Garlic powder has many uses! You can sprinkle it on pizza, bread, fries, soup, various fried and roasted foods, or add it to fried rice, fried noodles, scrambled eggs, pasta, and other dishes. You can also add it to the filling when making dumplings or meatballs—it’s truly versatile.

Let me teach you how to make your own garlic powder.

How to Make Garlic Powder at Home

1. First, peel a whole head of garlic into cloves, then remove the skin from the cloves. Three heads of garlic will make about half a cup of garlic powder.
2. Use a slicer to slice the garlic cloves into thin slices, or use a fruit peeler, or simply slice them with a knife—the thinner the better. Be careful not to hurt your hands!
3. Place the garlic slices in the oven at the lowest temperature, about 130-150 degrees Celsius. If your oven doesn’t reach that low a temperature, you can open the oven door slightly to let some heat out and lower the temperature. If you have a food dehydrator, you don’t need an oven!
4. Roast the garlic slices until completely dry. You can tell by squeezing them; they should crack easily when you touch them, but be careful not to burn them. The entire roasting process takes about 2-4 hours.
5. After the dried garlic slices have cooled, you can grind them into powder using a blender or food processor, or a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
6. Store the garlic powder in a jar, and you’re done!

Homemade garlic powder doesn’t contain preservatives, so it’s recommended not to make too much at once. Store it in the refrigerator after jarring. When sprinkling it on dishes, add it in small amounts several times, gradually adjusting to your preferred flavor. Don’t add too much at once.

You can also make onion powder using the same method as making garlic powder!