Garlic Oil Is The Bold Way To Infuse Your Favorite Dishes With More Flavor

Garlic is known for its pungent aroma and robust flavor, but this ingredient has the power to add flavor to dishes beyond simply incorporating a clove or two. With garlic oil, you can enhance recipes with a more subtle garlic flavor. While you will still enjoy the flavor of garlic, it will not have the same punch that raw garlic packs.

Garlic oil is exactly what it sounds like, a potent infusion of garlic into oil. Typically made by heating garlic cloves in oil until they release their essence, this process imbues the oil with a rich, aromatic flavor. Alternatively, add garlic to olive oil to infuse before straining the softened cloves out of the oil some two to five days later.

To create your own batch of garlic oil, start by gently heating the oil in a pan. Next, add smashed or chopped garlic cloves, allowing them to simmer over low heat until they turn golden brown. Be sure to keep a close watch as garlic can quickly burn, leaving the oil with a bitter flavor. Once achieved, strain the oil to remove any solids, leaving behind just the flavorful oil. While homemade garlic oil is straightforward to prepare, it's also readily available in stores for those seeking convenience without sacrificing quality.

With the ability to make (or buy) garlic oil, the possibilities and ways to use it for more flavorful foods are endless. For dishes that already call for a lot of olive oil, like focaccia, simply substitute garlic oil for some or all of the olive oil to incorporate even more flavor. If you prefer to use oil to dip or finish the bread instead of cooking with it, garlic oil still works well.

Other dishes that are finished well with olive oil include pasta (like spaghetti aglio e olio), seafood, and vegetables. Simply toss the cooked foods in garlic oil before plating and garnishing with herbs, cheese, toasted nuts, or anything else you might like. And, you can add even more flavor to sauteed vegetables with crunchy fried onions. 

Garlic oil can also be used for cooking, not just finishing. Use it in a pan before sauteeing vegetables. You can also try adding it to a skillet before searing meats like steak or chicken for extra flavor in the crispy crust. There are tons of ways to pack more flavor with this garlic-steeped oil — similar to the results you would get from a garlic and oil paste. So, let garlic oil be your secret weapon in the journey to add more flavor and flare to your recipes.