These garlic mashed potatoes are a savory twist on a classic side dish. Oven-roasting whole garlic bulbs transform the cloves into a soft, buttery consistency with a slightly caramelized flavor. Fold them into light and fluffy potatoes to add a rich taste to each serving.
Recipe Science
- Roasted garlic removes the raw, bitter taste by breaking down the alliinase enzyme at 150°F, preventing pungent allicin formation. The flavor transforms into a sweet and caramelized taste.
- Press the cooked potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill for fluffy mashed potatoes. This separates the potato particles, preventing them from becoming dense or heavy.
- Add the butter before the milk. The fat coats the starches, minimizing their interaction with the milk for a smooth texture.
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Featured Comment 5
“Outstanding recipe. Very well-written, and even science-y. I really dug it–I love learning. Light and fluffy like I’ve never seen before. Thanks, this recipe is a keeper.”—Brent
Why It Works
One way to instantly elevate the taste of traditional mashed potatoes is to incorporate roasted garlic. Infusing the lightly sweet and earthy notes creates a more exciting flavor profile while adding depth to each bite. This recipe yields a light and fluffy potato puree using simple steps to remove as much excess starch as possible, followed by an important technique incorporating all the ingredients.
To be most efficient with your time, it’s essential to follow the order of the preparation steps. Roast the whole garlic bulb right at the start, as it takes just under an hour to soften. Peel, cut, boil, and mash the potatoes as you wait. The potent and luxurious smells of the buttery and caramelized cloves will gradually fill the room. You’ll be happy you took a few extra steps to make this roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe to accompany your meal. You may never want to eat them plain ever again!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: Russets are the best option for a light, fluffy whipped texture. These potatoes are considered “mealy” because of their high starch content, which easily absorbs moisture and delivers a naturally creamy consistency.
- Garlic: You will need one whole head of garlic to roast.
- Oil: Fruity olive oil is drizzled over the garlic bulb to cook the cloves, yielding a soft and spreadable texture.
- Butter: The fat coats the starches in the potatoes, preventing a gluey consistency. The butter also adds richness to the texture.
- Milk: Milk enhances the richness of the dish while also helping to thin out the mashed potatoes, creating a lighter, whipped texture.
- Seasoning: The potatoes are boiled in salted water to enhance the savory seasoning throughout the flesh. Salt and pepper enhance the taste of the dish.
- Herbs: The garlic mashed potatoes are garnished with chopped chives for a delicate onion flavor.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This roasted garlic mashed potatoes recipe is easy to customize! Try these delicious ideas:
- Potatoes Substitutes: Other types of potatoes can be used. Yukon Gold potatoes are known for their naturally buttery and creamy flavor, but they tend to produce a denser mash due to their higher moisture and sugar content. For a more rustic look, I like to make mashed red potatoes with the skin on and use a potato masher for a chunkier texture. If you’re craving a sweet and savory side dish, garlic mashed sweet potatoes are a great alternative!
- Garlic Options: If you don’t have time to roast garlic in the oven, add garlic flavor with garlic powder, dried granulated or minced garlic. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste. Fresh minced garlic can be cooked in olive oil over low heat until lightly golden in color and no longer raw. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to the potatoes.
- Make it Creamier: For an extra touch of tanginess, you can mix in sour cream, crème fraîche, or even cream cheese. Start with a tablespoon and adjust to taste, folding them in after adding the milk. Try using heavy cream instead for a richer, more decadent texture.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Olive oil, plant-based butter, or even margarine are excellent alternatives to traditional butter. You can swap regular milk with canned coconut, oat, almond, or cashew milk for a creamy dairy-free option.
- Add Herbs: Add fresh herbs like chopped parsley, green onions, tarragon, oregano, dill, or basil. Infuse butter with Italian seasonings and mix in for a bold herbaceous flavor.
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Position the oven rack in the center and preheat to 400ºF (204ºC). This ensures even heat distribution, allowing the garlic to roast perfectly without burning.
Step 2: Prepare the Garlic
Peel away the papery skin from the garlic head, keeping the cloves intact. Slice about ¼-inch off the top to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap it tightly. Set the wrapped garlic on a baking sheet, ready for roasting. This method helps caramelize the garlic, bringing out its natural sweetness.
Step 3: Roast the Garlic
When whole cloves of garlic start roasting in the oven, it becomes an entirely different culinary experience. The flesh becomes spreadable with the slightest pressure, making it easy to incorporate into any recipe.
The sharp, spicy, pungent flavors mellow out due to the alliinase enzyme that causes the sulfurous aroma and taste to halt in activity. The high oven temperatures and consistent heating give it a golden hue, paired with Maillard browning to produce more flavors. The process takes about 40 to 60 minutes.
Step 4: Make a Garlic Paste
Carefully remove the roasted garlic by digging out the cloves with a small knife or gently squeezing them out. Use the back of a knife or a spoon to mash the cloves into a smooth paste. Set it aside to mix into your mashed potatoes.
Step 5: Boil the Water
In a large pot, bring water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. This helps season the potatoes from the start.
Step 6: Cook the Potatoes
The key to keeping the mashed potatoes airy and creamy is to control the amount of starch in the dish. Too much starch causes the spuds to thicken and become gummy in texture. To regulate the levels, the potatoes are peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces. They are then rinsed with cold water to wash away excess starch.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Cutting the potatoes into smaller pieces ensures that the pectin in the cell walls softens quickly. Boil until they are easily pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
Step 7: Rinse the Potatoes
Drain the potatoes in a colander, then rinse them with hot water for 30 seconds to remove any excess starch. This will ensure a fluffy texture in your mashed potatoes.
Step 8: Mash the Potatoes
I press the boiled potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve, potato ricer, or food mill to increase their fluffiness. The small holes separate the potato particles, preventing them from becoming too dense or heavy.
This process is gentler than using a potato masher because there’s less rough shearing of the potato cell structure, and it minimizes starch release. I use this technique whenever I make a batch of homemade mashed potatoes.
Step 9: Add the Butter
Before any liquid is added to the potatoes, fold in the butter first. The fat coats the starches, reducing their interaction with the milk and keeping the potatoes smooth in texture.
Step 10: Heat the Milk
Warm the milk in the microwave or stovetop to about 120ºF (49ºC). Whisk the garlic into the warmed milk and salt mixture to ensure it is infused into the potatoes.
Step 11: Fold in the Milk
Take your time folding the garlic-infused milk into the potatoes. I shoot for three additions so the starches have time to absorb and gradually thicken.
Step 12: To Serve
If the potatoes have cooled, rewarm them over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper and garnish with fresh chives for added flavor and color. Serve them for Thanksgiving with roast turkey and gravy or roast chicken for a weekday meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasting garlic cloves can remove the raw, bitter, and sulfurous flavor notes. When garlic is heated to about 150°F (67°C), the alliinase enzyme that produces new pungent flavors like allicin is destroyed. The heat from the oven gradually transforms the existing flavor compounds into a sweet and caramel-tasting product.
For a light and fluffy product, use Russet potatoes because they are high in starch content and have a mealy texture. This allows the milk and butter to absorb for the desired consistency while staying fluffy. Yukon gold potatoes will be slightly more dense and buttery in flavor. Red potatoes have a waxier texture for a more creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
Avoid overmixing or using a food processor when making mashed potatoes; this can break down the starches and create a gluey texture. Don’t add liquid first—this can cause the starches to bind with water and make the potatoes gummy. Instead, add the butter first to coat the starches and prevent them from getting too sticky. Also, don’t pour all the liquid in at once. Gradually add it so the potatoes can slowly absorb the moisture, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
Serve This With
If you tried this Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 8 cups water
- 1 ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk
- black pepper, for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat to 400ºF (204ºC).
- Prepare the Garlic – Peel off the papery skin from the garlic, leaving the cloves intact. Slice ¼-inch off the top to expose the cloves. Place the garlic on foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly. Put the wrapped garlic on a baking sheet for roasting.
- Roast the Garlic – Roast until garlic until lightly browned in color, and tender when pierced with a fork, 40 to 60 minutes. Check at 40 minutes, then every 10 minutes for doneness.
- Make a Garlic Paste – Remove garlic cloves by digging out the flesh with a small knife, or squeezing out the cloves. Use a knife or spoon to press into a garlic paste. Set aside.
- Boil the Water – In a large pot, add the water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
- Cook the Potatoes – Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes to a bowl and rinse under cool water to remove the starches. Drain potatoes and add to the boiling water. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- Rinse the Potatoes – Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse with hot water for 30 seconds to remove any residual starches.
- Mash the Potatoes – Set a food mill, ricer, or fine mesh strainer over the pot used to cook the potatoes. This helps to keep them warm. Working in batches, press the potatoes through into the pot. If using a strainer, use the back of a spoon.
- Add the Butter – Add butter and gently fold into the potatoes.
- Heat the Milk – Microwave the milk for 45 seconds to warm. Whisk together the milk, ¾ teaspoon salt, and garlic paste.
- Fold in the Milk – Gradually fold the milk into the potatoes in three additions, allowing it to absorb before adding more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To Serve – If needed, rewarm the potatoes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Garnish with black pepper and chives.
Notes
- Make it Dairy-Free: Substitute butter for olive oil, dairy-free butter, or margarine. Use non-dairy milk like cashew, almond, or oat milk. The flavor will differ slightly and may not be as creamy.
- Storing: Cool the potatoes, transfer them to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen in a resealable plastic bag for about one month.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Cover and reheat in the microwave on high power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed. Frozen potatoes can be defrosted overnight, then reheated or rewarmed when frozen.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Stephanie says
Hi Jessica, I don’t have whole milk, can I sub heavy cream instead? Would I reduce to half a cup? Or still use 3/4?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi there! I would add about 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup water so it doesn’t feel too thick unless you like your potatoes super creamy.
Brent says
Outstanding recipe. Very well-written, and even science-y. I really dug it–I love learning.
Anyways, made it tonight. No quibbles. 4.5/5 stars. Light and fluffy like I’ve never seen before and I wanted a little bit more density (to stretch them out.) So I will not rinse the starch off as many times as advised here. I bet one good bath/rinse would give that balance…I think. The author’s thoughts?
That explains the -.5 deduction.
I’m glad you left seasoning to reader’s taste. The S&P was a good base.
Did all this over charcoal this afternoon and it made my wife and I very happy.
Thanks, this recipe is a keeper.
Luckern says
Do you recommend using a food processor to bump up the fluffiness of the potatoes?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi There- I haven’t found that I needed to use a food processor, and if you over whip it, the mashed potatoes could become more dense. If you do it for a few pulses, maybe, but not necessary.