The Easiest Way To Peel Garlic (11 Ways Tested)

I love using fresh garlic in my cooking. The nutritional benefits and the intense flavor that fresh garlic adds to food are just too good to pass up. Because of its versatile use, garlic is a cooking staple in almost all cuisines around the world.

And garlic breath is not a good enough reason for me to avoid garlic. If I’ve eaten something garlicky, I just pop some spearmint gum or mint right after.

A lot of us resort to store-bought solutions like pre-peeled garlic cloves, garlic paste, or jarred minced garlic. And that’s because peeling and preparing garlic can be laborious and time-consuming. But it doesn't have to be.

Whether you need to peel a few cloves of garlic for making a quick dinner, or you need a big batch for pickling, confit, or freezing, I’ve got you covered.

How to Separate a Garlic Head (Bulb) Into Cloves

Some of the peeling methods call for whole garlic bulbs, but most require separating cloves from the bulb. This can be done in one of the following three ways.

Method 1

Using your hands, pull out the cloves from the bulb one by one. This method is fast and easy if you only require 2 or 3 cloves. And you also don’t end up breaking apart the entire head. But this can be time-consuming if you need a lot of garlic.

Method 2

Place the bulb on a cutting board or a flat surface. Using both your palms, push down on the bulb until the cloves separate. This could be hard if you have small hands like mine. And definitely won’t recommend it for weak hands as it requires a lot of hand strength.

Method 3

With the garlic bulb lying on a hard, flat surface, smash the root-side end with a meat mallet, pestle, or the flat side of a metal saucepan. A couple of hits should separate all the cloves. This can be a bit noisy. And the cloves can go flying around the kitchen. But it’s a great way of releasing anger. Yeehaw!

11 Ways to Peel Garlic (Reviewed and Rated)

Now on to the main task. I’ve shared these peeling methods in no particular order. If you want to skim through the results, take a look at the ratings and the pros and cons, to see if the method meets your needs. Or scroll down to the section where I’ve shared the winning method.

1. Use Your Hands

I found 3 ways in which you could peel garlic using your hands. The garlic needs to be completely dry for these methods to work.

a) Twist and Peel

Pinch both ends of the clove, one end in each hand, and twist back and forth. When the skin becomes loose, peel it off.

Thoughts

I find that this method works fine with small or thin cloves. The big ones don’t bend easily. Some cloves can break a little, which shouldn’t be a problem if you want to chop or mince them. Nothing too easy or special about this one.

Rating: 5/10

b) Single-Side Press

Push down the root end of the clove against a cutting board. Or a hard, flat surface. Apply some pressure. Keep pressing until the peel loosens up all around the clove. Take the peel off.

Thoughts

Peel a whole bulb using this method, and you may need a cold compress for your fingers. Like the “twist and peel” method, this one works best with thin and small cloves. The small clingy bits of the peel can still be hard to remove.

Rating: 3/10

c) Double-Side Press

Slice off the root end of the clove. Hold the clove lengthwise between your thumb and index finger. Press garlic from both sides until the skin cracks open. Take off the entire peel.

Thoughts

This method requires a lot of hand strength. I ended up using both my hands for most of the cloves because pressing with one hand wasn’t enough for me.

It is also not an easy way to peel fresh(er) garlic because of the sticky and clingy peel (garlic that has been sitting out for a few days has a relatively drier, less sticky peel). Overall, not impressed.

Rating: 4/10

d) Roll

Take a clove of garlic and roll it between your palms until the peel comes off. Alternatively, use a silicone peeling tube, instead of your bare hands, to roll the garlic.

Thoughts

I don’t have a silicone peeling tube, so I can’t say how easily it peels garlic. But rolling with bare hands was no fun.

As I rolled and rubbed the clove between my palms, the root end of the clove felt sharp and hurt a bit. So, slicing off the root end before you start will not only make this easy on your hands but may also help peel the clove quicker.

Overall, this is not a convenient or efficient way of peeling cloves. Plus, you get garlicky-smelling hands. Thanks, but no thanks.

Rating: 4/10

Pros

• You don’t need any gadgets or equipment (unless you choose to use the silicone peeling tube for the “roll” method).

Cons

• All slow ways of peeling garlic.
• Can get tiresome (and annoying) if you have more than a couple of cloves to peel.
• Not suitable for fresh garlic as the peel is relatively soft and clingy and doesn't come off easily.
• The cloves may break a little, so these may not be ideal methods if you’re looking for whole cloves.

2. Make Some Cuts

There are two ways of peeling garlic in this category.

a) Cut in Half

Hold the garlic clove between your fingers. Your fingers should be touching the flat sides of the clove. Go in with your knife from the curved side, and cut the clove in half. Pinch the loose peel and pull to remove.

You can rest your hand and garlic on the cutting board when you cut the garlic, as I am doing in the photos. This will give your hands some balance and hopefully reduce the chances of any accidental cuts to your fingers. Or you can cut and peel garlic without a cutting board, as seen in this video.

Thoughts

It’s a nice method and doesn’t require hand strength. But you can’t use it if you need whole cloves. Also, you need to be careful not to cut your hands, especially if you’re not using the cutting board.

Rating: 7/10

b) Cut the Ends

Lay the clove flat on a cutting board. Cut off the root end of the clove. As you finish the cut, keep the knife in the same position to hold the peel underneath. Now pull away the clove with your other hand. The part of the peel held under the knife will come off as you pull the clove away. Flip the clove so the peeled flat side is facing up now. Repeat the process as you cut the other end of the clove. The remaining peel should come off easily.

Thoughts

This method may sound complicated, but it's not. See the photos or this video where I first saw this method in action. But it's not a very quick way either. A bit of garlic gets wasted as you are cutting off both ends (not just the root end). Plus, it takes 2 to 3 steps to peel one clove.

With some cloves, this method worked perfectly well. But I still had to wrestle with my hands to get off the stubborn and clingy skin on some cloves. Not a great time-saving method.

Rating: 5/10

Pros

• Better than using just your hands.
• Both methods don’t require any use of force or hand strength.

Cons

• You may still need to use your hands to remove the entire peel.
• Not suitable for when you have a bunch of cloves to peel.
• Can be hazardous if you are not good with knives.
• Not suitable for when you need whole cloves without any cuts.

As you can see from the ratings, between these two methods, I prefer the first method, as it's a little more efficient and quicker.

3. Crush

Place the flat side of a chef’s knife, or any large knife, or the flat bottom of a bowl over a clove of garlic. Put your hand on the knife (or the bowl) and press down on the clove. The garlic should crack under pressure and the peel should come off easily.

Thoughts

This is a good method if you need just a few cloves. As shown in this video, the sharp edge of the knife should be facing away from you, for safety reasons. Using a small bowl instead is a safer option.

You do need to push down quite strongly, so this may not be a good peeling option for weak hands. Big cloves take even more effort.

You may come across a variation of this method where you bang the flat surface of the knife with your palms a couple of times, instead of applying pressure, to crush the clove underneath. But I won’t recommend this variation, especially if you’re a newbie in the kitchen, because as you hit the knife, it may slip, move, or change angles and cause injuries.

All in all, I prefer this peeling method when I’m mincing or chopping garlic because all that crushing makes the remaining prep easier. So pushing down on garlic works as a 2-in-1 job.

Rating: 7/10

Pros

• One of the easier ways of peeling garlic when you only need a few cloves.
• Requires no special gadgets.
• A relatively quick method that's widely used and liked, for good reason.

Cons

• Peeling a lot of cloves this way could get tiring.
• Not suitable for when you need whole cloves, without any cuts or bruises.
• Not recommended for weak hands as it requires some strength.

4. Stab-Twist-Pull

Hold a head of garlic in one hand. With your other hand, stab a clove using the pointy end of a small knife or paring knife. Give the knife a bit of a wiggle or twist, so the clove breaks free from the root end of the bulb. Then pull the knife out. Hopefully, the clove will come out with it, leaving its papery skin behind. You can also try using a fork instead of a knife for this method.

Thoughts

No, just no. I can’t recommend this method. It is dangerous for anyone who doesn’t have amazing knife skills and very good hand balance. And even if you are brilliant with knife-work, this may still not work. Read this piece by Helen Rosner, a staff writer at The New Yorker, who cut her finger and got a few stitches using this method. Ouch!

By the way, I also tried this method with a fork and miserably failed.

Rating: 1/10 (Didn’t give zero as there may be some superhumans who find this method useful.)

Pros

• Interesting to look at. Check out this video. Sorry, I couldn't come up with any other nice things.

Cons

• Dangerous, unsafe, hazardous (feel free to look up more synonyms).
• Works with maybe one out of ten cloves, if you practice a lot.
• The clove almost always breaks in half, and then you have to use your hands to pull out those pieces and remove the peel.

5. Smash

Put some separated garlic cloves in a zip-top bag. Think of everyone you hate at work. Using a meat pounder or mallet, a pestle, a rolling pin, or the flat side of a small saucepan, smash the cloves. Be careful not to tear the bag or break the surface underneath. When you’ve smashed all the garlic cloves, open the bag and pick out the loose peel.

Thoughts

It’s one of the good methods. You can also smash the garlic directly on the cutting board without using a bag. But if you do that, go easy with the pounding. Or you’ll end up picking pieces of garlic from all around your kitchen.

If you decide to use a pestle for this method, you may as well use the mortar. Not just for peeling garlic. But for smashing the peeled garlic afterward - so you can skip the knife altogether.

Rating: 7/10

Pros

• Therapeutic!
• Also a quick and easy method.
• If you want to mince or chop the garlic, using bruised garlic that you get from this method will be a little less work compared to whole cloves.

Cons

• Not suitable for when you need whole, undamaged cloves.
• If you have a lot of cloves to peel, you may need to do a lot of hammering, and that could get tiring.

6. Half Bulb Smash

Cut the entire garlic bulb in half horizontally (not lengthwise). Then place the halves on the cutting board, flat side down. Smash them with a meat mallet. Or use the flat side of a large knife (like a chef’s knife or a cleaver). Keep beating until the garlic pieces get released from their skin and come out easily.

Thoughts

Cutting the bulb in half is not easy. It's important to use a sharp knife, as blunt ones could be dangerous. It took me three tries before I could successfully cut a bulb in half. And it's hard to keep both halves intact (the cloves start to separate from the bulb).

When you start smashing, the cloves start separating from the bulb even more. Most separate with the peel on, and a few without. Then you have to smash not only the 2 pieces of the bulb but also individual halves of the cloves that go rogue and fly around. It's not an efficient method to remove the peel, as you can see in this video.

Rating: 1/10 (1 point for the couple of cloves that come out peeled)

Pros

• Can’t think of any.

Cons

• This method doesn't work.
• Cutting the bulb horizontally can be tough. And potentially dangerous if the knife isn’t sharp enough or if it slips.
• Even if it did work, this method can't be used if you don't require a whole bulb of garlic.
• Not suitable if you need whole, uncut cloves.

7. Shake-Shake-Shake

Put the separated garlic cloves in a jar, preferably a transparent one, like a mason jar, so you can see the peeling progress. Screw on the lid (or lock it, depending on the kind of jar you have). And shake the jar as vigorously as you can. Free workout, anyone? Stop when you see most of the cloves separated from the peel. Pick out the peeled cloves of garlic. A few cloves may still have the peel on and might need a little more shaking.

Thoughts

This one felt like the easiest method. That is, if I have many cloves to peel.

Some people use this method with two large bowls (one bowl placed upside down on top of the other). But this variation might not be as effective. Not only do you have to shake the bowls vigorously, but you also have to be careful to keep them together so your garlic does not go flying around. You also can’t just easily eyeball and check if the garlic peel has come off from the cloves like you could with a transparent jar. And then you’re left with two big bowls to wash!

You can try this method with tupperware. But remember to not put a lot of cloves if you’re using a small container. The garlic cloves need to bang freely inside the container for the skin to loosen up.

The success of this method is also dependent on the garlic variety you use. Loose-skinned varieties and varieties with bigger cloves will peel faster than those with small cloves or tight skin. Plastic jars feel safer compared to glass ones because then you can shake vigorously not worry about breaking glass.

Remember, you must shake for around 30 seconds, making sure that with each shake the cloves are hitting the insides of the jar or container. It’s the smashing action that loosens the peel.

Rating: 9/10

Pros

• Great method for when you need a lot of cloves peeled.
• You get whole cloves. No bruising or cuts!

Cons

• Sometimes, a couple of cloves don’t get peeled completely. So you may need to shake them a little more.

8. Microwave

Spread out separated garlic cloves on a plate. Microwave for 10 seconds. Take the cloves out and let them cool for a few seconds. Peel with hands.

Thoughts

As a result of microwaving, peeling does become easier. But the cloves end up cooking just a little.

Depending on your microwave, the cloves may need to be heated for a few more seconds. Never leave the garlic in the microwave unattended.

A variation of this method is microwaving the whole bulb, without separating the cloves. But that requires a longer heating time, which can cook the garlic a bit more. It's also not a suitable alternative if you don't require the entire bulb.

Because it needs relatively little effort, the microwave method might be an excellent choice for people who have problems that limit their hand mobility.

Rating: 7/10

Pros

• The method doesn’t require any shaking or force, like some other methods.
• Whether you need just a few cloves or a big batch of garlic, the technique works well for both.
• The cloves come out whole. No smashed, bruised, or cut cloves.

Cons

• Can’t use this method if you don't have a microwave, or don’t prefer using one.
• The garlic can end up cooking a bit. And the taste could very slightly change.
• The method doesn’t work equally well for all cloves. Some cloves may still require a little effort to peel.

9. Microwave With Water

Put the separated garlic cloves or the whole bulb in a microwave-safe bowl filled with room-temperature water. Microwave for 30 seconds. Take out the garlic and let it cool for a couple of minutes, then peel. The skin should come off very easily.

Thoughts

The method works fine. But if I had to use a microwave method, I’d use the other method above, where you don't need water. That method requires just 10 seconds of heating, compared to the 30 seconds you need for this one.

What bothers me is not the few extra seconds of microwaving, but the fact that with all that additional time, the garlic cooks more. And that can strip the garlic of its flavor and essential oils before it even goes into the food.

Not sure how I feel about the use of water, either. I wonder if all the flavor flows out into the water. Which could be fine if you like your garlic a little less strong.

Rating: 5/10

Pros

• Like with the other microwave method, there is no smashing or shaking involved.
• You can use this technique for a few cloves, or even a few bulbs, in one go.
• The cloves don't get smashed or bruised (if you need them whole).

Cons

• This method can’t be used if you don't have a microwave, or if you prefer not to use one.
• The garlic cooks for 30 seconds, and that could strip some of its taste and flavor.
• You don't really need water. The simple microwave method, which requires 10 seconds of heating, works just fine.

10. Warm Water Soak

Soak the separated cloves for 30 minutes in warm water. The water should not be hot, or the garlic will cook. Take the cloves out of the water and peel them. The skin should come off easily.

Thoughts

This method did not work for me. The skin was still hard to remove. Maybe some more soaking time would have helped. But 30 minutes or more is a lot of waiting to peel some garlic.

Rating: 1/10

Pros

• Nothing really. This one didn’t work. You could try increasing the soak time.

Cons

• Peeling the garlic doesn't get easier after 30 minutes of waiting.
• The long wait does not make sense if you want to whip up a quick meal and need just a couple of cloves.
• The slowest way of peeling garlic on this list.

11. Garlic Press

Take a good garlic press and press an unpeeled garlic clove with it. Simple, eh?

Thoughts

I use this method a lot since it's a 2-in-1 solution. The garlic press peels and minces garlic all at once. No other prep is needed.

The method is good for when you need minced garlic and you’re using just a few cloves. If you have a lot of garlic to peel, or you want to prepare garlic any other way than by mincing, this method won’t be suitable.

A thin film of garlic will still be left inside the press along with the peel. So a tiny amount of garlic does get wasted. But that waste will be minimal and insignificant if you have a good garlic press.

Rating: 8/10

Pros

• It's a quick and easy method.
• In one step, you can peel and mince the garlic.
• A good method for when you need to use a few cloves (great for everyday cooking).

Cons

• You need a garlic press for this method. But a good press is a kitchen workhorse.
• Not an efficient method if you need to peel a lot of garlic.
• You can’t use it if you want to prepare garlic any other way than by mincing it.
• A tiny bit of garlic gets wasted.

The Winning Method

For various reasons, the shake method comes out on top (drumroll, please).

• You get whole, undamaged, uncooked garlic cloves. So you can use them any way you like.
• And the use of hands in finishing the peeling process is minimal.
• Plus, you don't need any appliances like a microwave or special tools like a garlic press to help with the peeling.
• The best part is that you can peel many cloves at once, depending on the size of the jar or the tupperware you’re using.

Remember, you must shake vigorously for around 30 seconds, making sure that with each shake the cloves are hitting the insides of the jar or container. It’s the smashing action that loosens the peel.