How to Peel Garlic Fast (3 Easy Ways)

The fastest way to peel garlic is to smash each clove with the flat of a knife so the skin splits and slips off. For a whole head, shake the separated cloves between two bowls (or in a sealed jar) for 15 seconds, or microwave the head for 10-15 seconds to loosen the skins. Trim the root end and you’re done.

Peeling is the annoying bottleneck before any garlicky dish. Pick the method that matches how much you need, and a head of garlic stops being a chore.

Step by step

1. Smash-and-peel (a few cloves). Lay the flat of your knife on the clove, thump it with your palm, then peel away the cracked skin.
2. The shake method (a whole head). Break the head into cloves, drop them between two metal bowls rim-to-rim (or a sealed jar) and shake hard for 10-15 seconds.
3. The microwave trick. Zap a whole head for 10-15 seconds. The brief heat loosens the skins so cloves pop out, though it slightly softens them.
4. Trim the root. Slice off the tough root end of each clove.
5. Store the extras. Keep peeled cloves in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days.

Common mistakes

• Picking at the skin with your nails clove by clove. Slow and fiddly.
• Microwaving too long, which starts to cook the garlic.
• Shaking too gently, so the skins never separate.
• Forgetting to cut off the hard root nub before chopping.

Which method is best?

For one or two cloves, smashing is instant and gives you a head start on mincing. For a big batch, the shake method is least messy. Use the microwave only when the skins are stubborn, since the heat softens the cloves a touch.

With garlic ready in seconds, tell OneToCook what’s in your fridge and cook tonight. See the technique glossary for more, and learn how to mince garlic and how to prep ginger next.