✔ Updated · differences, swap ratios and when to use each
Garlic powder and garlic salt look like twins in the spice drawer, but swap one for the other carelessly and dinner gets very salty, very fast. Here's the difference and the exact swap ratios.
No, they're not the same. Garlic powder is 100% dried, ground garlic with virtually no sodium. Garlic salt is a blend of roughly 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder, so it's mostly salt. To replace 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder plus 3/4 teaspoon salt. To replace garlic powder with garlic salt, use about 4 times as much and cut the recipe's other salt.
- Garlic powder: pure dehydrated garlic. Strong garlic flavor, no added salt.
- Garlic salt: about 75% salt and 25% garlic powder. Seasons and adds a mild garlic note.
- 1 tsp garlic salt = 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 3/4 tsp salt.
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder = about 1 fresh clove.
Garlic Powder vs Garlic Salt: Side by Side
| Garlic powder | Garlic salt | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Dehydrated garlic cloves ground to a fine powder | Salt blended with garlic powder (often with an anti-caking agent) |
| Ratio | 100% garlic | About 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder |
| Taste | Concentrated, toasty, sweet-savory garlic | Salty first, with a milder garlic note |
| Texture | Fine, flour-like powder | Grainy, like table salt |
| Sodium | Virtually none | High: roughly three-quarters as much as plain salt |
| Best uses | Rubs, sauces, dressings, doughs, low-sodium cooking, when the recipe already has salt | Finishing fries, popcorn, garlic bread, corn, steaks and burgers where you want salt and garlic in one shake |
| Shelf life | About 2 to 3 years for best flavor, sealed and dry | Keeps a long time; the garlic flavor fades after 2 to 3 years |
| Cost | Cheap; you get more garlic per jar | Cheap, but you're mostly paying for salt |
What Is Garlic Powder?
Garlic powder is fresh garlic that's been sliced, dried at a low temperature until every bit of moisture is gone, then ground fine. Nothing else is added, so it gives you pure garlic flavor without any extra salt.
The flavor is mellower and a little sweeter than raw garlic, with a toasty edge. It dissolves into sauces and dry rubs, it won't burn the way fresh minced garlic does in a hot pan, and a jar lasts for ages. Granulated garlic is the same thing ground coarser, so use about twice as much of it as powder.
What Is Garlic Salt?
Garlic salt is a seasoning blend: mostly salt, with garlic powder mixed in, usually about 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic. Some brands add parsley or an anti-caking agent. Because it's mostly salt, it seasons your food and adds garlic at the same time.
That's its superpower and its trap. One shake on hot fries or buttered corn is perfect. Swap it into a recipe that already calls for salt and you'll be reaching for a glass of water.
When to Use Which
- Use garlic powder in dry rubs, marinades, meatballs and burgers, soups, sauces, salad dressings, bread doughs and anything where you want to control the salt separately.
- Use garlic powder for low-sodium cooking, or when a recipe already has salty ingredients like soy sauce, cheese, bacon or broth.
- Use garlic salt as a finishing seasoning: fries, popcorn, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, garlic bread, steaks and grilled vegetables.
- Use garlic salt when a recipe specifically asks for it, and leave out (or cut back) the regular salt.
Can You Substitute One for the Other?
Yes, as long as you adjust the salt. Here's the pro move: always start with less and taste as you go, because you can add salt but you can't take it out. My mum's rule in the kitchen still holds: taste first, then season.
| If the recipe calls for | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp garlic salt | 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 3/4 tsp salt |
| 1 tsp garlic salt | 1/2 tsp granulated garlic + 3/4 tsp salt |
| 1 tsp garlic salt | 1 small fresh clove, minced, + 3/4 tsp salt |
| 1/4 tsp garlic powder | 1 tsp garlic salt, and reduce the recipe's salt by 3/4 tsp |
| 1/8 tsp garlic powder | 1 fresh garlic clove (or 1/4 tsp granulated garlic) |
| 1 tsp garlic powder | About 8 fresh cloves (start with fewer; fresh is sharper) |
How to Make Garlic Salt at Home
You don't need to buy garlic salt at all if you have garlic powder and salt. It takes 30 seconds and you control the ratio.
- Mix 3 tablespoons fine sea salt or kosher salt with 1 tablespoon garlic powder.
- For a stronger garlic version, go 2 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder.
- Optional: add 1 teaspoon dried parsley for a classic shaker blend.
- Store it in an airtight jar away from heat and steam. Shake before using.
Common Mistakes
- Using garlic salt plus the full amount of salt. The number one way to over-salt a dish.
- Swapping them 1:1. 1 teaspoon of garlic salt has only about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic in it.
- Shaking straight over a steaming pot. Steam gets in the jar and makes the powder clump. Measure into your hand or a spoon first.
- Using an old jar. If it doesn't smell strongly of garlic when you open it, it's lost its flavor. Replace it.
Garlic Powder vs Fresh Garlic
Fresh garlic is sharper, juicier and more pungent, and it's the winner for garlic bread, pesto, stir-fries and anything where garlic is the star. Garlic powder shines in dry rubs, spice blends and long-simmered dishes where it melts in evenly, and it won't burn and turn bitter in a hot pan. Wondering where garlic fits in the plant world? Here's the answer to is garlic a vegetable.
Want garlic in every bite? Try our copycat Benihana-inspired garlic butter or these fluffy Bisquick cheddar garlic biscuits, which get their buttery topping from garlic powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are garlic powder and garlic salt the same thing?
No. Garlic powder is pure dried, ground garlic with no added salt. Garlic salt is a blend of about 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder. They taste different, have very different sodium levels and can't be swapped one-for-one without adjusting the salt.
Can garlic powder replace garlic salt?
Yes. For every 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder plus 3/4 teaspoon of salt. If you're cutting back on sodium, use the garlic powder and add salt to taste instead.
Can garlic salt be substituted for garlic powder?
Yes, but use about 4 times as much garlic salt as garlic powder and reduce or skip the other salt in the recipe. For example, swap 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for 1 teaspoon garlic salt and remove 3/4 teaspoon salt.
How much garlic powder equals 1 tablespoon of garlic salt?
One tablespoon of garlic salt contains about 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt. So use 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder and add salt to taste.
Which is healthier, garlic powder or garlic salt?
Garlic powder, if you're watching your sodium, because it has virtually none. Garlic salt is mostly salt, so a teaspoon adds a lot of sodium. Use garlic powder and season with salt separately to stay in control.
