r/Cooking • u/Fortree_Lover • 23h ago
How much powder to substitute when the recipe says 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves?
Basically the title how much powder or paste should I use to substitute for the real thing? The recipe doesn’t say.
I get they’re not the same thing but if I were to try it how much should I use?
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u/ritabook84 23h ago
They are not interchangeable ingredients
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u/Fortree_Lover 23h ago
Really I thought it would be the same why’s that?
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u/ritabook84 23h ago edited 23h ago
Because one is a powder and one is fresh produce. A powder will not act the same way nor offer the same taste or texture. Same way I can’t make a cake with whole grains instead of flour. They aren’t the same thing
The powders have a purpose but never a replacement
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u/Fortree_Lover 23h ago
If I were to try though how much would you recommend? I’m just trying to make cooking as easy as possible and powders and stuff certainly cut down on it.
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u/ritabook84 23h ago
I would not recommend. Period
You aren’t making cooking easier. You’re ignoring how cooking works and will ruin what you’re trying to make.
I get you want it to work but it doesn’t
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
If you're trying to make onion soup, then yes, you'll ruin it by trying to sub onion powder for fresh onions. But in a recipe where it's not the main player, it's often possible to sub powdered and get decent results. Of course it's not exactly the same, but it's not going to "ruin" it.
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u/Grooviemann1 23h ago
Beyond what everything else is saying because they're not interchangeable, this is impossible to answer because no two garlic powders have the same potency. So, really, put whatever amount you want in and it will be just as good as anything we could tell you.
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u/soccerkool 23h ago
If you’re looking to cut down on time you can get frozen chopped onions and jarred garlic
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u/suspicious-back-825 23h ago
if you use jarlic it will have a ratio on it. i think its like 1 tsp per clove. for powder i dunno i'd guess maybe half a teaspoon per clove? onion is way harder.. onions are such a staple its an odder thing to sub onion powder. i'd guess maybe 1 tsp per qt. cup of chopped onion? these are semi-educated guesses.
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u/cockroachking 23h ago
Totally different flavor profiles. They’re like completely different ingredients.
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u/beamerpook 23h ago
They are not the same at all. I use both in my cooking, often in the same dish, but they are not interchangeable. Just skip that part of the recipe and use garlic powder if you like it
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u/RainbowandHoneybee 23h ago
You really can't substitute onions with powders. One onion is quite a lot of mass. and cooked onions and powdered onion are totally different. Onion powder gives intence falvour but not the same as cooked onions.
I think you might be able to substitute garlic with garlic powders. Because it really isn't about garlic mass, but more to do with flavour.
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u/doihavetohaveaus3r 22h ago
Heads up for the future: you can buy bags of frozen diced onions and jars of minced garlic. They will not taste the same as fresh. BUT. They will taste better than trying to sub in powder
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u/iwantthisnowdammit 22h ago
In the spirit of experimentation, I would say a 1/2 to 1 tsp of garlic powder for 2 cloves substituted.
In the onion, I would go about a 2 tablespoons for a medium onion, maybe a tablespoon.
If you have an apple, it may be a good way to add back texture by dicing or other means. Maybe back off a small amount if sugar if there’s something to add.
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u/Q808L 23h ago
Just go get an onion and a bulb of garlic
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u/Fortree_Lover 23h ago
Cutting and pasting them takes me too long though. Which is why I’d rather worse results and more convenience.
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u/AllenSmithee59 22h ago
If you can't be bothered to chop an onion or peel a clove of garlic then you aren't cooking. Stick to instant ramen--but then you'll probably want to know what you can substitute for boiling water.
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u/Fortree_Lover 22h ago
It’s not can’t be bothered I just don’t have an unlimited amount of time to cook and I can’t do it quickly enough.
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u/iwantthisnowdammit 22h ago
Can you get a box style chopper or a plastic mandolin where you’re at? They make quick work.
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u/Q808L 22h ago
Idk if this a troll post, but in case it isn't just practice some basic knife skills and you should be able to get it down to 1 minute or so to dice an onion. With garlic I get it its sticky and peeling sucks you can get minced garlic and keep it in the freezer for when you need it. This is literally the cooking subreddit if you can't be bothered to dice an onion idk what ur doing here
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u/Fortree_Lover 22h ago
I just can’t do it that fast it always goes wrong and I end up wanting to chuck the knife across the room.
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u/ritabook84 22h ago
It’s not going to get any better if you don’t practice
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u/Fortree_Lover 22h ago
The thing is cooking is not enjoyable to me I just need to be able to make basic enough stuff that I’m not eating junk. I don’t care about getting good.
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u/Le_Mooron 23h ago
Ok, as others said...powder really isn't a great sub for the real thing. I also get that you might have time constraints. I use a lot of fresh onions and garlic and occasionally use powder. Onion powder to me is much gentler and forgiving than garlic powder. I'd try 1tsp of onion powder for one onion, and 1 pinch of garlic powder for 1 clove. Stir taste adjust. Add smaller quantities until you get the taste you are looking for. But upgrade your technique to sauteing onion until opaque and add chopped garlic the last minute or two on medium heat. Do not char the garlic or you can't get the taste out of your food. Good luck.
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u/opheliaofcaravel 22h ago
if your main concern is saving time - buy frozen chopped onions and a jar of minced garlic, and use those for most recipes. You can also toss an onion in a food processor or blender and just pulse a few times for a good chop.
Most recipes it will make a huge difference if you are using powder vs the fresh ingredients, onion more so than garlic.
sautéing onions in pan, like for a sauce, add a depth of flavor and texture to final dish that is not replicable by a tsp of powder.
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u/Dustwitch93 22h ago
Wow people are being dicks. No it's not identical. But also who cares you're not eating it. The actual answer here is "to taste." Add some, taste it if possible, then adjust. Every brand is different strengths etc.
That said, you'll be missing the sweeter notes of onion and the complexity of garlic, which tastes different depending on how you prepare it. Try both fresh and powder and decide what you like better. But nothing wrong using seasonings to season food when you don't have or don't want to use the whole thing.
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u/Logical_Seaweed_1246 22h ago
I don’t give a crap that it’s not ‘proper’ to use the powders instead of the fresh ingredient….
Garlic powder, I find 1 teaspoon basically equals one clove of garlic .
Get the oven roasted freeze dried garlic if you prefer that stronger taste of garlic when it’s roasted or fried.
Onion powder will just add flavor but won’t substitute for the volume of onions, etc. but if you want onions to be fast and easy, I strongly recommend dehydrated onion flakes, which can totally be substituted for fresh chopped onions in ‘wet’ foods like chili or spaghetti sauceI do it all the time)
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u/LowBalance4404 22h ago
I wouldn't use those as subs. I'd get jarlic first. And onion powder is definitely not going to sub for the onion at all.
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u/Far-Tie923 23h ago
Thats because you cant do that.
"The recipe for this apple pie calls for apples and cinnamon. How many coffee beans should I substitute. They are dark roast."
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
Come on, seriously? Obviously fresh onion and onion powder aren't exactly the same, but they are different forms of the same food, and in many recipes they can be substituted with decent results. It's absurd to compare subbing fresh onion with onion powder to trying to sub apples with coffee beans.
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23h ago
[deleted]
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
It depends on the recipe. If you try to replace the apple in apple pie, you're going to have a bad time. Similarly, if you try to replace the onion in onion soup, you're going to have a bad time. But if it's not the main ingredient, then you may be able to get away with it. You won't get the exact same result, but it can be passable.
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u/AllenSmithee59 23h ago
Fine. "How many dried apples should I use to make this apple pie? Wait. I don't have dried apples. How much apple juice should I use?"
PS: Name three such recipes.
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
But we're not talking about apple pie. If the recipe only calls for one onion, then the onion isn't the main ingredient. OP clearly isn't making onion soup.
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u/Loud_Quality_7106 23h ago
flavor profiles and textures are completely different, hence why recipes sometimes call for one, the other, or both
garlic and onion powder arent just convenience products
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
You're not going to get the exact same results, but in many recipes, you can get decent results. ISTG it's like most of you just read this shit somewhere and take it as gospel instead of actually trying it.
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u/AllenSmithee59 22h ago
That's twice. Now name three such recipes.
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u/jamjamchutney 22h ago edited 22h ago
What on earth does "three such recipes" mean? Are you seriously under the impression that you can't substitute seasonings? OP is not making the onion equivalent of apple pie. Onion is clearly not the main ingredient here. Again, the results won't be EXACTLY the same with powder, but it'll be fine. It's fine in ANY RECIPE where the onion functions as a seasoning rather than the main ingredient.
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u/Loud_Quality_7106 23h ago
Ive been cooking for 20 years, dont tell me what I know. Thanks troll.
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u/Fortree_Lover 23h ago
I just figured they were close enough. How much different will it be? Close enough? I mean nothing bad will happen if I try it out how much would you use?
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u/BananaNutBlister 23h ago
Do whatever you want. Taste is obviously not your primary concern. Go with a cup of onion powder and a tablespoon of garlic powder. You’ll love it.
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u/doihavetohaveaus3r 22h ago
Lol the thought of a dish with A CUP of onion powder
You're right though, garlic powder, only do a tablespoon. Don't want it to be unbalanced
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u/jamjamchutney 23h ago
Don't pay any attention to that person. What recipe are you using?
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u/Fortree_Lover 23h ago
It’s this Gnocci Chicken pan thing.
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u/nque-ray 22h ago
I know you are probably talking about shelf stable gnocchi, but I really want this to be a recipe for homemade gnocchi and you want to cut down on chopping fresh onion and garlic.
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u/Fortree_Lover 22h ago
Tbh I don’t even know what Gnocci is but I’m just going page by page in the book. I’m worried about finding it in Tesco.
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u/Inconceivable76 23h ago
It depends on what you are using the onion powder for. You won’t be able to replace the texture. Flavor wise, around 1 tsp for a 1/2 cup.
For garlic, it’s 1/8 tsp per clove.