There are many miracles in the world of culinary to be celebrated, and for most of us, garlic would be one of them! This ubiquitous spice is genuinely unparalleled and versatile as it can be included with food in many forms.
In fact, when added to a dish, no one will ever complain about its unfavorable smell as it was in its raw form. Bringing pungency, garlic is the powerhouse of flavor that will make any bland meal its best version with every bite you have.
The difference between powdered garlic and granulated garlic is simply about the texture of the two ingredients. However, both of them could contribute too much to any dish they are called for and thus become very multifaceted in the kitchen.
So, have you got a container of granulated garlic and garlic powder in your spice drawer? Or have you got to notice them on the spice aisle in the supermarket and wonder what their difference is? If so, you will get to clear your doubts from this article. We hope to clarify when to use granulated garlic and powdered garlic while explaining the difference between the two. So, let’s get garlicky with granules and powder!
The Difference Between Granulated Garlic And Garlic Powder
You might have savored granulated garlic and garlic powder at uncountable times in your life with many dishes. The distinctive flavor garlic gives to food tantalizes our senses in whatever version it comes in.
The key difference between powdered garlic and granulated garlic abides in their texture. Both of them are made with dehydrated garlic. And granulated garlic is coarse, more like cornmeal. While on the contrary, garlic powder is dried garlic pulverized into a fine powder, more like a flour-like consistency.
However, granulated garlic and garlic powder contain one hundred percent pure garlic, while some commercially made brands may have some preservatives and additives. But, in most cases, people tend to prepare both these garlic flavor enhancers at home by drying them in the oven and then pulverizing them using a spice grinder.
Using garlic powder and granulated garlic in appropriate dishes will pave the way for you to be a professional cook! In fact, the introduction of garlic in these two forms happened for a reason. In simple terms, granulated garlic and garlic powder can be incorporated into different dishes in different ways. So let us check out their uses individually.
Uses Of Granulated Garlic
Granulated garlic works with anything that needs an even garlicky flavor. And this form of garlic is always a better choice to be included in wet dishes as it hardly gets clumped.
Moreover, granulated garlic can be used with dry BBQ meat rubs, sprinkled over your favorite pizza, or as a breadstick coating before toasting.
Uses Of Garlic Powder
Powdered garlic is a versatile version to be included in soup dishes or stews as it dissolves quickly. In addition, garlic powder provides the necessary flavor vigor better than granulated garlic for recipes that require brief cooking times. This spice also gives its full potential for injecting in meats since the fineness of the powder isn’t probably going to clog up your injector.
Here are some famous recipes that have garlic powder in them:
- Garlic Bread
- Garlic Chicken
- Angel Hair Pasta With Garlic Powder and Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Butter Spread
- Mac and Cheese With garlic Powder and White Pepper
Above all, they both work well with salad dressings and marinades. But, granulated garlic or garlic powder will not be a very good choice for sauteing, unlike fresh garlic, since they both have the possibility to burn quickly.
Did you know that garlic powder can be a flavorful addition to many dry rubs used for grilling chicken? We have six of the best simple and easy homemade grilled chicken dry rub recipes that you can try in this article right here.
Granulated Garlic Vs Garlic Powder
Since we have discussed the differences between granulated garlic and powdered garlic and their uses, we thought of making it more evident for you by presenting a table.
Accordingly, this will show the comparison of granulated garlic vs garlic powder. Here, you will get all the differences, as well as the advantages of using the two.
| Granulated Garlic | Garlic Powder |
| Contains dried garlic. | Contains dried garlic. |
| Coarsely grounded to a cornmeal-like consistency. | Finely ground to a powder (Flour-like consistency) |
| Less prone to clumping than the powder. | Easy to dissolve and works best when injecting meat. |
| It blends in very well with liquids like soups, sauces, and salad dressings. | Releases its flavor in a short period of time. so best with dishes that require a brief-cooking time. |
| Great in spice rubs. | It goes in well with marinades. |
| A good alternative for fresh minced garlic. | Great replacement for fresh garlic. |
| Does not work so well with sauteing. | Does not work so well with sauteing. |
| Granules don’t work so well with seasonings or spice blends. | Goes in excellently with spice blends and seasonings. |
Substituting Granulated Garlic With Powdered Garlic Vice Versa
When it comes to replacements since the origin is the same (both derive from garlic, and you know that!), you literally don’t have to push yourself too much to think about substituting each other.
The only thing that should take into account is the size of the granules and their effect on the dish you wish to use them in. In fact, granulated garlic has larger granules, which means it has more air. And this will result in less garlic when scooped out in an amount equivalent to powder.
At the same time, powdered garlic has a higher pungency in an equal quantity to the coarse kind. Hence, if you switch granulated garlic for the powdered type, you will probably have to use more. And the other way round, if you are replacing the powder with granulated garlic, you will have to reduce the amount.
Quantity Recommendations
This section is shared with you in order for you to get an idea about the amounts of quantities when you want to substitute a specific garlic product with one another.
- One fresh garlic clove = 1/4 teaspoon of powdered garlic
- One fresh garlic clove = 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- One teaspoon powdered garlic = two teaspoons granulated garlic
- One teaspoon granulated garlic = 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
Granulated Garlic Vs Garlic Powder Vs Fresh Garlic
We believe that most of you have all these three ingredients in your kitchen right now. If you have been cooking all your life long or if you have just begun to cook, it is extremely important to know the differences and uses of fresh garlic, granulated garlic, and powdered garlic since you will deal a lot more with them than you ever thought.
So to get started, let us first explain how fresh garlic would differ from garlic powder and granulated garlic. To be loud and clear, nothing can actually beat the freshness, rich flavor, intensity, and pungency of fresh garlic- no, not even garlic powder or granulated garlic.
As we know, just like it happens with many fresh herbs, when garlic is dried and either granulated or powdered, the intensity and flavor may reduce to some extent-just slightly, not very much, though.
However, garlic powder and granulated garlic would be great alternatives in recipes that call in for fresh garlic. But, as mentioned on top, powdered or granular versions are not favorable in sauteeing since they have a tendency to burn quickly.
Moreover, having granulated garlic and garlic powder in your kitchen could be a life-saver since you don’t have to stress peeling and chopping fresh garlic with stinks on your hands, especially when preparing a big meal; in a time out of the blue!
You already know that garlic powder is such a versatile spice that will give a pungent kick to any recipe it is counted to. It does wonders with chili cheese nachos, and if you need to discover more, you are just one snap away from here!
Winding Up
True to the terms, garlic will unquestionably take your meals to the next level of tastiness. It is a versatile spice with an unconquerable flavor profile.
So, as you see, these two versions of garlic- garlic powder and garlic granules also contribute to enhancing the palatableness of your meals to a comparable extent. They are just different in their consistency but have similar tastes.
Thus, if you have garlic granules and powdered both at home, now you precisely know how, when, and where to use them with the dishes you make. And, do not hesitate to bring them down to your spice rack when you go shopping next time, as they are worth a spot in your kitchen!
