Sauteed garlic is a beautiful and wonderful sense for the tastebuds. It creates flavor and adds a bit of complexity to any recipe. You can saute sliced garlic, crushed or whole garlic. Today we’re going to learn how to sauteed sliced garlic.
It’s interesting because sauteing garlic is super simple, but you got to know how to do it. Garlic is my all-time favorite vegetable, and I love cooking with it. Heck, I even roast garlic bulbs in my air fryer. Before you get started, check your garlic and make sure that it is still good. We wrote an article about how to tell when garlic is bad.
Tip: if you are sauteing garlic with other vegetables add the garlic last. Garlic Cooks fast, so be careful not to overcook it.
How to Saute Garlic
Tools:
- Spatula
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Peel your garlic (We are a fan of buying peeled garlic but we do it by hand plenty.)
- Slice your garlic. (Slice it as thin as you can without hurting your fingers).
- Add 1 T olive oil to your pan.
- Warm the pan to medium heat until the oil is shimmering.
- Add your garlic and spread it out in the pan.
- Allow the garlic to cook for about 1 minute.
- Stir the garlic for another minute or until the garlic is starting to turn golden.
Notes
Do not overcook your garlic when you are sauteing. This is easy to do but your garlic will come out crunchy instead of soft and meaty.
Note: I prefer that my garlic is a darker golden but that is against traditional saute methods. This is a perfect example of do as I say and not as I do.
To keep from burning your garlic during the saute process don’t turn the pan up too high. It is better to cook the garlic slower at a lower temp than it is to cook it fast and burn it. Garlic can from almost done to burnt in a moments notice. Don’t get distracted when sauteing garlic.
Another tip to saute garlic without burning it is to not add it to the pan until the pan is at medium-high heat. You want to add all the garlic at once to a hot pan. The smaller the pieces of garlic are the faster they will cook. If the small pieces of garlic start to look done sooner than the larger pieces you can either remove them from the pan or push them to the far edges of the pan.
Why do you saute garlic?
Sauteing garlic gives the garlic a depth of flavor. Fresh whole garlic is pungent and strong. Sauteing the garlic softens the flavor but also enhances it at the same time. The longer that you saute the garlic, the milder the flavor will be.
Can you saute minced garlic?
Yes, you can saute minced garlic. Since the garlic pieces will be much smaller, reduce the temperature of your pan to medium-low. Cook the minced garlic for about 1 minute total. Be sure to check the garlic after 30 seconds of cooking.
Can you saute garlic in butter?
Yes, you can saute garlic in butter but it is important to keep in mind that butter will burn faster than olive oil. Butter will provide a rich flavor to your sauteed garlic but it does come with a risk. If you are going to cook the garlic in butter keep a close eye on it while cooking. Consider mixing butter and olive oil together with your garlic.
Nancy
Wednesday 4th of March 2020
My favorite way to get my garlic naked is by using two stainless bowls. I smash the head of garlic with my palm just enough to loosen the cloves. Then put the entire head into a stainless bowl, put another bowl on top and shake the hell out of them. All the bouncing around in the bowls will leave me with nice naked cloves of garlic, and a bowl full of trash I can easily dispose of.