Can You Substitute Garlic Powder for Minced Garlic?

If you’re cooking and find that you are out of fresh garlic, it’s okay!

You can easily substitute garlic powder for minced garlic.

You may have to make a few adjustments to your recipes, but garlic powder can still work in most recipes, including garlic bread.

Garlic Powder Versus Minced Garlic – What’s the Difference?

Minced Garlic

Minced garlic is fresh cloves of garlic that have been cut up into small, even pieces. You can purchase pre-minced garlic at your local grocery store, or you can also buy a head of garlic and chop the cloves individually.

Minced garlic has a strong, lingering taste. It’s incredibly aromatic and used in various cuisines and dishes all across the world.

Minced garlic should be used immediately after being chopped, or refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. If you’ve purchased pre-minced garlic, it will usually last a bit longer in your refrigerator.

Garlic Powder

Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic that has been ground up into a fine powder. It can be used in almost anything, including salt.

The flavor of garlic powder is more concentrated than that of fresh garlic and it has a roasted garlic smell. Its flavor is strong, but the taste and smell don’t linger on your breath or clothes for as long as those of minced garlic.

Substituting Garlic Powder for Minced Garlic

One has to be careful when substituting garlic powder for minced garlic because the strengths of the two are quite different. It’s helpful to understand how these forms of garlic convert to one another.

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One clove of garlic = ½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon minced garlic = ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Because those measurements are small, it might be easier to think of them on a slightly larger scale:

3 teaspoons minced garlic = ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

Garlic powder can be substituted for minced garlic in almost any recipe, but keep in mind that garlic powder burns easily. You shouldn’t sautee garlic powder, and if you must, put it in the pan at the last minute, because otherwise, your food will have a burnt taste and smell.

Because garlic powder has a more concentrated taste than minced garlic, the more you add, the more garlicky your food will taste. 

Garlic powder substitutes well for minced garlic when you are making a garlic sauce or aioli. You can even mix it into softened butter and spread it on top of toasted bread to make easy garlic bread!

If you don’t have garlic powder or minced garlic, you can also substitute garlic flakes, granulated garlic (slightly coarser than garlic powder), or even minced shallots or green onions. Happy eating!

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