ve been pureeing and freezing garlic cloves for years, and sometimes leave some in the fridge for a couple of days. I had no idea there was any risk except flavour loss if I kept it there longer.
Pooja says
Do you think I could use avocado oil instead? Would that work?
Emily says
I haven't tried it, but I don’t see why not!
James says
Hello there! I made a batch for myself, which was delicious- but and going to give some as gifts also- how long should the infused olive oil last? I’ve seen conflicting info online about infused oils.
Thanks! This is a super easy delicious recipe!
Emily says
Hi James! So the conflicting info is because there is a pretty significant risk with storing garlic in oil. Garlic in oil can create botulism and the general guidelines say to store it in the refrigerator and use within 4 days. That being said, I have kept mine for 1-2 weeks and had no issue, but I would be more hesitant when giving it away as gifts. Here is some more information: https://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/files/251548.pdf I hope that helps!
James says
Perfect!!! Thank you so much! I used our oil and the confit on numerous things- including a pork loin that was completely amazing!
GCS says
Can this be done on high pressure for a shorter time period?
Emily says
Hi! I would not recommend doing this at high pressure. This recipe doesn't actually use the pressure function, as there is no liquid in the recipe. Pressurizing the oil would be potentially dangerous. Additionally, garlic confit is nearly always cooked slowly at a low temperature, which is what makes it so good!