Smoked Garlic Sea Salt – Bold, Savory Flavor for Every Dish

Want to make your own smoked garlic sea salt at home? It’s easier than you think—and the flavor is next-level delicious. Whether you're seasoning roasted veggies or grilled meats, this bold blend adds a rich, smoky kick you'll crave again and again.

✅ Quick Answer: How do you make smoked garlic sea salt at home?
Dehydrate thinly sliced garlic, smoke it using a propane smoker or liquid smoke spray, grind it to a powder, and mix with fine sea salt. Store in airtight jars and use to season meats, veggies, popcorn, and more.

Guest Post by Julie

In this post, guest contributor Julie shares her homemade process using elephant garlic, a Nesco dehydrator, and a propane smoker—plus tips for mixing and storing the final blend.

Dried slices of elephant garlic on Nesco dehydratorJulie's elephant garlic on Nesco dehydrator

In the image above, you can see Julie's slices of mammoth garlic dehydrating on a Nesco dehydrator. Read more about Nesco dehydrators here and see Amazon images coming up.

Step 1: Dehydrate Elephant Garlic with a Nesco® Dehydrator

Julie says: "We start by dehydrating the elephant garlic in a Nesco® dehydrator at 125°F for almost 24 hours, rotating the pans every 8 hours."

Nesco DEHYDRATORS Available on Amazon

💡 Tip: Outside the U.S.? Most dehydrating temps here are listed in Fahrenheit — use our quick converter to see the Celsius equivalent for your machine.

Nesco FD-80A Food + Jerky Dehydrator
Nesco FD-80A Food + Jerky Dehydrator

Nesco FD-80A Food + Jerky Dehydrator

This is a square-shaped food dehydrator, perfect for snacks, fruit, and beef jerky. White with a top black tray edge, with a white lid.

  • 700 watts of drying power
  • Expandable to 8 trays
  • 15.25 x 10.25 x 15.63 inches (LxWxH)
  • Temperature range: 95°F – 160°F
  • Comes with: 1 Clean-A-Screen, 1 Recipe Instruction Book, 1 Jerky Seasoning & Cure Sample
Nesco FD-61WHC Snackmaster Encore
Nesco FD-61WHC Snackmaster Encore

Nesco FD-61WHC Snackmaster Encore Food Dehydrator

This round Nesco Snackmaster comes with a jerky gun kit and 5 trays. It has a very light grey body with a darker grey lid.

  • 500 watts of drying power
  • Expandable to 12 trays
  • 13.5 x 13.5 x 9.25 inches (LxWxH)
  • Temperature range: 95°F – 160°F
  • Comes with: 1 Jerky Gun with 3 tip attachments, 2 Fruit Roll Sheets, 2 Clean-A-Screens, 5 Jerky Seasoning & Cure Samples, Recipe & Instruction book
Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express
Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express

Nesco FD-60 Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator

This is the new version of mine as it has an updated lid. It's a light grey body with a darker grey lid.

  • 500 watts of drying power
  • Expandable to 12 trays
  • 13.5 x 13.5 x 9.25 inches (LxWxH)
  • Temperature range: 95°F – 155°F
  • Comes with: 1 Fruit Roll Sheet, 2 Original-Flavor Jerky Spice & Cure Packets

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.  Read disclosure here.

Nesco ACCESSORIES Available on Amazon

Nesco Fruit Roll Sheets 13.5
Nesco Fruit Roll Sheets 13.5" dia.

Nesco Solid Fruit Roll Sheets

Nesco LSS-2-6 Round clear plastic 13-1/2" diameter Fruit Roll Sheets, white.

  • 2 pk of solid fruit roll sheets
  • 1.6 sq feet drying area
  • Dry capacity up to 3 cups of pureed fruit per sheet
  • Check the red Amazon link to see which Nesco models these Fruit Roll Sheets fit
Nesco Clean-A-Screen 13.5
Nesco Clean-A-Screen 13.5" dia.

Nesco Mesh Sheets

Nesco LM-2-6 Round plastic mesh 13-1/2" diameter Clean-A-Screens, white.

  • 2 pk of mesh sheets
  • 1.6 sq feet drying area
  • Check the red Amazon link to see which Nesco models these Clean-A-Screens fit
Nesco Trays for series 20 + 30 Dehydrators
Nesco Trays for series 20 + 30 Dehydrators

Nesco Trays

Nesco WT-2SG Round Speckled Plastic 13-1/2" diameter Add-A-Tray.

  • 2 pk of speckled round trays
  • 1.6 sq feet drying area
  • Fits 20 Series and 30 Series Food Dehydrators
  • Check the red Amazon link to see all the Nesco models these Add-A-Trays fit

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.  Read disclosure here.



Step 2: Smoke the Garlic for That Bold Flavor

Julie then smokes it in a smoker and enjoys the results of her labor, but wondered if we had any suggestions or improvements to what she was already doing.

Our short answer: No.

Wright's All Natural
Hickory Seasoning
1 Quart - Liquid Smoke

Wright's All Natural Hickory Seasoning, Liquid Smoke, 1-Quart
Wright's All Natural Hickory Seasoning, Liquid Smoke, 1-Quart

Julie continues: "After that, we have a propane smoker we use to smoke the garlic.

We use a 'Misto' sprayer to spray liquid smoke and then put the garlic on a small screen (see a photo of the sprayer below - shown on the right, next to the big red bottle of 'Wright's All Natural Hickory Seasoning').

Dry smoke for one hour. The garlic comes out toasted brown."

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.  Read disclosure here.

Wright's Hickory SeasoningWright's Hickory Seasoning

Safety First: How to Handle Spicy Garlic Without Regret

If you're sensitive to handling raw garlic, please read 10 Tips for Handling Spicy Garlic prior to dehydrating it!

Step 3: Grind the Garlic for Mixing

Julie says, "After crushing it in a Magic Bullet, we mix it with a fine sea salt and use it for seasoning on a double-steamer chicken after it's cooked."

Crushed smoked garlic, ready to be mixed with fine sea saltJulie's magic smoked garlic, ready to be mixed with fine sea salt

"We also smoke our own sea salt by mixing pink Himalayan and white coarse sea salt with crushed garlic. Smoke the mixture for seven hours—spraying occasionally with liquid smoke. It is amazing."

How to Store Your Homemade Smoked Garlic Salt

Julie says "It is so good, I wish you could sample it!"

Closeup shot of Julie's Smoked Garlic Salt, ready to be mixed with fine sea saltJulie's Smoked Garlic Salt
Vacuum-Packed Smoked Garlic SaltJulie's Vacuum-Packed Garlic Salt
Jars of Julie's Smoked Garlic SaltJars of Julie's Smoked Garlic Salt

Where to Use Smoked Garlic Sea Salt (Ideas & Inspiration)

Julie's powdered smoked garlic saltJulie's powdered smoked garlic salt

The best way to store your smoked garlic sea salt is by vacuum-packing it.

Julie continues: "We just vacuum-packed about 60 jars of homemade smoked garlic sea salt. We are going to be smoking the elephant garlic tomorrow!

We steam chicken thighs with our sea salt and Spade L Ranch Seasoning—and use the garlic powder for taste after."

Thanks so much for sharing, Julie!

If you came to this page before reading about how to dehydrate garlic, read how to dehydrate garlic here.

Bonus Tips: Customize and Store Your Garlic Salt Blend

Making garlic sea salt at home using dehydrated garlic is easy and delicious!

Here are some tips:

  • Start by slicing fresh garlic cloves as thin as possible. A mandoline works great for uniform slices.
  • Arrange garlic slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 125°F to 135°F for 6-8 hours until very brittle.
  • Allow the crispy garlic chips to cool fully, then grind them to a fine powder using a dedicated spice grinder, small food processor, or mortar and pestle.
  • Transfer the powder to a small bowl and mix in fine-grain sea salt using a 2:1 ratio of salt to garlic powder. For example, mix 1 cup fine sea salt with 1/2 cup garlic powder.

Optional - You can further enhance the flavor by also grinding/mixing in a couple of tablespoons of dried parsley, onion powder, red pepper flakes, etc.

Transfer your homemade garlic sea salt to an airtight glass spice jar. Label the jar with its contents and date. It keeps 6+ months when stored in a cool dark place such as a pantry.

Sprinkle your custom garlic sea salt blend on meats, roast veggies, salads, buttered bread, popcorn - wherever you want a nice salty, garlicky kick! Adjust the garlic ratio to taste and have fun experimenting with flavors.

FAQ: Smoked Garlic Sea Salt Tips & Tricks

How do you make garlic sea salt?

You can make garlic sea salt by dehydrating fresh garlic, grinding it into a powder, and mixing it with fine sea salt in a 2:1 ratio. You can also smoke the garlic for deeper flavor.

Can I make garlic salt from garlic powder?

Yes! Mix 1 cup of sea salt with 1/3 cup garlic powder. Add onion powder or dried herbs if you’d like a custom blend. Store in an airtight jar and use as needed.

What's the difference between garlic salt and garlic powder?

Garlic salt is a blend of garlic powder and salt—great for seasoning. Garlic powder is pure, concentrated garlic with no salt, used when more control over salt levels is needed.

How long does smoked garlic sea salt last?

When stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place, smoked garlic sea salt can last up to 6–12 months without losing flavor.

Can I use a stovetop smoker or liquid smoke instead of a propane smoker?

Yes, you can. A stovetop smoker or even liquid smoke sprayed onto garlic slices during drying can replicate that smoky flavor.

Thanks for sticking around to learn how Julie makes her delicious smoked garlic sea salt—from dehydrating elephant garlic to mixing and vacuum-sealing her finished jars.

If you're ready to go beyond seasoning and want full meal ideas made with dried foods, grab your free 5 Dried Food Recipes You'll Actually Love PDF (below). Inside, you’ll get step-by-step instructions for carrot soup, minestrone soup, split pea soup, spicy beef jerky, and even banana cinnamon rolls—perfect ways to use your dehydrated pantry.

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