How to Mince Garlic | How to Peel & Cut

Here is a complete guide on How to Mince Garlic, along with methods on how to peel, cut (slice, chop, grate) and make garlic paste. Learn how to work with this universal ingredient to add the right amount of punchy garlic flavor to any recipe.

Garlic is well-known for its strong, pungent aroma and adds that special flavoring component.

But the way garlic is cut is directly related to its level of flavor. Let's take a deep dive in how to peel, slice, chop, mince and grate garlic the right way!

And to make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck, check out How to Store Garlic to make it last longer.

Jump to:

• How to Buy Garlic
• Health Benefits of Garlic
• How to Peel Garlic
• How to Cut Garlic
• How to Mince Garlic
• How to Make Garlic Paste
• How to Store
• Common Garlic Conversions
• Garlic Tips & Tricks
• FAQs
• More Cooking Basics from my Kitchen
• 📖 Recipe

How to Buy Garlic

For the freshest garlic flavor, we want the freshest garlic available. When shopping at the grocery store, make sure:

• The bulb is tight, with no signs of a soft black powder (this is a sign of mold).
• It's dry, with smooth, thin skin and a few purple streaks down the side.
• It does not give to gentle pressure.
• There are no garlic shoots, an indication the garlic is old.

Health Benefits of Garlic

A few highly recognized health benefits of garlic include that it:

• Contains a range of natural antioxidants to help fight oxidative stress.
• Has been proven to lower blood pressure and the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol.
• May help prevent illness, such as the flu and common cold.

Fun Fact: Garlic flavor comes from a compound called allicin, which is not formed until the plant cell walls are ruptured (aka when you cut garlic). As soon as you cut into the clove, the allicin builds over time.

How to Peel Garlic

Below are some of my favorite methods for peeling garlic in the shortest amount of time.

Step 1: Loosen the bulb

Place the garlic bulb on a flat cutting board with root side down. Make a fist and smash the garlic bulb. Alternatively, place a chef knife over it and then smash it. This breaks the roots and loosens the bulb. Now separate the individual cloves with your hands.

Step 2: Peel the Cloves

You can do this a few ways. Pick one of the following depending on what's most convenient for you:

• Mason Jar Trick: Place the loose cloves in a mason jar, close the lid and shake the jar vigorously. Now open the jar and pick the peeled cloves. Works great when you have a ton of garlic to peel.

• Crush and Peel: Trim off the root edge of the clove. Place it on a cutting board and gently smash it with a chef's knife. This loosens the peel from the clove. Now simply separate the cloves from the peels. Works great for peeling a handful of cloves.

• By Hand: Trim off the root end of the garlic clove and gently remove the peel with your fingers by pulling on the tail. Works great for peeling a couple of cloves.

How to Cut Garlic

Now, on to the fun part! Garlic can be cut in a number of ways depending on the intended use in a recipe. Follow any one of the methods below, depending on your needs.

How to Slice Garlic

Place the whole, peeled garlic clove on your cutting board and slice swiftly through with a knife into thin, even slices.

How to Chop Garlic

Take the sliced pieces of garlic, and line them up next to each other. Use a chef's knife and place one hand on top of the blade while you move the other hand in a semi-circular motion. Chop the garlic to your desired size.

What does minced garlic mean? A mince is finer than a chop. In garlic terms, this means pieces that are less than 1/16th" in diameter. Keep reading to learn more!

How to Mince Garlic

Here are three ways to mince garlic:

Mincing by Hand: Crush the peeled garlic clove by placing a chef's knife over it and smashing it with the heel of your palm. Use a two-hand chopping motion and run over chopped garlic back-and-forth repeatedly. It helps to keep one hand on top of the blade while you move the other hand in a semi-circular motion.

Using a Garlic Press: Place the peeled garlic clove in chamber of the garlic press and squeeze the two handles together. Fine and even pieces of garlic every time.

Using a Microplane: Hold the Microplane in one hand and the peeled garlic clove in the other. Use gentle pressure to go back and forth against the plane of the grater.

Hands smell of garlic? To get rid of the smell from your hands, rub your fingers with a mixture of 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda. Alternatively, rub your fingers against any stainless steel plate or your kitchen sink.

Minced vs Chopped Garlic

Although the two may be similar in size, minced garlic results in smaller, irregular pieces while chopped garlic is often larger in size. In other words, the difference between minced and chopped garlic will have a big impact on the dish's final flavor.

For best results, I find it is best to mince the garlic to the smallest size when a recipe calls for finely chopped, minced or grated garlic.

Pro Tip: Take it a step further and mince the garlic to a smooth paste to use in dressings and sauces. First, sprinkle on a generous pinch of kosher salt. Then continue to mince the garlic, while alternating with a gentle scraping motion by turning the knife on its side and scraping the blade back and forth. Keep going until the garlic is moist and pasty.

How to Make Garlic Paste

Garlic paste is a technique within itself that offers a great way to meal prep for your next recipe.

To make garlic paste: Place the peeled garlic cloves in a blender or food processor with 1 Tablespoon oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Check out Garlic Paste Recipe to learn how to store it in the fridge and freezer.

How to Store

No matter which way you slice, chop or mince it, prepared garlic should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

For longer storage, peeled, sliced, chopped or minced garlic can be kept in an airtight container or plastic storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Common Garlic Conversions

Here are a few garlic conversions, depending on what you have on hand:

• Garlic Flakes (Dehydrated or Dried): Use ½ teaspoon garlic flakes for every 1 clove.
• Granulated Garlic: Use ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic for every 1 clove.
• Garlic Powder: Use ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder for every 1 clove.
• Garlic Salt: Use ½ teaspoon garlic salt for every 1 clove. Note: This will add ⅜ teaspoon salt, so decrease the salt accordingly.

Cloves to Minced Garlic: One medium clove produces approx 1 teaspoon chopped garlic or ½ teaspoon minced garlic. In other words, 3-4 medium cloves yield 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic or ½ Tablespoon minced garlic.

Garlic Tips & Tricks

• The size of garlic matters. The smaller the pieces, the stronger the flavor.
• Cut the garlic as soon as you need it. The longer chopped garlic sits, the harsher its flavor.
• Wait to add garlic until other aromatics have softened and do not cook for longer than 30 seconds. This prevents browning and that notorious bitter flavor.
• When garlic is the only flavoring (i.e. garlic and oil), add garlic to a cold pan along with the oil over low heat. Give it time to releases its natural, sweet flavor.
• To get rid of the garlic smell from your hands, rub with a mixture of 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda. Or, rub your fingers against any stainless steel plate or your kitchen sink.

FAQs

More Cooking Basics from my Kitchen

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