Black Garlic Paste: How to Make It and Use It in Everything

The paste format solves the main friction point with black garlic: individual cloves are sticky, slightly awkward to measure, and uneven in finished dishes if not fully incorporated. Turn them into paste once and you get a ready-to-use condiment that behaves more like miso or anchovy paste - a spoonful dropped into almost anything adds immediate depth.

Basic Black Garlic Paste

Ingredients

• 1 whole head of black garlic (approximately 10-12 cloves)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil (or neutral oil for a more versatile paste)
• Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the cloves. Black garlic skins slip off easily - press the base of each clove and the skin separates.
2. Place cloves in a small food processor or blender. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle or simply mash with a fork for a rougher texture.
3. Add oil. Blend or process until completely smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
4. Taste. Adjust oil ratio if too thick - the paste should be spreadable and smooth.
5. Transfer to a small jar or airtight container.

Storage

• Refrigerated in an airtight jar: up to 3 weeks
• Frozen in a silicone ice cube tray (1 tsp portions): up to 3 months

Variations

Lemon Black Garlic Paste

Add the zest of half a lemon and 1 tsp lemon juice. Brightens the flavor considerably and works especially well stirred into dressings or spread on fish before roasting. Try it as a base for lemon-butter baked salmon - spread a thin layer under the flesh before wrapping in foil.

Miso Black Garlic Paste

Add 1 tbsp white miso to the base recipe. Double the umami, works brilliantly as a marinade for chicken thighs or as a ramen seasoning paste.

Herb Black Garlic Paste

Add a small handful of flat-leaf parsley or thyme. Good for compound butter applications and spreading on bread.

How to Use Black Garlic Paste

In sauces and pan sauces

Add 1-2 tsp to a wine or stock reduction after deglazing a pan. It dissolves instantly and gives the sauce a rounded, savory quality. Works especially well with chicken thighs - try it with balsamic chicken and mushrooms, stirring a teaspoon of paste into the balsamic reduction.

In dressings and vinaigrettes

1 tsp of paste whisked into a standard vinaigrette replaces the need for raw garlic entirely. Sweeter, deeper, no sharpness. Full recipes in our black garlic vinaigrette article.

As a spread

Directly on toast, crostini, or flatbread. Top with something acidic - pickled onion, sliced tomato, soft cheese.

In compound butter

2 tbsp paste blended into 100g softened butter. Roll in cling film, refrigerate. Full method in the black garlic butter article.

In aioli

Replaces fresh garlic in the base recipe. See black garlic aioli for the full recipe.

In soups and ramen

Stir 1-2 tsp into broth just before serving. Melts in completely. The black garlic ramen recipe uses a concentrated version of this paste as the flavor base.

Nutrition per tbsp of paste (estimate)

• Calories: ~45 kcal
• Carbohydrates: ~4g
• Fat: ~3g (from oil)
• Protein: ~1g

Meal Prep Notes

Making paste from a full head of black garlic at once is more efficient than peeling cloves individually each time you cook. A single batch covers 2-3 weeks of cooking. For everything you can do with black garlic - paste included - the complete black garlic guide lays out the full range of applications.