One of the worst nightmares of every home chef and restaurant owner is finding out they've run out of garlic salt.
Of course, you could make your own homemade garlic salt. But will garlic oil work? Does onion salt hit the same notes?
You don't have to live this nightmare—because I'm about to let you know the best garlic salt substitute for every occasion.
Let's go!
Jump to:
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?
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, while others work fine with regular table 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.
Best Garlic Salt Substitutes (With Garlic)
Need an ingredient substitute in a pinch? At Also The Crumbs, Please, I always have you covered. I'm here to ensure you're never stuck without a key ingredient—so let's talk garlic salt substitutes.
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: Fresh garlic salt is unbeatable. It enriches pasta dishes with meat or olives, brings seafood risotto to life, and is a staple of curries from chicken tika to onion bhajis.
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 minced garlic cloves or minced garlic in jars.
Using fresh minced garlic also means you'll enjoy more of the well-known health benefits of garlic, explained by the team at Healthline.
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: Minced garlic cloves and salt are the perfect blend for simple pasta dishes like Aglio e Olio and homemade Alfredo sauce. Whisper it quietly, but I think it's delicious when added to Bucatini alla Carbonara and even Cacio e Pepe.
3. Salt Garlic Juice
Simply mix garlic juice with salt for an easy substitute for garlic salt!
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.
Try using salt garlic juice in this sugar free San Marzano Pizza Sauce Recipe and taste the difference.
Best for: Salted garlic juice is a staple of South and Southeast Asian cooking, from Thai red curry to Indian curries like lamb jalfrezi, rogan josh, or air fryer chicken curry. Consider mixing in a little grated ginger and turmeric!
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 replacement.
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. Replace 1 teaspoon garlic salt with 1 teaspoon garlic oil.
Best for: Fresh garlic oil adds fragrance when you're frying meat. Try it on an air fryer salmon fillet or air fryer boneless pork chop. It's also a must-have for making stunning 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. Add some kosher salt and you're looking at a really great garlic salt replacement.
To do this, use ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt for every ½ teaspoon of garlic flakes.
Best for: Garlic flakes and salt bring your favorite chicken soup to life! This blend is also perfect for casseroles and stir-fries.
Related: Best Kosher Salt Substitutes for Your Kitchen
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: Mix salt and granulated garlic to add depth to meat or vegetable sauces such as ratatouille, beef ragout, Bolognese sauce, or Osso Buco. This mix is also fantastic for 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 don'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 onion salt, use as much as you'd do if you have garlic salt.
Best for: Onions salt adds richness beef marinades, chicken seasoning, and BBQ rubs. It also enlivens curry recipes.
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: Onion powder shines in hearty soups, stews, and meaty marinades. Try adding it to borscht or chicken goulash for an unforgettable savory dish!
3. 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 and add some much-needed depth.
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: Homemade spice blends enrich salad dressings and simple sauces when you don't have any garlic. They're also great for meaty pasta sauces, curries, and upgrading your ground beef recipes.
Tips When Using Garlic Salt Substitute
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.
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: Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, a teaspoon of garlic salt is equivalent to ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¾ teaspoon of salt (preferably kosher).
You can use the substitutes above with the same proportions you would use garlic salt. However, if you're making homemade garlic salt, the proportions depend on your ingredients.
If the recipe calls for garlic salt and you only have garlic powder, add regular table salt or kosher salt to the mix to achieve the desired flavor.
The shelf-life of homemade garlic salt depends on your ingredients and how fresh they are.
Nonetheless, if you store them properly and in an airtight container, they generally last for up to three years.
If the recipe calls for garlic cloves but you only have garlic salt at home, that'll work too. For every clove in the recipe, use ½ teaspoon of garlic salt.
In terms of sodium intake, garlic salt is a little bit better. A teaspoon of table salt will probably contain around 2.3 grams of sodium.
On the other hand, one teaspoon of garlic salt will have less than 1 gram or up to 1.6 grams of sodium.
Nonetheless, you're still consuming sodium, which isn't good for your health. If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, try looking for salt-free or low-sodium diet plans.
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
Best Garlic Salt Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Use according to preferred taste.
- Store the unused garlic salt in an airtight container.
You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.
Leave a Reply