How to Mince Garlic

Mincing garlic takes only a few minutes and is well worth the time and effort! Here's how to do it, starting with a quick way to peel garlic and ending with finely chopped garlic.

By
Lori Rice
Lori Rice
Lori Rice
Lori Rice is a food and beverage writer and photographer. Her work can be found in CiderCraft Magazine, King Arthur Flour’s SIFT Magazine, The Coastal Table, and Plate Magazine, as well as at CraftBeer.com.
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Updated March 09, 2022
Lori Rice
tablespoon full of minced garlic

Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

Minced garlic is an essential ingredient in many recipes. Mincing garlic is simple; it takes only a few minutes and is well worth the time and effort. There is something about the aroma and flavor of freshly minced garlic that the store-bought version in a jar simply can’t match! 

Why Mince Garlic?

Think of chopping garlic as activating it for cooking. Allicin is the compound that gives garlic its aroma and chopping the garlic clove allows this aroma to escape. 

When a clove is smashed or chopped, this is essentially damaging the clove. When a clove is damaged, an enzyme called alliinase converts an amino acid found in fresh garlic, allin, into the allicin that we smell. The more you damage – or chop – the clove, the more intense the aroma and taste of the garlic. This means minced garlic an ideal addition for a flavorful meal.

Minced garlic on a blue plate

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How Much Minced Garlic Does One Clove of Garlic Make?

If you’ve peeled a head of garlic you know that the size of cloves within the head can vary greatly. Cloves on the exterior can be as big as your thumb while those closer to the center are as small as your pinky. 

The size of the clove determines how much minced garlic each clove will make. One small garlic clove equals a 1/2 teaspoon while a large clove can make as much as 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic.

Two heads of white garlic

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How to Mince Garlic

Prep Time 4 mins
Total Time 4 mins
Yield 1 minced clove

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic

Method

  1. Separate the cloves:

    Peel away the papery skin of the head of garlic and separate it into cloves.

    Separating garlic cloves

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
  2. Smash the clove:

    Place a clove on its side on a flat surface. Use the broad side of your knife with the sharp side pointed away from you and lay it flat over the clove. Press down firmly on the flat side of the knife in a quick motion to smash the garlic clove, breaking open the skin. (See more here about this garlic technique.)

    Smashing garlic clove with knife

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
  3. Peel the clove:

    Remove the outer skin from the clove. 

    Peeling a garlic clove

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
  4. Trim the clove:

    Trim the dark end, hard end of the clove.

    Trimming the hard end of a garlic clove

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
  5. Slice the clove:

    Thinly slice the garlic clove.

    Slicing a garlic clove

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
  6. Mince the clove:

    Keep the front portion of the knife in contact with the cutting board and place your hand on the top of the blade to steady it. Fan the back portion of the knife back and forth over the garlic until it is finely chopped. 

    Mincing garlic

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
45 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 45
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 9mg 47%
Calcium 54mg 4%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 120mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.