Before Buying Store-Bought Garlic Chips, Look To Your Microwave

Garlic is a quintessential aromatic that is the foundation of flavor in cuisines all around the world. There are so many ways to transform this simple allium in order to improve a dish, whether it is minced, powdered, or cooked into a soft and sweet garlic confit. Lately, garlic has been taking on a trendy new form: garlic chips. Like any trendy ingredient, you can find store-bought garlic chips with a quick online search; however, they can also be made quickly and easily at home by using your humble microwave.

Garlic chips are really just thin slices of garlic cloves that have been fried in oil until golden brown. Frying foods in the traditional way can be intimidating for many, but using the microwave makes it easy. All you need to do is cut up your garlic using a knife or mandolin and place it in a microwave-safe dish. Next, cover the garlic completely in your cooking oil of choice and cook it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time until the chips are lightly browned all over. Finally, drain the oil and let the garlic cool — you can use the leftover infused oil for other recipes. The resulting chips are shatteringly crispy and have an irresistibly sweet and pungent flavor with less bite than fresh garlic.

Fresh, homemade garlic chips are tasty enough that you may be tempted to eat them by the handful all on their own as a snack — and you certainly can. That being said, they are even better when used as a garnish for other recipes, bringing a zingy flavor and interesting textural element to dishes that need one or both. Sprinkle them over noodles or rice for a more toothsome bite or as a tempting topping for a juicy steak. Less traditional uses we recommend include tossing them into a salad as a substitute for typical croutons or using them as a surprising finishing element for otherwise soft and smooth mashed potatoes.

If you have leftover garlic chips when you are done cooking — and you haven't chowed down on them in the meantime — you can save them for later. Store them in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to a month regardless of where they are stored, but you can ensure they stay at peak quality even longer by adding a moisture-absorbing packet, like you may see in some store-bought foods.