Garlic Confit

Soft, creamy garlic confit is one of the most drool-worthy things you can whip up in the kitchen. It looks simple, and luckily it is. But the resulting tender cloves are pure magic. Spread the soft cloves on some toasty bread, finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and revel in the bliss of garlic confit! 

The only thing I could say was “oh my god” the first time I made garlic confit. It’s truly one of the most satisfying things to eat. Simmered long and slow in oil, the garlic cloves release their harsh pungent heat and instead take on a nutty sweetness.

With a much more mild flavor and an out-of-this-world creamy texture, the cooked coves become incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of dishes and applications. 

11 ways use garlic confit

1. Spread onto a sandwich
2. Add to mashed potatoes
3. Mash and stir into pasta sauces
4. Use whole cloves as a pizza topping, or mash with confit oil and use as a sauce for pizza
5. Spread over toasted slices of bread and top with herbs and sea salt
6. Spread under the skin of chicken before roasting 
7. Add mashed cloves to gravies or sauces
8. Use mashed cloves in vinaigrettes and dressings
9. Whip soft cloves into a vegetable purée (like this sweet potato purée) for a flavorful side dish
10.  Blend cloves into dips such as hummus, guacamole, bean dip and more 
11.  Add mashed cloves to fillings used for ravioli, stuffed shells or lasagna

How do you make garlic confit?

Ahh the beauty of confit is that it’s a super simple process. First off, you need to peel and trim the garlic cloves—this step is the majority of the work in this recipe. (Below I chat about using pre-peeled garlic, I recommend doing that as it’s much easier.)

Add the garlic, oil, bay leaves and oregano sprigs to a saucepan over low heat. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook 30 minutes. It’s important to simmer low and slow to cook the cloves from the inside out.

If you cook the cloves over too high of heat you risk browning—or burning—the garlic before it’s fully cooked through. And that’s a lot of garlic to throw away!

Let the garlic cool, then use immediately, or transfer to a clean glass container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

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What does confit mean?

Originally hailing from France, this cooking method got its start as an ancient preserving method used for meat (most often pork, duck or goose). The preserving method was simple; meat was salted and slowly cooked in its own fat. The meat was then packed into a crock, covered with its own cooking fat (which hardens and acts as a barrier or seal), and preserved.

A very similar process is used today to cook duck, chicken, and potatoes. You will find confit on many restaurant menus where they use a variety of types of fat. 

How to safely store garlic confit

It’s very important to store garlic confit properly as there is a risk for the garlic to develop a serious toxin which causes botulism—an incredibly dangerous disease. 

For the safest and best results, store garlic confit in the refrigerator in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid. It’s important to refrigerate garlic confit soon after it has cooled to room temperature. 

How long does garlic confit last?

When stored correctly, garlic confit can last up to four months in the refrigerator. However, I recommend enjoying it within a month for the best, and safest, results. If you’d like the garlic confit to last longer, you can store it in the freezer for several months.  

Time-saving tip

I tested this recipe using pre-peeled garlic (sold in bags in the produce section) and freshly peeled garlic cloves—luckily the pre-peeled garlic cloves work just as well as the fresh.

Pre-peeled garlic cloves do cost a bit more than buying whole heads and peeling them yourself. However, by using the pre-peeled stuff you cut out at least 15 minutes of prep work!

One thing to keep in mind—be sure to trim the root end off of the cloves, that part won’t soften during the simmering process. 

Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this garlic confit!

To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the side bar or below the recipe. Happy cooking!

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