HUB 03 · Guides
How to Cut Garlic
Peel it in seconds, then slice or mince it with the one knife you already own. No garlic press required — the flat of your chef's knife does more.
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Garlic intimidates people because the cloves are small and fiddly, but a chef's knife handles the whole job — peeling included — faster than a gadget. The trick is to use the flatof the blade as much as the edge. Here's how to peel, slice and mince a clove, using the safe grip from how to hold a chef's knife.
Step by step
How to do it
- 01
Separate and smash to peel
Break the cloves off the head. Lay a clove flat, set the side of your chef's knife over it (edge pointing away from your hand), and give the flat of the blade a firm thump with your palm. The clove cracks and the papery skin loosens so it slips right off — far faster than picking at it. Trim off the hard root end.
- 02
Steady the peeled clove
A round peeled clove rolls, so first cut it in half lengthwise and lay the halves flat-side down for a stable base. Use a pinch grip on the knife and keep your guiding hand in a claw, knuckles forward.
- 03
To slice: thin, even cuts
With the halves flat-side down, slice straight down into thin, even pieces. Move your guiding-hand claw back steadily to set the thickness. Sliced garlic is milder and mellows when cooked; use it when you want gentle garlic flavor.
- 04
To mince: slice, then chop
First cut the clove into thin slices, then into thin strips, then chop across the strips into a fine mince — the same slice-then-cut-across approach as any small dice. Rock the knife tip on the board, using your guiding hand to hold the tip down while you lift and chop the heel, until the pieces are as fine as you want.
- 05
For a paste: add salt and drag the blade flat
To turn mince into a smooth paste (great for dressings and sauces), sprinkle a pinch of salt over the minced garlic — the salt acts as an abrasive — then drag the flat of the knife across it at a low angle, pressing down and pulling toward you. Repeat a few times and the garlic breaks down into a silky paste. No press needed.
- 06
Clean up the smell
Garlic smell clings to hands and the board. Rub your fingers on something stainless (a spoon or the sink) under cold water to cut the odor, and wash the board well. A sharp knife also helps here — cleaner cuts crush fewer cells and release a little less of the pungent oil.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you peel garlic quickly?
Lay a clove flat, set the side of a chef's knife over it, and thump the flat of the blade with your palm. The clove cracks and the skin loosens so it slips off in seconds — the fastest method, and no gadget needed. Trim the root end after.
How do you mince garlic with a knife?
Halve the peeled clove for stability, slice it thin, cut the slices into strips, then chop across the strips into a fine mince, rocking the knife tip on the board. For a paste, add a pinch of salt and drag the flat of the blade across the mince a few times.
Do I need a garlic press?
No — a chef's knife peels, slices, minces and even makes a paste (with a pinch of salt and the flat of the blade) faster than a press, with less to clean. A press is a convenience, not a necessity.
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We do not run a test kitchen, and we do not pretend to. Specs are the manufacturer's published figures, attributed as such; where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.