Making garlic olive oil at home takes less than 10 minutes of work to yield a great base for salad dressings, addition to pasta dishes, and a low FODMAP alternative to garlic. Plus this garlic oil recipe purposefully maintains the polyphenols and plant chemicals that make this a nutritional powerhouse!
If you like easy garlic-flavored sauces, try my Lebanese garlic sauce or my garlic-herb sauce.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Use Up Fresh Garlic: whether you got too much at the farmer's market or the Asian mart nearby, making homemade garlic oil is a great way to use up extra fresh garlic - plus, the leftover fried garlic tastes great smeared on some low histamine toast or potatoes!
Low FODMAP Cooking Oil: this is an easy antihistamine food to add umami flavor to low histamine, low FODMAP recipes when in any of the elimination phases. It infuses over about a half hour, and makes for the perfect addition to any low histamine chicken or stew, in addition to making it into salad dressings and sauces.
Freezer-Friendly: garlic infused oil can stay good in the freezer for several months, with almost no ramifications upon the flavor.
🧄 Ingredients
Olive Oil: I used a fresh extra-virgin olive oil here, though you could alternately use the same amount of any medium- to high-heat oil you like.
Fresh Garlic: this adds a bite of umami and deep flavor to the oil; you can't substitute it for the dried stuff in this recipe.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🔪 How to Make Garlic Olive Oil (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) First peel the garlic cloves and use the flat side of your knife to gently press down on them, just enough to crack them open (image 1). Then slice each clove in half lengthwise, removing the green sprout in the center (if there is one) (image 2); this prevents the oil from becoming bitter and increases the surface area of the garlic for infusion.
Step 2) Once the garlic is prepared, pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the cracked garlic cloves (image 3). Warm the mixture on the lowest possible heat setting - you're looking to maintain a temperature of about 200°F (95°C), where the oil is warm but not sizzling, with tiny slow-moving bubbles (image 4).
Ideally you’ll use a cooking thermometer to monitor the oil's temperature accurately.
Step 3) Let the garlic steep in the oil for 30-40 minutes. The key here is patience; a gentle and slow infusion process will ensure the oil takes on the rich, nuanced flavors of the garlic without any risk of burning. If you're worried about histamine building up, it's unlikely in a pure fat like olive oil, but you can stick to no more than 30 minutes.
Step 4) After the infusion time is up, take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature on a cool surface (about 20-30 minutes) (image 5). Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve or a piece of cheesecloth to remove all the garlic bits (they can be used in a pasta sauce or crushed onto bread with butter and a touch of salt) (image 6).
Step 5) Transfer your garlic infused olive oil into a clean, dry glass bottle or a jar with a secure lid (image 7). Label it with the date so you can keep track of its freshness. Store in a cool, dark place and use or freeze within 10 days for the best quality. If refrigerated, the oil might become cloudy, but it will return to its clear state once it's back at room temperature.
🥘 Storage and Freezing
Both garlic and olive oil can stand up well to freezing for up to 3 months, though note that the garlic will be slightly less flavorful and more mushy than crisp, but with the same rich umami flavor to add to soups and stews. If you're not following a low histamine diet, you can also store garlic oil in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Olive oil flavored with garlic should not be stored at room temperature in light of the potential of contamination with bacteria, causing histamine overload and even illness after several days.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
How to Use: this garlic oil is a great addition to stewed potatoes or any herbal chicken, like my parsley chicken recipe.
Adding Flavor: include up to 3 tablespoons of other herbs and or spices to give the garlic flavored oil a more complex flavor profile, like rosemary, thyme, sage, peppercorns, or even lemon peel.
❓ What to Serve With Garlic Olive Oil
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Seal and store homemade garlic-infused olive oil in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. If you're making this for use in another recipe, use any leftover garlic-infused olive oil for dressings and the base for other low histamine sauces.
Garlic has been found to strengthen the immune system if you're looking to naturally boost your body's defenses, garlic olive oil is an excellent choice.
High-quality extra virgin olive oil has antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it easier for your body to fight infections and support a healthy gut.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Easy Garlic Infused Olive Oil
Equipment
- small pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 40 g garlic about 10-12 medium cloves, peeled and halved
Instructions
- First peel the garlic cloves and use the flat side of your knife to gently press down on them, just enough to crack them open. Then slice each clove in half lengthwise, removing the green sprout in the center (if there is one); this prevents the oil from becoming bitter and increases the surface area of the garlic for infusion.
- Once the garlic is prepared, pour the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the cracked garlic cloves. Warm the mixture on the lowest possible heat setting - you're looking to maintain a temperature of about 200°F (95°C), where the oil is warm but not sizzling, with tiny slow-moving bubbles. Ideally you’ll use a cooking thermometer to monitor the oil's temperature accurately.
- Let the garlic steep in the oil for 30-40 minutes. The key here is patience; a gentle and slow infusion process will ensure the oil takes on the rich, nuanced flavors of the garlic without any risk of burning. If you're worried about histamine building up, it's unlikely in a pure fat like olive oil, but you can stick to no more than 30 minutes.
- After the infusion time is up, take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature on a cool surface (about 20-30 minutes). Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve or a piece of cheesecloth to remove all the garlic bits (they can be used in a pasta sauce or crushed onto bread with butter and a touch of salt).
- Transfer your garlic infused olive oil into a clean, dry glass bottle or a jar with a secure lid. Label it with the date so you can keep track of its freshness. Store in a cool, dark place and use or freeze within 10 days for the best quality. If refrigerated, the oil might become cloudy, but it will return to its clear state once it's back at room temperature.
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