This 40 Clove Garlic Chicken is the most deliciously aromatic chicken dinner you’ll ever serve. It’s easy to make with simple steps, and inexpensive, yet sophisticated ingredients that are bound to make your mouth water. Treat yourself to what tastes like an upscale restaurant-worthy dinner tonight!

Chicken and garlic are placed on a square white plate.


40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Let’s paint a picture of what the next few weeks look like for so many of us, shall we? While you already know exactly what you’ll be serving for Christmas dinner, there will be family in town before the holiday itself, and you have no idea what to make. You’ll want something impressive, yet realistic. Delicious, but not too spicy or too bland, so everyone will actually eat it. What’s a home chef to do?

This is where 40 clove garlic chicken steps in to save the day. The fact that it’s chicken keeps this recipe more affordable than trying to feed all of your relatives steak or lobster, but the ingredients that you cook it with are what makes it so sophisticated and rich with unique flavor. Oh, and did I mention that there are about 40 perfectly browned, soft, and tender garlic cloves in there, too?! It’s obviously the most important aspect!

As delicious as this slow roasted garlicky chicken is, you’ll never believe how easy it is to make. Simply sear it, pop it into your dutch oven with all of the other bold ingredients, and bake it. Voila! An easy dinner that can double as a typical Tuesday family meal or as a centerpiece at a holiday dinner party. So far, everyone I’ve served this chicken to has been pretty obsessed with it, even though it leaves them with pretty severe dragon breath. But hey, that garlic breath is SO worth the flavor!

Several chicken thighs are being cooked in a large blue and white dutch oven with several other ingredients.

How to Make 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

  1. Heat it up! Preheat your oven to 350˚F.
  2. Season. Season the chicken thigh on both sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Sear the chicken. In a large dutch oven or deep sided skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and return the pan to the heat.
  4. Make the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden. Stir in the bourbon and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the wine, chicken stock and thyme. Bring to a boil.
  5. Bake. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
  6. Finish it up! Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Whisk the flour with the half and half. Pour the mixture into the pan and whisk until slightly thickened.
  7. Enjoy! Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and garlic cloves.
Pan sauce is being drizzled by a spoon over a cooked chicken thigh.

Can I use boneless chicken thighs?

You can, but keep in mind that boneless chicken thighs tend to cook faster. If you opt for boneless chicken thighs, they’ll likely only need about 45-50 minutes in the oven instead of the full hour.

What To Serve With 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

When I serve anything with a sauce this downright delicious, I make sure it can soak up any additional sauce! Side dishes like Mashed Potatoes and Easy Brioche Dinner Rolls are ideal for lapping up every last drop of that deliciously flavorful, creamy pan sauce.

How To Store Garlic Chicken

In an airtight container in the fridge, any leftovers you have of 40 clove garlic chicken will stay fresh for about 3 days. To reheat, I recommend popping your leftovers into an oven preheated to 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

How Many Heads of Garlic is 40 Cloves

You can get about 40 cloves of garlic from three heads of garlic. I like to buy 4 just in case there were any puny cloves that need to be replaced.

Several cooked chicken thighs are presented with garlic on a square white serving plate.

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Pan sauce is being drizzled by a spoon over a cooked chicken thigh.

Get the Recipe: 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken Recipe

Creamy and comforting, 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken is easy to make. Braised chicken in a garlic-y sauce that's perfect for sopping up every last bit with a hunk of crusty bread.
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 3 whole heads of garlic, approximately 40 cloves, peeled
  • 10 Chicken Thighs, bone-in, skin-on
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Equipment

  • dutch oven

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  • Season the chicken thigh on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • In a large dutch oven or deep sided skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat.
  • Add the chicken to the pan, skin side down, and sear until golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
  • Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm.
  • Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and return the pan to the heat.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden.
  • Stir in the bourbon and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the wine, chicken stock and thyme. Bring to a boil.
  • Return the chicken to the pan, cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.
  • Whisk the flour with the half and half. Pour the mixture into the pan and whisk until slightly thickened.
  • Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and garlic cloves.

Notes

Garlic Chicken is best served soon after cooking. 
Calories: 594kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 222mg, Sodium: 1607mg, Potassium: 561mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 2mg