40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic sounds like somebody lost count halfway through making dinner. Or finally had enough of being told to use two cloves. Honestly, I’m on their side. Golden chicken thighs bake with whole 40 some garlic cloves, white wine, chicken stock and fresh herbs until the meat is beautifully tender and the garlic is soft enough to spread on bread. A little cream stirred in at the end brings that rich, fragrant sauce together.

Of course, before any of that deliciousness happens, there’s a rather impressive pile of garlic to peel. When I started peeling the garlic for this one, it didn’t take long to attract an audience. Alpana took one look at the growing pile and asked, “All of that is going into dinner?” Noah volunteered to count the cloves, but somewhere along the way we ended up with either 37 or 46. Close enough. Either way, I’m calling it 40. “Chicken with However Many Cloves Noah Counted” is a bit long for the recipe card.

Now, before you start worrying about what 40 cloves of garlic might do to your evening plans, this isn’t the sharp garlic bite you get from a raw clove. The long cooking time mellows the garlic into something soft, buttery and gently sweet. You get plenty of garlic flavor, but it settles into the sauce so nicely that you might find yourself fishing around for another clove.

What Is 40 Cloves Garlic Chicken?

40 Cloves Garlic Chicken, known in French as poulet aux quarante gousses d’ail, is a rustic dish closely associated with Provence in southern France. Similar garlic-heavy chicken dishes appear in other French regions, so its exact birthplace is less certain.

There isn’t just one way to make it. Some versions use a whole chicken, while others use individual pieces. The garlic is sometimes left unpeeled, allowing everyone to squeeze the softened cloves from their skins at the table.

My version uses chicken thighs and peeled cloves, so all the garlic is ready to eat straight from the pan. The thyme, tarragon and splash of cream give it my own little touch while keeping that generous, comforting spirit of French country cooking.

Does It Really Need 40 Cloves?

Yes. This is one of those recipes where the name gives you the shopping list and a small assignment.

That said, you don’t need to panic if your final count is 38 or 42. The important thing is having a generous amount of whole garlic in the pan. Clove sizes vary, so I choose large cloves rather than counting a pile of tiny ones and hoping for the same result.

And just to save someone a very interesting trip to the grocery store, that’s 40 cloves, not 40 heads. A head is the whole bulb. The cloves are the individual pieces inside it.

Ingredients Needed

You will find ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here is what you will need:

• Chicken Thighs – I like to use bone-in, skin-on thighs. They’re well suited to the long oven cooking time, and their juices add richness to the sauce. Choose thighs of a similar size so they cook evenly.
• Garlic – You need 40 large cloves, peeled and left whole. Refrigerated pre-peeled garlic is a handy shortcut, especially if peeling 40 cloves isn’t how you planned to spend your afternoon.
• Butter and extra virgin olive oil – These start the cooking and help brown the chicken. I keep the flavorful pan juices in place when the garlic goes in.
• Flour – A light dredging helps the chicken develop a golden coating and contributes a little body to the sauce. Shake off the excess, and discard whatever flour remains after dredging.
• White wine – Use a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. It adds brightness and loosens the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Chicken stock – This forms the base of the sauce along with the wine.
• Fresh thyme and tarragon – Thyme brings an earthy flavor, while tarragon adds a delicate anise-like note that works beautifully with chicken and cream. The whole sprigs go into the pan before baking.
• Heavy cream – Just a little brings the sauce together at the end. There’s enough to add richness without covering up the garlic, wine and herbs. You can use half-and-half to lighten things up if you want, but it’s only ¼ cup.
• Parsley – A little chopped fresh parsley finishes the dish with color and freshness.

How I Make Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Prep: First, peel all that garlic. Then, with the oven preheating to 375°F, start with well-dried chicken thighs, season them with salt and pepper.

Brown chicken: Give the chicken thighs a light coating of flour. Shake off the excess, since a thin coating is all they need.

The thighs go skin-side down into the hot butter and olive oil. Give them time to develop that golden color before moving them, about 7–9 minutes over medium heat. Another 3–4 minutes on the other side finishes the sear, then they can rest on a plate while the sauce gets started.

Start the garlic: Those 40 cloves go into the same pan, where they pick up the flavor left behind by the chicken. Over medium-low heat, they only need 4-5 minutes and a little gentle stirring to turn lightly golden. I keep a close eye on them here. There’s plenty of cooking time ahead, and burnt garlic isn’t a flavor we want following us through dinner.

Deglaze: The wine loosens all those browned bits from the bottom of the pan. As it bubbles away for 3–5 minutes and reduces by about half, give the bottom a good scrape to work that flavor into the sauce.

Finish the sauce and return chicken: Then the chicken stock, thyme and tarragon go in, followed by the chicken, skin side up, and any juices collected on its plate.

Bake: Now the lid goes on and the whole dish goes into the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is where everything comes together. The chicken becomes tender, the herbs flavor the cooking liquid, and that intimidating pile of garlic turns soft and mellow.

To crisp up the skin, I remove the cover and let it cook another 10-15 minutes.

Finishing touches: Back on the stove over medium-low heat, a quarter cup of cream gives the sauce its finishing touch. There’s no need to take the chicken out again. I gently stir the cream into the liquid around the thighs, leaving the herbs in place, and let it simmer for a few minutes.

A final taste for salt and pepper, a scattering of parsley, and dinner is ready. By now, those soft garlic cloves deserve just as much space on the plate as the chicken.

Jason’s Tips

• Give the chicken enough room to brown. If the pan is crowded, sear it in batches. A good golden surface builds flavor right from the start.
• Keep the garlic whole and only lightly golden during the stovetop stage. It has plenty of time to soften in the oven.
• Choose a wide, deep oven-safe pan that holds the chicken comfortably in one layer. You want room for the sauce and garlic without stacking the thighs.
• Keep the chicken skin above the liquid. This is a saucy baked chicken dish, so the skin won’t have the same crispness as dry-roasted chicken, but keeping it exposed helps preserve its browned surface.
• Check the liquid toward the end of baking. A wide pan can lose moisture faster. If it starts looking dry, add a splash of chicken stock.
• Simmer gently after adding the cream. A few quiet bubbles are enough to bring the sauce together.

What to Serve with It

Mashed potatoes are my first choice. They catch every spoonful of sauce, and you can mash a few soft garlic cloves right into your serving.

Crusty bread is just as useful. Spread a clove over a piece of warm bread, dip it into the sauce and you’ll see why I keep mentioning it.

Rice or buttered egg noodles also make a good base for the chicken and sauce. For something green, serve green beans, asparagus, broccoli or a lightly dressed salad.

Leftovers and Reheating

Keep the chicken with its sauce when storing leftovers. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat, adding a splash of stock if needed to loosen the sauce.

Any extra soft garlic is delicious spread on toast or mashed into potatoes. After peeling all those cloves, I’m making sure every last one gets its moment.

Tell someone you used 40 cloves of garlic in dinner and watch their face. The eyebrows go up, the eyes widen, and there’s a little head tilt while they work out whether you said four or forty. “Forty,” I repeat, with the confidence of a man who has already eaten the evidence. Tender chicken, buttery garlic and that gorgeous sauce. I rest my case.

You’ll enjoy these other chicken dishes:
Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Chicken Scarpariello
Chicken Chasseur
Chicken Marbella
Marry Me Chicken
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Coq au Vin

Recipe Video

40 Clove Garlic Chicken (Recipe + Video)

Yield: 6 servings

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic is a classic French-inspired dinner with golden, tender chicken thighs, mellow roasted garlic, and a rich white wine cream sauce. Perfect for a cozy, comforting meal!

5.0 Stars (4 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup flour
• 40 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 13-14 fresh thyme sprigs
• 5-6 fresh tarragon sprigs
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook for 7–9 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook another 3–4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the garlic cloves to the same pan and cook over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring gently, until lightly golden.
4. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, until reduced a bit.
5. Add the chicken stock, thyme and tarragon. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, skin-side up.
6. Cover the skillet, transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the garlic is soft.
7. Remove the lid and continue cooking 10-15 more minutes, until the skin of the chicken is golden and crisp.
8. Carefully place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Add the heavy cream directly to the pan with the chicken and herbs still in it. Gently stir the cream into the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with the garlic cloves and plenty of the rich, creamy sauce.

Notes

• Give the chicken enough room to brown. If the pan is crowded, sear it in batches. A good golden surface builds flavor right from the start.
• Keep the garlic whole and only lightly golden during the stovetop stage. It has plenty of time to soften in the oven.
• Choose a wide, deep oven-safe pan that holds the chicken comfortably in one layer. You want room for the sauce and garlic without stacking the thighs.
• Keep the chicken skin above the liquid. This is a saucy baked chicken dish, so the skin won’t have the same crispness as dry-roasted chicken, but keeping it exposed helps preserve its browned surface.
• Serving suggestions: Mashed potatoes, crusty bread, rice or buttered noodles.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 488Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 11gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 189mgSodium 317mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 34g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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