Anne Taylor
For garlic lovers and anyone who needs to ward off vampires, April 19 is (or should be) one of the most important days of the year. Celebrate National Garlic Day 2021 by making any (or all) of the delicious recipes below.
In addition to its bold flavor and mythical protection qualities, garlic is also purported to have many health benefits. Some of these include boosting the immune system, reducing blood pressure, and improving cholesterol levels.
If you want to celebrate your favorite ingredient on its very own holiday, just browse the recipes tasty below!
Table of Contents
Roasted Chicken Garlic Pizza
This recipe combines one of the greatest ingredients with one of the greatest meals to create a yummy creation for any night of the week. And while we’ll never say pizza has to be healthy, this version has minimal ingredients and is packed with protein. The combination of garlic cloves and garlic powder makes sure you get plenty of flavor in every bite.
You can make your own pizza dough or use storebought, if that’s easier. You can also buy roasted garlic cloves in most grocery stores, but it’s easy to make at home if you can’t find it. All you have to do is cut off the top of a head of garlic and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes until the cloves have become soft and mushy. This gives the garlic a sweet, less overwhelming flavor that can be put on anything.
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
If you’ve even been to Hawaii, you know that food trucks are a popular way to grab a delicious meal. One of the most popular offerings on the islands is garlic shrimp. This Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp recipe perfectly recreates the traditional dish at home.
What makes this recipe worth an hour-long wait outside of a food truck? Jucy shrimp is coated in a mixture of flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper and briefly cooked to get a tasty, crispy outer layer. It’s then sauteed in butter that is packed with browned garlic until your kitchen smells like heaven.
You can eat this shrimp on its own or serve it over rice so the extra garlic butter sauce soaks into the rice.
Garlic Soup
This garlic soup recipe also uses the roasted version for a milder take on your favorite spice. Four heads (that’s right—heads, not cloves) are combined with heavy cream, chicken stock, and parmesan cheese before being topped with crispy pancetta. The addition of shredded kale basically makes this a salad, so you don’t have to feel any guilt while eating it.
This soup can be enjoyed on its own or with a slice of crusty bread. The recipe is pretty simple and easy for a weeknight dinner that tastes and looks more complicated than it really is to pull together. We guarantee everyone will be begging for the recipe once they try it.
40-Clove Garlic Chicken
To stay on-trend with the multi-garlic-head recipes, this 40-clove garlic chicken requires about three heads of the spice. Once again, the garlic roasts into a sweet, slightly nutty addition to the meal that won’t make your breath smell like death for the next week.
Roasting a chicken can be a big task, so this recipe is perfect for a Sunday night dinner or to use in meals throughout the week. It’s super comforting and can be paired with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes for a dinner everyone will love.
Garlic Knots
The person who first presented garlic knots as an appetizer for pizza was a genius. Whether you’re eating them with a pepperoni pie or any other meal, this is the recipe you want to bookmark.
They’re super soft and fluffy, and the leftover dough freezes beautifully for more rolls in the future. These knots are topped with homemade garlic butter both before, and after, baking for a powerful punch of flavor.
It’s also recommended that you top them with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley when they’re done. They’re perfect on their own or dipped in marinara, just like you would at your fave pizzeria.
Garlic Parmesan Pasta
We can’t have a garlic recipe roundup without including a pasta dish. This Garlic Parmesan Pasta utilizes some ingredients you’ve already seen in this list, like butter, parsley, and, of course, the Parmesan.
Milk and chicken broth create a rich sauce that’s amped up with four cloves of garlic (feel free to add more). The real kicker of this dish is the pasta is cooked directly in the sauce, which allows it to soak up every ounce of that flavor. The result is super creamy and best eaten right away.
Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes
Just like garlic knots, these garlic herb roasted potatoes are the perfect side dish that pairs well with pretty much anything. They’re also economical and easy to whip together. The recipe only calls for six ingredients including salt and pepper.
Simply halve a few pounds of small potatoes and coat them in a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Then roast for 45 to 55 minutes in the oven until the skins are crispy and the insides are smooth. Make sure to stir them halfway through cooking so they don’t burn.
Garlic Butter Salmon
This simple recipe calls for the salmon to be basted in garlic butter instead of being pan-fried. This results in a super-tender fish that packed full of garlicky flavor. The recipe contains step-by-step photos and a video to help you create a perfect dish on the first try.
Salmon is super healthy, which completely balances out all the butter you’ll be using to flavor it. (Right? We’re pretty sure that’s how it works.) Serve this with the roasted potatoes or pasta from above for the garlic lover’s dream dinner. You can also add a vegetable if you want.
Garlicky Avocado Grilled Cheese
A fun spin on a classic, this garlicky avocado grilled cheese brings together a harmony of flavors you didn’t realize belonged together. Avocado and a tomato pesto brighten up the rich provolone cheese, while a garlic butter sauce crisps up the bread to perfection.
You can mix up the garlic butter the day before to save time if you’re looking for a quick lunch or dinner. We think this sandwich would pair beautifully with the garlic soup from above. Just make sure to have some napkins handy for all the melty cheese oozing out the sides while you eat!
