Recipes › Garlic › Forty Clove Garlic Chicken
Forty Clove Garlic Chicken
A whole chicken braised with 40 cloves of garlic — yes, 40 — until the cloves become sweet and spreadable and the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. The garlic loses all aggression in the long braise, turning into something almost like a confit that you spread on bread alongside the chicken. This Provençal classic is one of the best arguments for cooking with garlic as a vegetable, not just a seasoning.
Garlic is usually ready June to July. More garlic recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 40 cloves garlic, unpeeled (about 3-4 heads)
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces or use thighs
- ½ cup dry white wineChicken broth works
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
Contains: sulphites.
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper.About 5 min
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down for 4-5 minutes until golden. Flip and brown 2 minutes more. Remove chicken and set aside.About 12 min
- Add unpeeled garlic cloves to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Nestle chicken back in among the garlic cloves. Tuck in thyme and rosemary sprigs.About 5 min
- Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 50-60 minutes until chicken is cooked through and garlic is completely tender and spreadable.About 60 min
- Serve chicken with the braised garlic cloves on the side — guests squeeze cloves from their skins and spread on crusty bread.About 3 min
Tips
- Leaving the garlic unpeeled keeps the cloves intact and prevents them from burning.
- The squeezed garlic cloves are the best part — have plenty of crusty bread ready.
- Bone-in thighs give the most flavor and are more forgiving on timing.
Ring the changes
- Add a cup of chicken broth for a richer, soupier braising liquid.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh tarragon for a brighter version.
Keeping it
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
Whole garlic cloves cooked slowly in olive oil until they're golden, buttery-soft, and impossibly mild — this is a kitchen staple that pays dividends all week. Spread on toast, stir into pasta, mash into potatoes, or use the infused oil itself as a finishing drizzle. Making a big batch means you always have incredible flavor on hand.
55 min · easy · GarlicThis Spanish-American classic features plump shrimp cooked in a bubbling bath of olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika until just pink and tender. The sauce — fruity, garlicky, and a little spicy — is meant to be sopped up with crusty bread. Ready in 15 minutes, this is one of the most satisfying quick seafood dishes you can make.
15 min · easy · Garlic
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 4 April 2026.