10 Best Garlic Salt Substitutes - The First Step to Low Sodium Diet

One of the worst nightmares of every home chef and restaurant owner is finding out they've run out of garlic salt.

Garlic salt is an absolute necessity in the kitchen, so you should always have some in stock. But of course, sometimes, the unexpected happens.

So, if you ever find yourself in this situation, rest easy knowing there's a garlic salt substitute that will save the day.

Jump to:

• Garlic Salt and Its Most Common Applications
• Best Garlic Salt Substitutes (With Garlic)
• Best Garlic Salt Substitutes (Without Garlic)
• Tips When Using Garlic Salt Substitute
• Garlic Salt Substitute FAQs
• Discovering the Best Garlic Salt Alternative
• Recipe

Garlic Salt and Its Most Common Applications

First, we need to determine what garlic salt even is. Is it similar to garlic flakes? What's the difference between garlic powder, garlic juice, and garlic salt? How do we use them in foods?

Hopefully, this quick explanation below will help you understand the true essence of this ingredient.

What's Garlic Salt?

The most important distinction you must remember is the "salt" in garlic salt. Powdered garlic is simply finely ground garlic flakes.

Garlic salt is also different from minced garlic in jars since it often includes garlic oil, making it fresher.

Garlic salt is a seasoning agent made of granulated garlic with salt. Some use kosher salt as substitute, while others work fine with regular table salt.

Since you're adding salt to the mix, replacing traditional table salt with garlic salt on a 1:1 ratio means consuming less sodium.

In addition to garlic powder and salt, the blend has an anti-caking agent to prevent lumps from forming, keeping the seasoning fine or granulated.

Where Do We Use Garlic Salt?

Any recipe with minced garlic and salt should benefit from garlic salt. The main purpose of this seasoning blend is to boost the savory flavor of the dish.

Ergo, you can use it for stews, marinades, or for frying chicken, fish, and other types of meat. You can add it to dips and sauces where you usually want that garlic flavor.

It's also one of the best ingredients to use for making garlic bread. Check out this Air Fryer Garlic Bread recipe and try using garlic salt instead of regular garlic.

Now, if you're in a pinch with no garlic salt around, does that mean your recipe is done for?

Well, not necessarily. You can still save your dish if you have any of the following substitutes for garlic salt I listed below.

Best Garlic Salt Substitutes (With Garlic)

The good thing about garlic salt is that it contains basic ingredients you regularly find at home. Therefore, achieving a similar flavor is easy if you have fresh garlic cloves or other garlic products.

To start our list, here are some substitutes that include garlic.

1. Homemade Garlic Salt

Did you know you can replace garlic salt (store-bought) with homemade garlic salt? Yes, making garlic salt at home is very easy.

You only need one teaspoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder and one tablespoon (three teaspoons) of kosher salt (or table salt).

You can also make your garlic spice mix by adding onion powder and other spices or herbs. Grind all the ingredients and transfer them to your preferred container.

Pro-Tip #1: If you want a longer shelf life for your DIY garlic salt, use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.

Pro-Tip #2: If you want finely ground garlic salt, use a food processor or a blender and process the ingredients twice.

Garlic powder is also an excellent substitute for celery salt.

Best for any type of food where you usually use fresh garlic salt or plain garlic.

2. Minced Garlic Cloves with Salt

If you don't have dried garlic products in your kitchen, you can still achieve the intense flavor of garlic salt using fresh garlic cloves or minced garlic in jars.

Simply mince the garlic cloves and add salt. That's it! If you have minced garlic in jars, use the same proportions as when making garlic salt.

Best for stews, soups, sauces, vegetable dishes, and meat rubs.

3. Salt Garlic Juice

Garlic juice with salt is also an excellent substitute for garlic salt, mainly because it's widely available.

Crush your fresh garlic cloves in a small bowl and add water (just a few drops) to make a garlic puree. Use a sieve to separate the solids from the liquid.

Transfer the garlic juice to a different container and add salt. The only downside is that it doesn't have a strong flavor, so you might have to adjust the portions.

Nonetheless, having garlic juice and salt is still better than not having a garlic flavor in your dish.

Try using salt garlic juice in this sugar free San Marzano Pizza Sauce Recipe and taste the difference.

Best for soups and sauces.

4. Fresh Garlic Oil

Perhaps all of us don't like it when the garlic flavor overpowers the other ingredients in the recipe. This could be a problem when you're still trying to find a good garlic salt substitute.

Adding too much powder or flakes may give your dish a stronger garlic flavor. If you're trying to avoid this, fresh garlic oil is the safest alternative.

It's not as strong as garlic salt but will still give your dish the missing garlicky taste and aroma.

Get your fresh garlic cloves and cook them in oil (preferably extra-virgin olive oil) for three to five minutes. Let it cool before transferring it to another container.

Best for frying meats or salad dressings.

5. Garlic Flakes with Salt

You only need that distinct, sharp, and strong taste of garlic in garlic salt to make a good substitute. Ergo, dehydrated garlic flakes should also get the job done.

One of the best things about garlic flakes is that they're richer than garlic powder and other products, which means you get a full garlic flavor profile.

To do this, use ¾ teaspoon of salt for every ½ teaspoon of garlic flakes.

Best for soups, sauces, casseroles, and stews.

6. Salt and Granulated Garlic

If you don't have garlic powder at home, use granulated garlic instead. These are coarsely ground, pure garlic, so you still need to add salt.

Granulated garlic is not as strong as garlic powder, so it's best to increase the portion of the garlic when mixing it with salt.

Personally, I use two teaspoons of granulated garlic for every three teaspoons of salt.

Best for sauces, soups, salad dressings, stews, and meat rubs.

Best Garlic Salt Substitutes (Without Garlic)

So, all of the options above require you to have at least some version of garlic to make a garlic salt substitute. But what happens when you don't have garlic at all?

I've got you covered. Here are some substitutes for garlic salt that doesn't include garlic products.

1. Onion Salt

Garlic and onion frequently go together, and if you don't have garlic salt, just hope your onions will work twice as hard to enhance your dish's flavor.

This is also an excellent option for those who don't prefer the taste of garlic or are allergic to it but would still want to enjoy a savory dish.

You can find many onion salt products on the market, but you can also make one at home with onion powder.

The portions are similar to DIY garlic salt; three parts salt = one part onion powder. When replacing garlic salt with this, use as much as you'd do if you have garlic salt.

Best for beef marinades and chicken seasoning.

2. Onion Powder

You can substitute garlic salt with the powdered version of onion. The best thing about it is its longer shelf-life than fresh onions.

You can use it as it is to enhance your dish's flavor, but if you find that it lacks a hint of saltiness, follow the instructions above to make onion salt.

Onion powder will also elevate the taste of your rotisserie-style chicken. Check out this Air Fryer Whole Chicken recipe on our website to see what we mean.

Best for soups, stews, and marinades.

3. Spice Mixes

Dozens of herbs and spices blend well with your food without increasing its sodium content.

You can purchase these spice mixes in grocery stores. They're perfect if you're following a salt-free or low-sodium diet.

Best for just about anything.

4. DIY Spice Blends

If you want to keep your diet as natural as possible, just make your own spice blend! It may not necessarily give a garlicky taste, but it'll introduce various other flavors to your dish.

The basic ones you could try are probably mustard powder with salt or cumin with salt. You can also use Hing or asafoetida powder if you have some at home.

Best for salad dressings and sauces.

Tips When Using Garlic Salt Substitute

All the substitutes above will work well with recipes that call for garlic salt. Ergo, it's your preference that'll ultimately decide what's the best garlic salt substitute.

Here are some valuable tips that might help you decide which one to use.

Choose if you want subtlety or fullness.

Some garlic salt substitutes will not be as strong as the real thing, while others will have a more intense flavor than regular garlic salt.

Therefore, you must decide whether you want a full garlic flavor or just subtle hints. You also need to consider the role garlic plays in your recipe.

If garlic is the main spice, go for substitutes with a full-bodied garlic taste.

Consider the preparation.

Are you in a pinch, or do you have several minutes/hours on your hands? Some garlic salt substitutes are readily available, but others require preparation.

If you figured out you ran out of garlic salt ahead of time, I encourage you to make your own homemade garlic salt since this is arguably the best substitute.

On the other hand, if you're in a pinch and you really need to add garlic to your dish immediately, go for substitutes that don't require anything else, like onion powder.

Are you looking for a garlicky taste or just enhancing your dish's flavor profile?

Lastly, consider whether or not the purpose of garlic in the recipe is to introduce some spice to the dish or to make it taste garlicky.

If it's all about enhancing the dish's flavor profile, you can stick with dozens of other spice blends or herbs that will do the same thing.

On the other hand, if the garlicky taste is what makes the dish savory, go for substitutes that have a strong garlic flavor.

Garlic Salt Substitute FAQs

Discovering the Best Garlic Salt Alternative

The best dishes almost always include garlic, and garlic salt makes it more convenient to turn a regular recipe into a 5-star meal.

When in a pinch, don't hesitate to experiment with the ingredients you have at home. For garlic salt, the substitutes above should save your recipe.

If you want to learn more about kitchen tips, tricks, and unwritten hacks to bring your culinary skills to the next level, visit the substitutes page on our website.

I'll see you in the next article!

Recipe