Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
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Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic is a classic French recipe. Yes, you read that right, 40 cloves of garlic! The garlic mellows in flavor as it cooks and you end up with mild, buttery cloves paired with a moist and delicious chicken. A must try!
If the thought of 40 cloves of garlic in a recipe scares you, hold on a second and don’t lose out on one of the most delicious chicken dishes you could ever have. When I first tried this dish, years and years ago, I thought 40 cloves of garlic was going to be overkill and I was going to smell like a jar of garlic for weeks. Not so much, as a matter of fact you won’t smell like garlic at all.
What Ingredients Are in Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
At this point you might be sitting here thinking Im crazy. Yes, there are actually 40 cloves of garlic in this recipe; the name holds true! Did I really count out 40 cloves of garlic exactly? YES, I did! No more and no less. Did I peel them myself? I used to, but then I discovered a big container of pre-peeled garlic cloves at the grocery store and I haven’t looked back since. All I had to do is count, and I can count to 40. HA!
Other than that, the recipe is very straightforward and typical. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, and for flavor we have cumin, thyme, and my absolute favorite herb: fresh dill. The sauce is to DIE for and is simply made of white wine and chicken broth. Of course, I seasoned everything with salt and pepper along the way and garnished the whole dish with chopped parsley.
What Does Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic Taste Like
I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out. As the garlic cooks down it will mellow out in flavor and turn into this delicious soft, spreadable and flavorful morsel with a hint of sweetness that tastes just like roasted garlic. After you eat this, you might wish you added a bit more garlic.
How to Make Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic Recipe
Start by preheating the oven to 375 F. I cleaned my chicken thighs and cut them in half so they had more surface area to soak up all that awesome flavor, but you can skip this step if you want. Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a nice big dutch oven or any other large oven-save pot you have at home. Sear the chicken on both sides. Don’t worry about cooking all the way through- they will cook fully in the oven!
Remove the chicken from the pot and add all that gold, I mean, garlic. Season the garlic with the cumin, thyme, dill, and some salt and pepper to taste. Deglaze the pot with your white wine and let everything cook and bubble until the wine reduces and the garlic browns, about 2 minutes.
Now you can stir in the chicken broth and add the chicken pieces back to the pot. Cover with a lid and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley, or even some dill if you have extra, and you’re ready to eat!
Can I Use This Recipe for a Whole Chicken?
I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs in this dish but any part of the chicken will work, whatever you prefer and yes you can use thighs with skin and bones as well, you’ll get a lot more flavor from the fat of the skin, so have at it. If you’re feeling brave enough, you could even use a whole chicken, YES! All you have to do is wash your chicken, dry it with paper towels, then rub it with a couple tablespoons of butter.
Yes you will need to make sure the chicken is really dry, otherwise the butter won’t stick to it. Put the chicken in a large cast iron skillet, add the garlic, season the chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and whatever herbs you choose, add a couple more tbsp of butter to the skillet, then bake it at 375 F for about an hour. You will end up with the most delicious chicken ever, trust me!
What to Serve With Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
I served this dish over rice, but it would also be amazing over pasta, mashed potatoes, or some nice creamy polenta. Slice up and toast some bread and use those gorgeous cloves of garlic as a spread. Trust me on this one!
Of course, you can serve it over some low-carb options such as cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or zucchini noodles.
Looking for some veggies to serve with your chicken? Try these out!
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Italian Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
What Kind of Wine Should I Use for Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
When using wine for cooking, I always suggest using the driest varieties. For white wine this includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Don’t want to use wine? That’s okay! You can add and extra 1/2 cup chicken broth with 2 tsp of vinegar.
How to Store Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
Keep this dish in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
This chicken also freezes very well. The garlic cloves will break down even more and be just that much softer when thawed. Reheat in the oven at 425 F, covered, for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
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Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 55 mins
Serves: 6
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic is a classic French dish, yes with 40 cloves of garlic, no more no less. Although it may seem like a lot of garlic, it mellows in flavor as it cooks and you end up with mild, buttery garlic and a moist and delicious chicken! A must try!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 40 cloves garlic cleaned but kept whole
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Prepare chicken: Clean the chicken thighs, pat them dry and cut them in half.
- Cook chicken: In a large Dutch oven or oven proof skillet add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook on both sides just until they start to brown and are no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Cook garlic: Add the cloves of garlic to the same skillet. Season with cumin, dill, thyme, salt, pepper and stir. Add the wine, stir a bit and scrape all the pieces from the bottom of the skillet, then cook for about 2 minutes just until the wine reduces a bit and the garlic starts to brown.
- Finish cooking: Stir in the chicken broth then add the chicken back to the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid and place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with parsley and serve warm over rice or noodles.
Video
Recipe Notes
Feel free to use whichever cut of chicken you prefer.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 419kcal (21%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Protein: 25g (50%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 148mg (49%)Sodium: 315mg (14%)Potassium: 404mg (12%)Vitamin A: 170IU (3%)Vitamin C: 7.1mg (9%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
Fanny says
Can you make this with chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Jo Cooks Team says
For sure! The cooking time may vary.
Jomomcooks says
I have read so many times it is bad to wash a chicken. You end up contaminating so
much area and a chicken does not need to be washed. Nor does a turkey. Your recipe does sound delish. I have been making a version of this for 30 years but I marinate it for 2 days first. Recipe is from a woman I knew from Guyana.
Jo Cooks Team says
You can skip that step if you want, it’s completely up to you. We find the slimy exterior of the poultry is washed away which makes for a nicer texture. The sink becomes contaminated, which is fine for us as we wash our sink afterwards.
Lauren says
This was soooo good! I found it needed about 10 more minutes in the oven for the garlic cloves to properly soften. I used extra dill, since 1 tsp seems quite scant. I served it over Israeli couscous, with roasted green beans and a warm baguette for slathering on those melting garlic cloves. Yum! I prefer this version over more traditional versions that use bone-in chicken and garlic still in its peels — much easier to dig right in this way.
Nicole Beaulieu says
We always have room for extra dill as well, it’s the best! We’re so glad you love the recipe 🙂
John says
What size pan did you use to make it in? Trying to figure out which pan to buy (don’t have one that I can make this recipe in at the moment). Thank you for your reply’s.
Joanna Cismaru says
I used my Le Creuset braiser which is 5 qt, you can find it here: https://amzn.to/2upXPLJ
Sandi says
I have made this chicken with 40 cloves garlic, it was delicious and will make again
Amanda Mason says
I made this tonight for my family and it was fantastic! I think I’ll add mushrooms next time (I love mushrooms)! Great recipe! Thanks again!
Oksana says
Delicious!!! Made it tonight, hubby and I loved it a lot! Now I’m planning to make it for dad in law when we visit ?
Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Joanna Cismaru says
Yay, so glad you guys liked it!
Becky says
a must for garlic lovers. so easy to make!
Joanna Cismaru says
Agreed!
Pamela Koh says
As a lover of garlic, I might add about 10 more cloves to this awesome recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Chloe says
Hi Jo. Do I need to rub butter on the chicken before cooking them? As I saw you mentioned about rubbing butter on a whole chicken. Also, can I use chicken breast? Thanks.
Joanna Cismaru says
Hi Chloe, no butter is needed if you make the recipe as according to my instructions here, only if you use a whole chicken. Yes, you can use chicken breast or any part of the chicken you wish.
Kat says
If my oven is not working, can I just continue to cook this over stove top and would I continue to cook this for the same minutes as the oven?
Jo Cooks Team 2 says
You can do that, yes! You will need to keep it covered while it’s cooking & your cook time may be different – just keep an eye on it! The chicken should be cooked through and the garlic will be nice and soft!
Janet Huyton says
Do NOT wash a chicken. Spreads all sorts round the kitchen sink! http://www.livescience.com/50919-why-washing-chicken-before-cooking-is-unsafe.html
Liz @ Yes/No Films says
This looks delicious, I love garlic.
Quick question – what is marjoram? It’s listed in the directions but not in the ingredient list (I know it’s a spice, but that’s about it). Thanks!
Joanna Cismaru says
Marjoram is a perennial herb with citrus flavors, great for chicken dishes. Just updated the recipe, when I made this before I used marjoram, so you can switch up the herbs to your preference.
Liz @ Yes/No Films says
Sounds good. Thanks!
Adina says
I’ve actually made this recipe myself over 10 years ago, I still remember it because it was so shocking with the 40 garlic cloves. But that’s exactly why I chose to make it, as any good Romanian person I love garlic with a passion. I should make it again soon, the Romanian side of my son is very strong when it comes to garlic, he loves it just as much as I do. 🙂
Fenne Kieken says
So glad you have made it and it’s a favorite. Thanks for sharing your comments and being a part of Jo Cooks
Denise Browning says
A dish that this garlic lover here would make, eat and repeat. Hubby will love it!
Candice says
I need to feed 5 people and also have leftovers for next day’s lunch. Do you think this recipe will be enough?
Also, can I just fry the chicken, etc. in the Dutch Oven so that I only have to wash one thing?
Joanna Cismaru says
You can absolutely use a Dutch oven to fry the chicken in. I would probably go with 3 lb of chicken especially if you’re feeding men, just to make sure you have enough.
Candice says
Awesome! Can’t wait to try this one pot recipe. ^_^
Day says
I am wanting to make this for a dinner party with about 15-20 people. What is your recommendation for altering the ingredients?
jo says
I’ve never made such large quantity for this dish, but I would simply just multiply everything by 4. Hope this helps.