How to Make Garlic Paste (Four Ways)

Garlic paste is a common ingredient in many recipes. I've tested various methods and found the four easiest ways to make crushed garlic: a food processor, blender, mortar and pestle, and garlic press.

Pick any one of these methods for easy crushed garlic. Garlic paste can be frozen, which is great if you make it in bulk. All you need is a freezer-friendly storage bag to store the paste, then break it off when cooking.

I use garlic paste in many recipes, such as baba ganoush, homemade garlic butter sauce, tahini sauce, garlic bread, garlic labneh, or garlic butter sauteed shrimp.

Ingredient Notes

Use fresh garlic, either purchased pre-peeled or in garlic bulb form.

I purchased a 3-pound bag of peeled garlic cloves from Costco for a bulk batch. If you have extra garlic, you can use it for Lebanese toum garlic sauce.

After the garlic is peeled, remove the top brown part.

How To Make Garlic Paste

These are the four best ways to make garlic paste: a food processor, blender, garlic press, and mortar and pestle. Each method has its pros and cons, which I detail in each section.

Food Processor

This is my favorite method for making bulk paste because the garlic consistency is the closest to mashed garlic (with a mortar and pestle). Also, it produces a large amount.

Blender

This method is great if you want bulk garlic paste without added oil. The paste is smooth and easy to pour into a freezer bag. However, it is challenging to find the right ratio of garlic cloves to water, and the paste can come out too watery.

Mortar and Pestle

Pounding garlic cloves with a mortar and pestle is my favorite method for small amounts of garlic. Mashed garlic is used in many Lebanese recipes, and this is the traditional way to prepare it.

Garlic Press

This is my least favorite method because half of the garlic remains in the garlic press. Also, it's a lot of work to crush garlic cloves one at a time. I end up with garlic all over my hands.

Add a peeled garlic clove to the garlic press. Clamp with your hands until crushed garlic comes out of the other end. Use a knife or spoon to scrape it off.

If using a garlic press to crush garlic, I recommend it for recipes using a small quantity of garlic, like a maximum of two tablespoons.

Tips and Tricks

• If making the paste using a bulk method (blender or food processor), you need a minimum of 3 cups of garlic cloves. It's hard to blend a small quantity.
• Use any mortar and pestle, wooden or granite.

Variations and Substitutions

You can grate garlic using a microplane zester, but because garlic is small, it's hard. I don't recommend this method.

Make fresh garlic and fresh ginger paste. This is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, like this chicken biryani recipe. Just blend garlic and ginger together using the food processor method.

Mix different flavors with the garlic. Make one bulk batch, then split it into three bags:

• Add chili pepper for garlic chili paste.
• Place chopped fresh cilantro in the bag for garlic cilantro paste. This combination is perfect for Lebanese molokhia (jute stew) or batata harra.
• Add ground coriander, ground cumin, or any other dry spice you often cook with.

Storage

Store the garlic paste in the freezer for up to 9 months!

Use an airtight container or freezer bag. Don't overfill the bag. You want the bag to have a ½" thickness so it's easy to break into chunks.

Label the bag with the date and contents so you don't forget.

How To Use Frozen Garlic Paste

The garlic paste should be soft enough to break off chunks. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon is equivalent to the tip of your thumb and 2 garlic cloves.

📋 Recipe