Should You Crush, Slice, or Mince Garlic?

If you cook with garlic often, you likely know that its flavor changes depending on its preparation. When raw, the allium is pungent and almost hot; when pan-fried in oil, it shows a mellow, almost toasty flavor; roasted long and slow, it becomes rich and sweet. But how you cut garlic also plays a major part in how it tastes.

“The intensity of garlic flavor is related to how much you break down its cell walls and release a compound called allicin,” explains Andrew Black, chief culinary officer of Counter Service in New York City. “The more you smash it, the more pungent the flavor.”

This sulfur compound is produced when garlic is cut or crushed. The finer, or smaller, the garlic is cut, the stronger the flavor and scent. This principle applies to both raw and cooked forms, though it’s important to note that big chunks of garlic are especially harsh when you chew them since you’re breaking them down with your teeth.

Thanks to allicin, there’s a large difference between finely grating garlic on a Microplane and simply crushing it with the back of your chef’s knife. We reached out to pro chefs to find out what methods they employ for different intensity in garlic dishes. 

When to crush garlic

The simplest method for cutting garlic involves no slicing and will give you major garlic flavor. 

Crushing garlic “adds a pungent garlic flavor as a result of completely smashing the cell walls of the garlic,” Black says. “This is good for sauces and marinades where you want a pronounced garlic flavor.”

It’s also a good method for imparting flavor into dishes without the garlic itself. “Italians cook with ‘just enough’ of an essence of garlic, often simply rubbing the rim of a bowl when making a salad to give it just a whiff,” says Juan Urbieta, executive chef and general manager of Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Sometimes, as in the case of tomato sauce, Italians barely crush whole garlic cloves and brown them in olive oil, at which point they are discarded before the addition of tomatoes.”

How to do it

Simply place a garlic clove on a cutting board, lay the side of a chef’s knife directly on top, and give the knife a firm smash with the palm of your hand. Alternatively, you can use the bottom of a small skillet instead of a knife, which is particularly helpful when crushing several cloves. You can peel the garlic ahead of time, but you might as well leave the clove in its papery skin and remove it once crushed, since this is also the most efficient way to peel garlic. Importantly, this method is not intended to create a paste, but rather a whole clove that’s flattened.

When to slice garlic

For a more mild to moderate flavor, slice whole cloves of garlic into thin strips. 

“This method is great for quick pasta sauces, adding a mild garlic flavor and visually appealing slivers of garlic throughout the final dish,” Black says. Quick sautéed green beans or asparagus or a fast white wine pan sauce are other great candidates for sliced garlic.

“Sliced garlic has been minimally cut, so it will still contain a lot of sweetness,” says Ann Ziata, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus. “Use sliced for garlic chips or for pasta sauces that want a more mellow garlic flavor.” 

The thinner the slices, the stronger the flavor. But be mindful that they can go from perfectly cooked to scorched in seconds. “Thin slices means faster cooking, so take care not to burn the garlic when quickly cooking in oil,” Black says.

How to do it

Lay the clove flat on a cutting board and slice your knife straight through the garlic in one motion, creating long, thin slices. You can also slice garlic using a vegetable peeler, à la Jacques Pépin. 

When to mince garlic

Perhaps the most common method for cutting garlic, mincing simply means chopping garlic into very fine pieces. Minced garlic provides a bolder flavor compared to crushed or sliced cloves, and is one of the best ways to get strong garlic flavor in a dish.

“Its small pieces allow it to distribute flavor evenly in a dish,” Ziata says. “All garlic, but especially minced, burns quickly, so you’ll want to cook it until aromatic and then immediately add the next ingredient.”

How to do it

There are a number of ways to mince garlic. For the most uniform, cleanest way, think of each clove like an onion. Thinly slice straight down through the clove at a 90-degree angle, leaving the stem-end intact, then turn your knife and cut horizontally into the clove, being mindful not to cut through the stem. Finally, cut straight down through the clove into thin slices to produce little cubes of garlic. 

If this is all too fussy for you (like it is for me), then simply run your knife through the garlic several times until the garlic is finely chopped into relatively uniform small pieces. 

When to Microplane or mash garlic

The most robust garlic flavor comes from finely grating cloves on a Microplane or mashing them into a paste on the cutting board. Both produce the finest pieces of garlic with extra-strong flavor and sharp aroma. 

Use this paste for “raw applications where a zingy garlic flavor is desired,” Black says. You can Microplane a clove into lemon juice or vinegar, add a pinch of salt, and use as a base for a vinaigrette or sauce. It works particularly well in homemade aioli or pesto. “This is a quick way to add a bright layer of flavor to simple recipes,” Black says, including compound garlic butter.

How to do it

The easiest way to achieve this stark flavor is simply (and carefully) running a peeled clove of garlic along a Microplane grater. Or you can mash a clove, placing it on a cutting board and smashing with the edge of a knife as you would when crushing garlic. Continue to smash the clove while running the knife along the clove until it’s a fine paste.

When to leave garlic whole 

Finally, you can simply leave garlic whole when you want a mellow, almost sweet flavor. This is naturally the move when cooking whole garlic cloves, whether slow-roasting or making garlic confit. The natural sugars of garlic concentrate, mellowing the sulfur compounds to produce an almost sweet flavor.

You can use whole garlic cloves in braising liquid or stud them into a large roast. When roasted on their own or in oil, whole cloves of garlic provide a unique, mellow flavor that’s perfect in sauces, soups, and spreads, Black says.