Garlic adds loads of flavour to recipes. Minced garlic is a common ingredient, included in most recipes. Knowing how to mince garlic is a valuable skill for any home cook to master. There are different ways to mince garlic and everyone has their favourite.
Learn more about how to mince garlic and pick your favourite method.
What’s the Best Method for Mincing Garlic?
There’s lots of debate about which method is best for mincing garlic. The best method for you depends on your skill level, the equipment you have available and whgat results you’re aiming for.
What Happens When You Cut Garlic?
Cutting the garlic cloves is what releases the strong flavour and sharp aroma. So the smaller you cut your garlic the stronger the flavour. Especially if you use a method that release lots of juices from the garlic cloves.
6 Ways to Mince Garlic
There are 6 different ways to mince your garlic. The one you choose depends on what equipment you have availible, your skills with a kitchen knife and how strong you would like the garlic flavour to be.
Regardless of which method you choose you will need to start by peeling your garlic.
Separate the individual cloves of garlic from the bulb.
The bulb is the clump of garlic that you would buy from the supermarket. The cloves are the individual segments. They are easy to pull away form the bulb with your fingers.
Use your kitchen knife to slice off the root of the garlic clove.
Then use your fingers to peel away the papery skin.
Method #1: Knife Mince
This is the most difficult method to master but it’s also the one that requires the least amount of equipment. You only need a sharp kitchen knife and a chopping board. Don’t worry if you don’t get tiny pieces of garlic, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Use a sharp knife to cut the peeled garlic clove into thin slices. Rotate the slices and slice them again. At this point your little pile of garlic strips and slices (there’s always a few that escape the knife!) will be all over the place. Push it into a pile and chop them again. Make a pile and chop again. Keep piling and chopping until you are happy with the size of your garlic chunks.
Method #2: Knife Smash
This method is a little easier to master and still uses only the most basic equipment. It will give you a stronger garlic flavour. However it is a little bit intimidating if you’re not used to handling sharp knives.
Place your peeled clove of garlic on your chopping board. Place the flat side of your knife on top of it and smack down firmly, flattening the clove. Then rock your knife back and forth through the smashed garlic until it’s cut into tiny pieces.
Method #3: Garlic Press
A garlic press is a small and inexpensive gadgets that will mince your garlic for you quickly and easily. I’m not normally a fan of kitchen gadgets that only serve a single purpose, they tend to be rarely used and therefore a waste of space and money destined for landfill. But the garlic press is definitely and exception. I use mine just about every time I cook.
I will say that they can be difficult to clean. I wash up by hand mostly so it’s not a problem for me but if you always use a dishwasher you may prefer other methods of mincing your garlic.
To use a garlic press you simply place your peeled garlic clove (or a few small ones) inside the press and squeeze. The minced garlic oozes out of the press.
This method of mincing your garlic gives you the most flavour for your money! This is one of the reasons that it’s my favourite. That and it’s the easiest.
Method #4: Fine Grater
There is another small and inexpensive kitchen gadget that you can use to mince your garlic, a micro plane grater. These things are really handy for very finely chopping spices like ginger and garlic. I’m so glad I invested in one but I don’t actually use it to mince my garlic. Garlic cloves are quite small and so you’re going to get your fingers close to the blades very quickly and my goodness they are sharp. But if you have a micro plane grater and fancy giving it a go have at it – just be careful please.
To use a micro plane grater to mince your garlic you just rub your peeled clove of garlic over the surface of the grater. Easy peasy. You’ll want to hold it over a bowl to catch all the juices and garlic puree.
Method #5: Grater
Chances are you have a cheese grater hanging out somewhere in your kitchen. You can also use this to chop your garlic. Just like grating cheese you run your peeled clove of garlic down the surface of your grater. This will give you thin slices of garlic. This is a great option if you’d like a more subtle garlic flavour.
Method #6: Mini Food Processor
If you have a mini food processor you can use that to mince your garlic for you. It’s even easier than using a garlic press. You just throw your peeled cloves of garlic into the food processor and whizz until you are happy with the result. Quick and easy – there’s extra washing up of course which is a bummer but if you’re using your mini food processor for something else are the same time then it will save you time.
Follow me on your favourite social media channel for lots of budget batch cook recipes.
Batch Cook Recipes to Practice Your New Garlic Mincing Skills
Pin It Now, Cook it Later
Pin this post to your Pinterest board so you can find it when you need a reminder on how to mince garlic.
A Note on Food Safety
Freezing and defrosting food really isn’t complicated. But it terrifies me how many people aren’t familiar with basic food hygiene so if you’re new to cooking from scratch and freezing please follow these safety guidlines.
The important things to remember are:
- Wash your hands and anything else that has been in contact with raw meat.
- Meals should last for about 3 days in the fridge.
- Do not defrost your meals at room temperature.
- Do not refreeze meals you have already defrosted.
- Consume food before the use by date.
A Little Bit About Me . . .
Hi there! Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the interweb. I’m Bridie.
I’ve been crafting since I was toddling around craft shows while my mum sold knitting yarn. She used to buy me a new craft kit to keep me busy. When I grew up I set up my own online craft shop and loved every minute of it. There’s is nothing like the thrill of getting to be one of the first people to see new craft collections. I sold my business to focus on raising my two children.
I feed my family with a very tight budget by batch cooking healthy home cooked meals that my kids actually eat. All of my recipes are availible on this blog with detailed instructions on how to batch cook safely and easily.
I’ll show you all the best ways to cook on a tight budget so you can still create a life you love.
I’ve included links to my favourite retailers for the products I’ve used to make my crafts. Click on any of the product images and links for full details. If you decide to buy any of these products I may get a small percentage of what you spend. There’s no cost to you at all.
Aran Knitting Baby Baby Girl Baby Scrapbooking Batch Cooking Beginner Scrapbooking Birthday Cards Budget Recipes Card Making Cards for Children Cards for Girls Chicken Recipes Christmas Christmas Cards Craft Sensations Dovecraft Easy Sewing Pattern First Edition Free Knitting Pattern Free Sewing Pattern Handmade Gifts Healthy Eating Healthy Recipe Knitting Knitting Accessories My Minds Eye Papermania Peek-a-Boo Patterns Polkadoodles ProMarkers Scrapbooking Sewing Sewing for Kids Sewing Pants Sewing Tops Sewing with Jersey Sewing with Wovens Simply Creative Sizzix Soup Recipes Spellbinders Stitch Upon a Time Tim Holtz Winsor Newton XCut