This mouthwatering garlic chicken recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor in just over an hour. The perfectly seasoned, tender chicken develops a golden-brown exterior while staying incredibly juicy inside.
With only 10 minutes of prep time, you’ll create a protein-packed main dish that’s both elegant and effortless. Rich in nutrients like potassium and vitamins, this 585-calorie meal proves that simple ingredients can yield spectacular results.
Ingredients Section
- Butter: 4 tablespoons, divided for cooking and finishing sauce
- Vegetable Oil: 1 tablespoon for searing
- Chicken Thighs: 6-8 pieces, skin-on for best flavor
- Garlic: 3 whole heads, separated into cloves
- Fresh Thyme: 6 sprigs (or ½ tsp dried as substitute)
- Bay Leaf: 1 piece for aromatic flavor
- White Wine: ½ cup for deglazing
- Chicken Stock: 2 cups for rich sauce base
- Cornstarch: 3½ teaspoons for thickening
- Baguette: 1 crusty loaf for serving
- Salt and Pepper: To taste
Instructions Section
- Prepare Garlic: Boil garlic cloves for 1 minute in water, drain and peel. This makes peeling much easier!
- Season Chicken: Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides
- Heat Pan: Warm 2 tablespoons butter and oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat
- Sear Chicken: Place chicken skin-side down for 5 minutes until golden, flip and cook 3 more minutes
- Add Aromatics: Arrange peeled garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf around chicken
- Slow Cook: Cover and simmer on med-low for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through
- Make Sauce: Remove chicken, reduce wine by half, add cornstarch-whisked stock until thickened
- Finish: Season sauce to taste, stir in remaining butter, and pour over chicken
- Serve: Present with green beans and toasted baguette for spreading garlic
Cooking Techniques
This cozy garlic chicken recipe uses two simple but amazing tricks! First, we quickly boil the garlic cloves whole – this makes them super easy to peel and brings out their sweet, mellow flavor.
Second, we create a beautiful golden-brown crust on the chicken by searing it in a hot pan before letting it slow-cook to juicy perfection. These methods give you tender chicken and soft, spreadable garlic without any fussy techniques.
Make It Your Own
Want to change things up? You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs – just adjust the cooking time to about 12-15 minutes total.
No white wine? Apple juice or extra chicken stock works great too! For the herbs, rosemary or sage can replace thyme, bringing their own lovely flavors to the dish. If you’re watching carbs, skip the baguette and serve the garlic over cauliflower mash.
Serving Suggestions
This dish shines as the star of a cozy French-style dinner! Spread the soft, buttery garlic on warm chunks of baguette – it’s pure heaven. The French green beans mentioned in the recipe are perfect, but you could also add roasted potatoes or a simple green salad.
The sauce is so good, you’ll want something to soak up every last drop. For a special touch, open the same white wine you used in cooking to serve with dinner.
Storage Tips
Got leftovers? Lucky you! Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The garlic cloves can be kept separately and spread on bread or mixed into mashed potatoes later.
When reheating, add a splash of chicken stock or water to keep everything moist, and warm gently over medium-low heat. The sauce might thicken in the fridge, but a quick stir while reheating will smooth it right out.
Garlic Chicken
Equipment
- Large skillet or cast iron pan
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 whole chicken thighs or 8
- 3 heads garlic
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 whole crusty bread baguette for serving
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Separate garlic cloves (you don’t need to peel them) and add to the water. Cook for 1 minute, then drain and peel garlic.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a very large deep (preferably cast iron) pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons butter and oil until hot.
- Add chicken, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic cloves around the chicken and add thyme and bay leaf.
- Cover the skillet and cook over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Transfer the chicken and garlic to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf.
- Turn the skillet heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken stock and add to the pan. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, or herbs, as needed.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Place the chicken on a serving platter and pour sauce over the chicken.
- Serve with French green beans and a toasted baguette for spreading the cooked garlic cloves on.
