Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Juicy, tender chicken served with the creamiest garlic sauce that the whole family will go crazy for!
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic has been on my bucket list for years. But I guess I’ve been putting it off because I was always a bit skeptical about the “40 cloves of garlic” part. Now you know how much I love garlic as seen in yesterday’s post, but 40 cloves just seemed like way too much, even for me. But then curiosity took over and I finally gave it a try, and boy, was I in for a treat.
If you have your skepticism about the garlic like I did, have no fear – the 40 cloves of garlic actually lends an amazing garlic essence to the chicken, letting them simmer in their own juices. This allows the flavors to really meld, leaving the chicken to become incredibly tender and flavorful. And if you take that extra step to thicken up the sauce with a little bit of flour, it is absolute perfection.
After devouring my entire plate along with every last bit of this creamy garlic sauce, this has quickly become one of my absolute favorite ways to prepare chicken, and if you’re not in the mood to peel 40 cloves of garlic, I’m with Julie on this one – I highly recommend purchasing the peeled garlic cloves. It’s such a time-saver and it’ll save your fingernails from smelling like garlic for days!
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 40 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken and sprinkle with thyme. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes; set aside chicken, reserving the juices in the skillet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and milk. Whisk in flour mixture to the skillet until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with sauce mixture.
Did you make this recipe?
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I use 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 chicken broth and omitted the flour and milk. I let the garlic caramelize to a deeper golden brown before placing the chicken on top to finish the cooking. I also use plump drumsticks with the thighs (there’s one for every thigh on a chicken) and reduce the sauce down until it’s thick, and it works really well. Great with steamed white rice and buttered French green beans! It’s a regular at our house.
Just made this tonight, loved it except for the gravy . Next time I will just scoop out the garlic and eat them whole. May have done something wrong but was really thick.
I have to say… this has become one of our FAVORITE dishes!! It is truly amazing… so tasty and the sauce is delicious! I serve it with pretzel bread sticks on the side to soak up the sauce, which is honestly… one of the best parts of the meal.
We ADORE garlic, but admittedly, I was a little worried at first about using 40 cloves of garlic. But we were not disappointed! We’ve made it several times (and making it again for friends who are coming for dinner tonight). Thanks so much for posting this… my entire family is grateful. 🙂
This is the only recipe I’ve found that doesn’t require any type of alcohol or heavy cream. I don’t want to have to buy heavy cream for ONE dish, and I don’t want to buy wine or cognac for the same reason. This one is a keeper.
Looked at lots of versions of this dish and chose this recipe. Only change, cornstarch for flour due to family gluten issue. Used white wine for milk. ( because I was enjoying glass while making this) really delicious. Aroma in house wonderful. If you are able to eat bread…sop up the gravy on this!!! Easy, quick and one skillet with lid. Make sure to brown skin of chicken. Makes dish !
Whole family loved it!
This recipe was in the better homes and gardens over 20 years ago. It’s very good!
Is bottled garlic cloves in water ok to use?
Yes, that should work just fine, Bill! 🙂
I made this recipe exactly and it was perfect. Making it again tonight for dinner 🙂
Love it, however, I’m not too sure about the sauce?? I’m dairy free / gluten free and I replace the ingredients with tapioca flour and almond milk, and it didn’t turn well…
Otherwise, delicious!!!
Try replacing the flour with 1/2 the amount of corn starch and white wine or additional chicken broth for the milk.
Looks very nice and easy for beginners
I made this recipes. It is delicious!
Glad you liked it!
Can this be made with pork cutlets?
I’m sure it can be modified with pork cutlets, but since we haven’t tried this ourselves, I can’t answer your question with certainty, especially when it comes to cooking times. Please use your best judgement when making modifications and substitutions.
This recipes sounds deliciou, but my family doesn’t like tights can I make it with breast?
Of course!
My mother used to make this dish! She cooked a whole bird with a fresh herb bouquet inside, low and slow (covered) in the oven. We would spread the garlic on toast and then place a piece of chicken on top. Absolutely divine! Don’t make it before a big interview or anything though.
Should the broth complete cover the chicken? I have some simmering right now, but my pan is small.
No, the chicken does not have to be completely submerged.
I make this ALL THE TIME!!! It’s AMAZING!!! And honestly its not too garlicy because the garlic steams for 20 minutes so its just delightful. It’s a favorite of everyone in the family. It goes great with Rosemary Potatoes or Brown Rice (and a salad of course). Delicious!
40 cloves? sounds like it needs more! just kidding. not enough garlic in the world. will make this one. thanks.
No where do you say to take the chicken out of the pan before you add the garlic.
We guessed that when you say to add the chicken back in.
The recipe actually specifies to set the chicken aside in step #2:
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
Thank You! I cooked this up last night and got rave reviews!To cut down on fat a bit, I even skinned the thighs. Since I had so many thighs, I used a large cast iron pan to brown them which worked well. Since the thighs had still produced quite a bit of grease, I skipped adding the flour and had a thinner sauce, but it was still fantastic! I saved the sauce which I plan on using tomorrow for Thanksgiving, adding it to the turkey gravy. Thanks again!
Made this for dinner tonight and served it over rice. The whole family enjoyed it a lot! Thank you!!