How to Make Garlic Chips

An easy, no-fuss tutorial on how to make crispy garlic chips at home, and ways to incorporate them into your cooking repertoire. 

Garlic chips! Have you made them? More importantly, have you ever tasted one? If the answer is no, I’m here to rock your world. Once you get your hands on homemade garlic chips, you’ll want to start sprinkling them on everything that comes out of your kitchen.

I like to think of them as savory fairy dust. Pure caramelized garlic flavor in a crispy, crunchy package. They provide fantastic texture, make everything taste ten times better, and you’ll impress everyone in the process. It’s a win-win situation.

I’m sharing an incredible recipe later this week that uses these crispy garlic chips, but in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to provide a quick recipe and cooking tutorial on how to make them at home.

After all, crispy garlic chips deserve their own time in the limelight. Your cooking repertoire will never be the same.

How to Make Garlic Chips:

Garlic chips are exactly what you expect them to be. Thinly sliced garlic that is cooked in oil until crispy, crunchy, and golden brown in color. In other words, fried garlic slices. The garlic slices should be very thin and uniform, so that they all cook evenly in the oil.

Yes, we’re frying today. Please don’t hate me. The good news? We’re shallow frying in a small skillet and the entire process takes less than ten minutes start to finish. You won’t need a ton of oil (this small-batch recipe only requires 1/4 cup total) or a frying thermometer to make these.

Even better news? There is minimal to zero clean up and you’ll be rewarded with roughly 1/4 cup crispy garlic chips (a little goes a long way!) and a small, but practical amount of homemade garlic oil that can be used for low-heat cooking, salad dressings, drizzling and dipping, and everything in between.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 6 large peeled garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• small skillet (preferably 7″ to 8″ inches in diameter or smaller)
• heat proof spatula
• 1/4 cup pure avocado oil (or olive oil) – see section below or recipe notes
• fine-meshed strainer (or slotted spoon), for draining the garlic chips and reserving the oil

What Type of Oil Should I Use?

You’ll want to use a high-quality oil to make garlic chips, particularly if you wish to reserve and use the garlic oil for other dishes. I recommend using avocado oil or olive oil.

Pure avocado oil has a very high smoke point and neutral flavor, and it is a healthier and lower processed alternative to other natural oils, such as canola, vegetable, etc.

I like to use avocado oil for this recipe, particularly if I’m using the garlic chips for a variety of dishes and prefer a more versatile cooking oil that can be re-heated at a higher temperature.

Olive oil has a lower smoke point, but is a great substitute for avocado oil for this recipe. It will produce a more flavorful and robust infused garlic oil that will lend itself better to Italian or Mediterranean dishes or dipping bread, drizzling, etc.

Ways to Use Garlic Chips:

• sprinkled or crushed on salads, roasted or sautéed vegetables, mashed potatoes, etc.
• as a garnish on homemade soups or dips
• sprinkled on pasta dishes (this pasta amatriciana or spaghettini with roasted tomatoes are excellent choices, but the options are endless!)
• topped on stir fries or rice pilafs

How to Store Garlic Chips and Garlic Oil: 

Like everything, garlic chips will be at their best the day of frying and immediately after they are made. However, they can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

Since oils are more prone to light and heat degradation, I recommend storing homemade infused oils in the refrigerator unless you’re using them immediately. Garlic oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Crispy Garlic Chips

4.5 stars (21 ratings)

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Yield: 3 Servings

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 5 minutes minutes

Total: 10 minutes minutes

How to Make Crispy Garlic Chips - an easy, no-fuss tutorial on how to make crispy garlic chips at home, and ways to incorporate them into your cooking repertoire!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 mL) avocado or olive oil
• 6 large peeled garlic cloves very thinly sliced

Instructions 

• Set a fine-meshed sieve over a small heatproof bowl and line a small plate with a paper towel. Set aside.
  
• Briefly heat the oil in a small skillet (roughly 7" to 8" inches in diameter or smaller) over medium heat. Add the garlic slices to the skillet - they should slightly sizzle when they enter the oil. Use a heatproof spatula to spread the garlic slices into a thin, even layer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low (the slices should be actively bubbling in the pan, but not gaining color too quickly - adjust the heat as necessary). Some of the slices may have a tendency to stick together and they will turn out fine; however, try to break them up as much as possible with a spatula. Continue cooking the garlic, stirring continuously with a heatproof spatula and flipping the slices periodically, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the garlic slices are golden brown in color.
  
• Working quickly, carefully pour the garlic chips and oil into the strainer over the bowl to drain and reserve the cooking oil. Transfer the drained garlic chips to the paper towel lined plate, separating them into a single layer to soak up any excess oil. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Garlic chips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month, but will have the best texture immediately after cooking.
• Meanwhile, transfer the garlic-infused oil into a small, airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Use for salad dressings, low-heat cooking, drizzling, etc.

If you prefer to make a larger batch of garlic chips (or homemade oil), feel free to adjust the quantities respectively and use a larger skillet. You can always increase the oil - just keep in mind that this is the absolute minimum amount that you'll need for the quantity of garlic in this recipe.

Tips for Success:

• Since pure avocado oil has a high smoke point and neutral flavor, I like to use it in this recipe, particularly if I'm using the garlic chips for a wide variety of dishes and prefer a more versatile infused oil.
• Olive oil has a lower smoke point, but is a perfectly fine substitute for avocado oil in this recipe. It will produce a more flavorful infused oil that will lend itself better to Italian or Mediterranean dishes, dipping bread, etc.
• If you'd like to take this concept one step further, I highly recommend making garlic confit next!

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 28kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 9mg, Fiber: 1g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: How To Cooking Guides

Cuisine: American