The 30-Second Trick to Making Garlic Extra-Garlicky

The flavor you get with this technique isn't just good—it's grate.

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"When garlic's used in a sauce, I don't like to bite down on big pieces of it," says Epi's Food Director Rhoda Boone. And she has a point. Garlic is that extra snap that takes sauces and dressings to the next level, but when you bite down on big, raw piece, that snap becomes downright sharp. That's why Rhoda uses a technique that maximizes garlic flavor without any noticeable texture at all. The cool thing about this technique? It's completely cook-free.

You’ll need a microplane—and that’s all. Grip the garlic clove at the broader end and run it against the microplane's teeth, careful to not start grating your fingers. What you'll be left with is a pungent, intense, spreadable paste that's perfect for stirring into sauces, where it can be distributed evenly. Use this smooth garlic paste anywhere it can be stirred in—especially the dishes below.

Smoother Garlic Yogurt

Rhoda recently used grated garlic in her 22-minute shawarma’s garlic yogurt sauce. “I didn't want to see the garlic in the yogurt,” she says. "I didn’t want chunky yogurt.” Follow her lead for a smooth tahini sauce, or combine grated garlic with yogurt and chopped spinach for a versatile dip/spread—particular good with crispy zucchini fritters.

Better Garlic Bread

For a garlic bread that doesn't play it safe, grate some garlic into melted butter, then spoon it on toasted bread. Too intense? For a slightly less intense option, use that garlicky butter as a dipping sauce for steamed artichokes.

Punchier Marinades

To soak your meat in a marinade that really delivers on garlic flavor, use grated—not, say, chopped—garlic. Stir grated garlic into soy sauce marinades, or stir into yogurt for a tenderizing (and flavor-intensifying) solution for lamb chops.

Sharper Nut Sauces

Use grated garlic to add some bite to a nut butter/lemon juice/olive oil sauce. Serve it with Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like this lamb patty sandwich on flatbread.