How To Peel And Mince Garlic - Jessica Gavin

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Learn how to mince garlic cloves with this easy step-by-step guide. I’ll show you the simple technique of peeling and breaking them down into a fine consistency for a variety of uses.

Jessica’s Recipe Science

• Mincing garlic into fine, uniform pieces maximizes its surface area, allowing for even distribution and infusion of flavor in the dish.
• Rupturing garlic cell walls releases an amino acid that reacts with alliinase to produce allicin, which gives garlic its characteristic bite and odor.
• Mince garlic right before adding it to a dish to avoid overpowering flavor and bitterness, using it within an hour for optimal taste.

Jump To a Section

• Jessica’s Recipe Science
• Why It Works
• How to Mince Garlic
• How to Cook with Minced Garlic
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe Details

Why It Works

Fresh minced garlic is a potent, sulfurous ingredient that instantly adds a fragrant aroma and depth of flavor to dishes. Garlic has many benefits, and these papery white bulbs have a permanent home on most countertops, ready to grab, chop, and add to any recipe that calls for it. There’s fascinating science behind how to leverage its potent flavors the right way.

The timing of when to cut and the size of those pieces are important. You’ve probably noticed that uncut cloves have no aroma, but the moment it’s sliced, a strong, sulfurous aroma appears. We’ll explore what causes that smell and how it impacts your dishes.

How to Mince Garlic

Step 1: Loosen the Bulb

For a small number of cloves, place a whole bulb, also called the head of garlic, on a cutting board with the root side up. Press down on top of the bulb with the heel of your hand to break open the thin, papery skin, loosening the cloves for the root.

Step 2: Separate the Cloves

Use your fingers to open and separate the cloves from the root.

Step 3: Trim the Tips

Now that you have individual cloves, grab as many as you need for the recipe. Use a knife to trim the root end and tip of each garlic clove.

Step 4: Crush the Cloves

Place the flat side of a chef’s knife over a clove, with the blade facing away from you. Use gentle pressure to lightly crush the clove of garlic between the cutting board. Alternatively, you can use a rolling pin or the bottom of a measuring cup to smash the clove.

Step 5: Peel the Skin

The papery skin should be easy to peel away from the clove. Discard the skin before mincing.

Expert Tip: Do you notice any green parts inside the cloves? This is a sign that the garlic has sprouted during storage. It’s safe to eat, but it will add a slightly bitter taste. Check out my guide for how to remove the green inside garlic to prevent an off flavor in your dish.

Step 6: Mince the GarlicCut the peeled garlic cloves into thin slices, then mince using a fan chop technique. Place your free hand on the top of the blade, near the tip, with fingertips touching the edge to help secure the knife (the tip should stay in the same place as you mince).

Rock the knife up and down, from left to right, back and forth in a fanning motion, until chopped (larger pieces) or minced (finely chopped) to the desired size.

How to Cook with Minced Garlic

• Minced garlic can easily burn and turn bitter in flavor. Make sure to add it after softening other ingredients like onions, carrots, shallots, and celery.
• If the pan is heated over medium-high to high heat, cook the garlic for only 30 seconds and keep it moving. I use this technique a lot when I make a stir-fry. I add garlic at the end for a punch of flavor and to prevent it from burning.
• If you want to infuse garlic flavor into oil, heat it in a cold pan with the fat over low to medium-low heat. Give it some time to gently heat and infuse its incredible flavor compounds in the oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should you mince garlic for a recipe?

It’s best to mince fresh garlic right before adding it to a dish. The longer garlic takes to break down, the more enzymes are released, and the more allicin is produced. More time equals more flavor, but the aroma can become overpowering if left sitting too long.

Does a garlic press mince?

Yes! If you’re lucky enough to own a good garlic press it can mince the garlic into a much finer, consistent-sized mince compared to hand chopping. Some garlic presses don’t even need the skin to be removed, which is a nice feature.

How do you store minced garlic?

If not using immediately, cover in a small airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. It’s best to use the garlic right away or within an hour of chopping. Once the garlic sits for more than 6 hours, it can become very bitter and overpowering in the dish.

Is chopped garlic and minced garlic the same?

Chopped garlic is coarser, about ⅛-inch or larger, and has more of a bite compared to minced garlic. It’s good for flavoring stews, soups, braises, or oil in dishes like pan-seared lamb chops or steaks. Minced garlic is finer, around the size of small grains of couscous, or less than 1/16 inches. Minced is better for sauces, dressings, or a dish that is sauteed and cooked quickly so that you don’t have large pieces lingering, like stir-fries.

How much does a clove of garlic yield when minced?

One medium clove yields about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and three cloves yield about 1 tablespoon. The cloves vary in size in the bulb, so chop a few extra cloves as needed.

What does minced garlic smell so strongly?

An odorless sulfur-containing amino acid is released from garlic when you rupture the cell walls with a knife. The amino acid interacts with a natural enzyme in the garlic called alliinase, and over time they produce a compound called allicin. This is that familiar “bite” and a characteristic odor that can quickly fill a room or cause garlic breath.

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How to Peel and Mince Garlic

Learn how to mince garlic with this easy step-by-step guide. Understand the process of peeling cloves and breaking them down into a fine consistency. Pin Print SaveSaved! Review 4.79 from 41 votes Prep Time10 minutes minsCook Time0 minutes minsTotal Time10 minutes mins Servings 10 servingsCourse CondimentCuisine American

Ingredients 1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 bulb garlic

Instructions

• Loosen the Bulb – Place the whole bulb on a cutting board with the root side up. Press down on top of the bulb with the heel of your hand, using your weight to break open the papery skin.
• Separate the Cloves – Turn the bulb over and use your fingers to separate the cloves from the root of the bulb.
• Trim the Tips – Use a knife to trim a small amount of the root and tip end of each clove.
• Crush the Cloves – Place the flat side of a chef's knife over the clove with the blade facing away from you. Use gentle pressure to lightly crush the clove between the cutting board. Repeat with the remaining cloves.
• Peel the Skin – Remove and discard the papery skin from the crushed cloves.
• Mince the Garlic – Place the peeled garlic cloves in a pile on the cutting board. Place your fingertips on top of the blade near the tip of the chef's knife. Use an up-and-down motion, moving side to side to chop the garlic into smaller pieces until the desired size is reached. Chopped garlic is larger, about the size of large cooked grains of rice. Minced garlic is finer, about the size of small-grained cooked couscous.

Recipe Video

Notes

• When to Use Garlic: Use the minced garlic immediately or within 1 hour of mincing.
• Storing: If you don’t use minced garlic right away, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 6 hours. The garlic aroma intensifies the longer it sits.
• Minced Garlic Yield: One medium clove yields about ½ to 1 teaspoon, and three to four medium cloves yield about 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 10 servings Calories 4kcalCarbohydrates 1gProtein 0.2gFat 0.01gSodium 1mgPotassium 12mgFiber 0.1gSugar 1g (1%)Vitamin C 0.9mg (1%)Calcium 5mg (1%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.

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Jessica Gavin

I'm a culinary school graduate, cookbook author, and a mom who loves croissants! My passion is creating recipes and sharing the science behind cooking to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.

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4 Comments Leave a comment or review

1. What kind of taste does garlic have I’m new to the culinary world and don’t have much experience

   Reply

   • Raw garlic is pungent, biting, and sulfurous. When cooked, it has an earthy, fragrant aroma that mellows in taste with almost a hint of sweetness when not overcooked.

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2. Thanks great site

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   • Thank you, Susie!

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