America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Sizing Garlic Cloves

When recipes call for one garlic clove, what size should you be using?

In the test kitchen, we use the guideline that one clove of garlic yields 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. This translates to a clove of garlic weighing 5 grams, which in turn translates to 1 1/4 inches by 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch. While we do not expect you to pull out a scale or ruler each time you mince a clove, this is relatively close in size to a Jordan almond.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A clove that’s 1 1/4 inches long and 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch should yield about 1 teaspoon minced. Or you can use multiple small cloves or part of a larger one—just measure after you’ve minced.

Extra-Large Clove

Yield: 1 tablespoon, minced

Large Clove

Yield: 2 teaspoons, minced

Medium Clove

Yield: 1 teaspoon, minced

Small Clove

Yield: 1/2 teaspoon, minced

This is a members' feature.