Savory Smoked Garlic

Smoked garlic brings a unique combination of earthy sweetness and subtle smokiness to the table, adding depth to any dish. In my experience, smoking garlic tames the flavor down, creating a food that can be added to other dishes or enjoyed alone on a crusty slice of sourdough. From marinades to sauces, soups to grilled mains, there’s no limit to the ways you can incorporate smoked garlic into your whole food cooking.

Last fall I planted over 100 hardneck garlic cloves in my garden. This year I have been graced with an abundance of garlic scapes and garlic heads. I knew I needed to find some unique ways to use them other than in these Old Fashioned Dill Pickles. Cue the smoker! I used my Traeger Ironwood 885 to smoke my garlic but any charcoal smoker or pellet grill will work. Smoked garlic is a game changer and I can’t wait to use it in a compound herb and garlic butter, to flavor sauces and even to throw into this Roasted Tomato Soup.

If you’re looking to take things a step further, try dehydrating the garlic to create an incredible smoked garlic powder that will elevate your seasoning game to new heights.

Best Type of Garlic for Smoking

All types of garlic can be smoked. I recommend hardneck varieties because they hold up well to the smoking temperatures in this recipe and their flavors are generally more robust. For this smoked garlic recipe, I used the Purple Russian Garlic that I grew in my garden.

Best Pellets For Smoking Garlic

Any type of pellets will work for smoking garlic. If you want a strong, pronounced flavor, consider hickory or oak pellets. Otherwise Traeger’s signature blend, or other more neutral fruit woods such as cherry wood, apple wood, and pecan will do the trick. I used pecan because it was what I had on hand and my garlic had a great smokey flavor.

Tips + Tricks For The BEST Smoked Garlic

• Be sure to cut enough of the top off that all of the cloves are exposed to allow as much smoke in as possible.
• Low and slow is the key to getting as much smokey flavor infused into your garlic as possible. Resist the urge to crank up the heat.
• Be gentle when peeling back the outside layers of the garlic bulb to ensure that you don’t squish the cloves within the casing. This makes for a much more usable end product.
• Use foil for the final cooking time OR a grill safe covered dish. I try to stay away from aluminum foil as much as I can so I transferred the garlic to a cast iron pan with a lid.

Key Ingredients

Garlic– I recommend hardneck varieties of garlic because they tend to have stronger flavor than softneck varieties. Source out some good, fresh, local garlic from a nearby farmer’s market, CSA, or neighbor when possible.

Oil- I used olive oil for this recipe but you can use almost any type of oil to lock in the moisture in your garlic including avocado oil, coconut oil, melted animal fats (tallow, lard) or butter.

Exactly How To Make Smoked Garlic

Step 1. Prepare. Preheat your smoker to 275°F. Clean the outside of the garlic bulbs with a clean cloth or paper towel. Cut the top of the head off (pointy side) using a sharp knife, exposing a small amount of each clove. Place the raw garlic heads onto a grill pan or other grill-safe pan. Brush the prepared garlic cloves with a generous amount of olive oil or your choice of cooking oil.

Step 2. Smoke. Place the garlic in your preheated pellet grill or other smoker over indirect heat. Smoke garlic for 1 hour uncovered. After one hour you can choose to wrap each clove in foil or transfer to a heat safe pan with a lid (I used a cast iron skillet with a glass lid loosely placed overtop). Smoke for one additional hour covered.

Step 3. Cool + Peel. Remove the garlic from your smoker. Transfer it to a cooling rack or clean dish towel for 15 minutes. Peel the outer layers of the garlic head away and gently remove the garlic cloves.

Step 4. Use/Store. Use your smokey garlic fresh and warm in your favorite sauces, soups, and spreads. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze it flat on a cookie sheet and then transfer to an air tight zip top bag or vacuum seal. Smoked garlic can be kept in the freezer for 6-12 months.

FAQ

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Batch + Storage

This recipe calls for 8 large garlic bulbs. An average head of garlic has 10 cloves or around 1/4 cup. The recipe should yield around 2 cups of smoked garlic. Easily half, double, or triple this grilled garlic recipe to suit your needs!

Store Traeger smoked garlic in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks. To freeze, arrange the smoked garlic cloves in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, freeze for 4-6 hours, transfer to an airtight zip top bag and freeze for 6-12 months. Frozen garlic will last longest in a chest freezer.

If you are feeling adventurous, dehydrate the garlic. Simply cut the cloves into thin pieces and dehydrate at 105f for 8-10 hours. Once dry, you can transfer to an airtight container and throw it into recipes where it will rehydrate easily like soups and sauces OR buzz it in your food processor to make smoked garlic powder. Can you say YUM!?

3 Recipes Using Smoked Garlic