65 Recipes Any Garlic Lover Will Appreciate

For the love of garlic, how do you describe the umami essence of these tasty bulbs? Sometimes, they're sweet; other time,s they're more pungent or earthy. They can be mellow or add spiciness. What's clear is that garlic elevates dishes, and when it's given the right ingredients to vibe with and a recipe where its bold fragrance can be noted, its greatness shines. 

Let's face it — there's something about garlicky dishes that gives them that extra layer of yumminess. Whether the garlic taste is up front and leading the way or courting the other flavors in a way that only garlic can, the end result is a dish that's mouthwatering and ultimately moreish. 

Whether whole cloves are sautéed, or its minced, roasted, or grated raw, there's something comforting and exciting about the aroma of garlic that's cooking that foodies adore. Try these recipes that any garlic lover will appreciate. 

While food fashion may change, there's something wonderfully timeless about the simple art of adding garlic butter to bread and heating it so the flavor melts in. Create a homemade version by changing-up what bread you use from a baguette to a ciabatta or long Italian bread. Add dried herbs such as oregano for a stronger flavor than the traditional fresh parsley and some Parmesan for a cheesy taste. If you like a little kick, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes, too. Serve as a side to any dish, from pasta to moules mariniére. 

Recipe: Garlic Bread

Garlic, mushrooms, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and freshly chopped parsley, are all the ingredients you need for a stunning sauce to add to this one-pot wonder. You may want to make too much of the creamy, garlicky mix so that you can bottle it up and use it for another recipe. Meanwhile, if you want to thicken it up before you pour it over your chicken thighs, add some cornstarch. Serve with some carbs, whether potatoes, pasta or rice, and some green vegetables, too. 

Recipe: Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken

Let the full flavor of garlic seep into these deliciously different potatoes, which smashed before being roasted with olive oil. Taste the garlicky crunch as you bite into a moreish texture that's crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. If you make enough of these potatoes, you can reheat them in the oven or fry them in a pan to enjoy with another dish. Make this dish with baby potatoes and serve how you like; they pair well with both roasted and fried chicken. 

Recipe: Garlic Smashed Potatoes

The velvety garlic butter soaks into the soft ciabatta in this recipe, which is doughy even after being grilled twice. Add tangy tasting Parmesan cheese on top and some stretchy mozzarella. Use pre-grated mozzarella, or put it in the freezer first for a quarter of an hour to harden if you want to grate it yourself. Serve the garlic bread with a garlicky dish to further enhance that inimitable, intense taste that's both sweet and earthy. Try serving it with chicken Alfredo or a pizza topped with roasted garlic. 

Recipe: Cheesy Ciabatta Garlic Bread

A flavor enhancer that elevates simple dishes, garlic is a key component to this Mexican-themed seasoning. Garlic powder is given culinary power with herbs and spices added into the mix. Add chili powder to get just the right level of heat you're looking for, while adding cayenne can add even more of a kick. Make this not just for fajitas but any type of meat, including fish. It also works well at adding a stronger flavor profile to vegetables such as sweet potatoes. Store in an airtight container out of sunlight.

Recipe: Classic Fajita Seasoning

Do you love the garlic zest of aioli? Of course you do. Do you know what aioli is? It's an olive oil and garlic paste emulsion that's traditionally egg-free. To get that smoky, garlic flavor, you need to roast the bulbs with oil and seasoning until they're spectacularly soft and fragrant. Only squeeze out the cloves once the roasted garlic's cooled down. The zest cokes from lemon juice, along with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. This sauce goes with everything from steamed artichokes to caramelized veggies, fish cakes, and burgers.

Recipe: Easy Roasted Garlic Aioli

There's something almost magical about the flavor combination of grilled shrimp and garlic. Add some heat, too, and you have a dish that's on culinary fire. The taste trinity of garlic, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce adds pep to a chili-garlic sauce. Not only are you going to use this as a marinade, but you can also use it as a dipping sauce. You'll know your raw shrimp are cooked when they're pink all the way through and there's no grey color. Don't overcook them, though, as they'll go rubbery. 

Recipe: Spicy Grilled Shrimp

You don't have to be attending any nuptials to cook this recipe, which celebrates the perfect ingredient coupling of chicken and garlic. It's also a great dish for parties because it's easy to make. Marinade the meat long enough so it doesn't end up drying out. That means popping it in a sealable bag and marinating in the fridge for 12 hours before you grill. You can also use a container, as long as the marinade covers the chicken breasts. Fish sauce, ginger, and garlic add bold flavor to the meat.

Recipe: Grilled Wedding Chicken

Here's a recipe that's a good enough excuse for a party. Delicious Mexican food. Check. Meaty carne asada made with flank steak and a garlicky marinade with orange juice. Check. Served over fries. Check. The steak is added after a layer of cheese on fries, while on top you can add a good dollop of guac and sour cream along with pico de gallo and pickled jalapeños. You also finish with cheese too, crumbling cotija over the top. Slice the steak across the grain, halve slices lengthways, and cut into bite-size pieces. 

Recipe: Carne Asada Fries

This Argentinian wonder of a dip is a sauce, marinade, and dressing all in one. Never will you regret making up a big batch to pair with steak and sausages, as well as grilled chicken and even fried eggs. Herby and garlicky, chimichurri should have an oily consistency and whether you make it by hand or pulse it in your food processor, it's best enjoyed if it's not too pureed. While the flavors of garlic, lemon, and parsley pop, play around with ingredients. Add some cilantro. Leave out the red pepper flakes. Use red wine vinegar instead of white. 

Recipe: Chimichurri Sauce

Packed with umami, the sauce this dish is cooked in adds every flavor possible. There's the sweetness of brown sugar, the salty-sweetness of oyster sauce, and the saltiness of soy, with rice vinegar adding some tang. Chili garlic paste and fresh garlic completes this flavor profile with some heat and the indescribable taste of these pungent bulbs. This Asian-inspired recipe wouldn't be the same without the intensity of this sauce. Serve with sesame seeds and sliced scallions, alone or with rice.

Recipe: Slow Cooked Beef And Broccoli

This is the side you want to serve at a dinner party, so your guests can "ooh" and "aah" at your culinary genius. While simple, these creamy, garlic-heavy potatoes are simply divine, and this recipe adds in some cheese for an extra touch of decadence. No, it's not going to win any awards for your waistline, so ration portions and add some class with individual serving in ramekins. What's great about this dish is that you can make it the day before and also it goes splendidly well with roasted meat entrees. 

Recipe: Creamy Dauphinois Potatoes

Get spicy with this fiery Italian dish. Garlic and red chili flakes are the devilish ingredients that add heat and a strongly Mediterranean taste to the shrimp. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp when you fry it with the garlic, though; you want them to cook through in that red sauce as it laps up the garlicky flavors. While this dish is wonderful with pasta, you can eat it just as it is with some bread or a side salad. 

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo

If you had to name two flavors that love each other, cheese and garlic are a pretty potent pairing. They work their marinading magic in this dish, too, with herbs and red chili flakes added to the mix. Not only do these marvelously moreish mozzarella morsels look great, but they're also the perfect accompaniment to any charcuterie board or a platter of antipasto delights. You don't have to wait until you're creating a sharing menu, though, as you can scoop a few onto your salad whenever you like.

Recipe: Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Do you need a particular reason to cook a dish that makes you feel loved? Of course not, so roll with this luxurious casserole when you want to indulge. This recipe is wonderfully light, with a crunchy, zesty cracker topping. If you're wondering what makes this dish so divine, it's the way the delicate scallops gently bake in wine, garlic, and shallot, along with unsalted butter. What's not to love? Treat yourself (and perhaps someone you care about) with this seafood stunner.

Recipe: Scallop Casserole

Based on a British classic, shepherd's pie is wonderfully warming and differs from cottage pie because it's traditionally made using minced lamb instead of beef. However, it's just as flavorsome (and lower in saturated fat) with this veggie version. Garlic adds flavor to the filling of green lentils and chickpeas. You can make this dish more easily by using canned lentils and chickpeas, too. Don't feel tied to these ingredients, though; there's nothing wrong with using borlotti beans or butter beans instead. 

Recipe: Vegan Shepherd's Pie

The reason any garlicky dish goes with rice is because the boldness of these pungent bulbs contrasts dreamily with the deliciously neutral taste of the grains. Add some shrimp, along with Sriracha and ginger, and you have a bowl of Asian-style cuisine that you can pretty much rustle this up at a moment's notice. It's an ideal weekday dinner, but you can also serve this as an appetizer with salad and garlic bread. 

Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Bowl

The not-so-secret ingredient to a great grilled chicken recipe is the marinade. Get this right with a good amount of garlic, and you have yourself a winner, winner, chicken dinner of a dish. If your chicken breasts look too thick and you think they may dry out before they're cooked through, hammer them with a tenderizer or rolling pin between plastic wrap until they're thinner. Be creative in how you serve this dish, whether sliced in a sandwich or wrap, added to a salad, or perhaps part of a pasta dish.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken

Make this mouthwatering recipe to copy the taste of snacks served up at an all-American, global chicken wing restaurant. The secret ingredient to the sauce, which is made using garlic powder, is to add an egg, which gives it a glossy sheen. However, there's a trick to how you do this so your sauce is thick and shiny, and that's slowly adding the sauce to the egg, not the other way around. Add more garlic and cayenne to spice up your sauce if you like the eatery's garlic Parmesan variety.

Recipe: Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings

If you can't get to a tapas bar in Spain anytime soon, bring the flavor of Spanish cuisine to the table right at home. These spectacular shrimp, baked in a garlic and chili infused oil, are so good and beg for a generous chopped parsley topping. The best way to eat this dish is rustic style, with crusty bread that you can dip in and mop up that garlicky olive oil. As this is a classic sharing dish, why not add some more garlic-inspired plates into the mix for a fuller flavor.

Recipe: Spanish Garlic Shrimp

Creamy dishes always taste luxurious. And if you love to add a deep love of garlic and scallops, this recipe is for you. It's not how long you spend in the kitchen that matters, but what you're doing when you're in there. This has to be the most deliciously quick meal. Use smaller bay scallops or larger sea scallops, and make sure you use a non-stick pan for this dish. While the sauce calls for wine, you can use chicken stock instead. Meanwhile, add more cream if your sauce seems too thin. Enjoy with toast. 

Recipe: Creamy Garlic Scallops

While this recipe is for a popular food truck dish in Hawaii, garlic shrimp is a hit everywhere. Don't be shy — you're going to use a whole garlic bulb for this. And it's key that you mince fresh cloves, as they'll be chunkier and less likely to burn than shop-bought ones. The trick to cooking crunchy garlic is to go low and slow. That means keeping the heat down and taking your time to ensure the garlic bits are golden brown. 

Recipe: Hawaiian Spicy Garlic Shrimp

The national dish of Puerto Rico, which consists of plantains fried with garlic, is topped with colossal shrimp cooked in a tomatoey garlic sauce in this recipe. You can always use jumbo shrimp instead, too. If you're trying to work out how much mofongo to make, aim for one plantain per person. While this recipe uses a pestle and mortar to mash up the plantains and garlic, if you don't have one, you can smash the garlic with a spoon and the fruit using a mixing bowl and the bottom of a clean bottle.

Recipe: Colossal Shrimp Mofongo

Inspired by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, this recipe has a couple of twists. Firstly, the tamales are cooked in an Instant Pot, and secondly, the flavor is boosted by using canned green chilis. Cook your tamales standing up, with the open end facing upward. Once your tamales are done, let them cool slightly, take off the strings, and unwrap them. Add the stir-fried shrimp and a deliciously creamy, garlicky sauce on top of the tamales. Sprinkle on chives and red bell pepper to serve. 

Recipe: Bobby Flay's Shrimp And Roasted Garlic Tamale

Less is sometimes more, if you have the right ingredients. Smoked salmon and fettuccine are delicious together, with some fried garlic and fresh Parmesan finishing off the taste of this simple, yet sensational pasta dish. Who needs a sauce when you have such bold flavors that complement each other? Cut the fish into strips by laying the slices on top of each other, before cutting these into ½-inch pieces. Use a sharp knife so that it glides through easily. Enjoy with a salad and perhaps some garlic bread. 

Recipe: Easy Smoked Salmon Fettuccine

If you're a fan of Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce, you'll love this version of the creamy, cheesy, buttery dish. The original Italian recipe doesn't include garlic, but the restaurant's American-Italian style definitely does. Forget garlic powder, which is a flavor enhancer, and use fresh garlic. Peel garlic with this clever tip. Press down on a clove with the flat side of a large knife. This loosens the skin enough to peel it, and then you can mince it and release that aroma.

Recipe: Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

There's something homely about a one-pot dish. And because pasta is the ultimate comfort food, this one-pot pasta is perfect comfort food. Garlic is a must in Italian cooking, and what's different about this recipe is that the spaghetti, or linguine if you prefer, is cooked in the tomatoey broth it's served in. If you want to cut down on white pasta, use wholewheat pasta, buckwheat, or rice. You can also use Asian noodles such as soba and udon. While pasta shouldn't ever stick together, cooking it in a little butter separates it. 

Recipe: Easy One-Pot Spaghetti

Red lentils are amazing at soaking up flavors. And because this is an Indian dish, those flavors have to include the powerful taste of garlic and spices. The boldness of the garlic, ginger and curry powder, along with cumin, turmeric, and ground coriander, blends into the creamy coconut-tomato sauce beautifully. You can add some fresh veggies if you like, such as spinach and diced sweet potatoes. Serve this dal with rice, adding a dollop of yogurt and some chopped cilantro. 

Recipe: Coconut Red Lentil Dal

Dip your crackers, crudités, and pita chips into this zesty, garlicky dip, or add it to a delicious falafel pita or drizzle over a sizzling gyro. Garlic, cucumbers, and dill, along with citrusy lemon juice, give the creamy Greek yogurt that distinctively tangy tzatziki taste. Make sure you use enough yogurt to counteract the wateriness of the cucumbers and that you dice them first so they're easier to blend with the other ingredients. You want your dip to be nice and thick, so that it can easily be used as a spread. 

Recipe: Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Asian-inspired culinary adventures don't have to be complicated, as this Thai classic recipe proves. It's all about frying up fabulous flavors, getting all your ingredients prepped, and knowing how to use a wok. A quick blast of high heat releases the inimitable garlic aroma as you fry up your bean sprouts and green onions. However, you need to set the temperature down before you scramble your eggs; otherwise, the egg whites won't cook properly. Enhance the flavors with a sweet, salty, spicy, and citrusy peanut sauce. 

Recipe: Spicy Pad Thai

Once you've tasted this salty, garlicky Asian snack, you're going to want it again and again. Yes, it's that good. And what's great is that you can make it as spicy or mellow as you like. When cooking the garlic in sesame oil, make sure you toast it, but that it doesn't brown. This is the only cooked part of your sauce and once you've mixed your garlic in with the chili paste and soy sauce, a good step is to mix it with the pods before serving so they're completely covered.

Recipe: Spicy Garlic Edamame

If you love the garlic taste of hummus, you'll flip for this creamy avocado version. If you're wondering how it stays gorgeously green, then the trick is to use lemon juice to stop the fruit browning. While some people swear that shelling chickpeas makes for a smoother dip, there's no need. Canned chickpeas are fine to use, too, and you can always use white beans in place of them. Meanwhile, make sure your avocados are nice and ripe before adding them to your chickpeas and tahini.

Recipe: Homemade Avocado Hummus