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I finished Divergent – my heart was racing through the last few chapters. Now I’m [im]patiently waiting for Insurgent to be delivered to me so I can dive on in.
I don’t know if I like this better than Hunger Games series or not. I kind of feel they’re both different in their own ways which makes them so good so you can’t really choose between them. Now I can’t wait to see Divergent this weekend. I’m dragging Jason along to see it in IMAX so I hope he likes it. He dragged me to see Ender’s Game (which I loved despite my protests) so I think I have every right to drag him (lovingly) to see Divergent. I think he’ll like it. I’ve already been watching the trailer and I love that since I just finished the book, everything will be fresh in my mind so I’ll know exactly what is going on. The all-star cast they have going on in this movie is great, too. Omg – FITZ (Scandal lovers, you know what I’m talking about) is in the movie. I’m going to be watching the movie and waiting for Olivia Pope to jump out of the shadows and drop kick someone. Hahaha..oh my imagination.
So, I didn’t have very much faith in this chicken. I mean, I’m a huge garlic girl but dude, 40 cloves?! And then I thought of the whole peeling process. I almost didn’t make this and I’m so glad I did. Seriously – pre-peeled garlic is an investment if you want to make this dish. They sell little bags of it in the produce department so you can get it for this dish and not get it again, but after you realize how awesome pre-peeled garlic is, why wouldn’t you get it again? It’s all I use now and I get it in huge bags from Costco. I use so much garlic in cooking that it’s worth it.
Anyway, so the sauce is sooo creamy and flavorful and SWEET. Not like sugary sweet but like a caramelized, cooked down kind of sweet. It’s all from the garlic. When you cook down garlic, it is not as potent anymore as you think and the garlic flavor is completely mellowed out. It’s super sweet and flavorful. It’s kinda like roasted garlic – that sweet aroma and taste. This is a classic recipe and I’m not sure where it originates but everyone has linked to Ina Garten so I’m assuming she started the buzz over this but I’m not quite sure! Regardless of whom started the buzz, this is a seriously awesome chicken dish that you need to put on your menu asap!!

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds (1134 g) chicken thighs, skin on
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 40 cloves garlic, peeled*
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) white wine, I used a Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
Equipment
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down to the pan. Do it in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. You want the skin to have a nice color to it. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes on one side, flip then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a large bowl and repeat until all chicken has cooked.
- Once all the chicken has browned, lower the heat then add the olive oil and all the garlic and sauté the garlic for 5-10 minutes until golden. You'll want to constantly stir otherwise the garlic will burn.
- Add the wine, turn up the heat, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get up the browned bits. Return the chicken to the pot, with the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle the thyme over top, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the chicken and place on a plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pan. Pour back into the pan and whisk until the liquid thickens. Finally, whisk in the dark brown sugar and heavy cream. Turn off the heat. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spoon sauce mixture and garlic over the plated chicken.
- Serve hot with rice or vegetables.
Recipe Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
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Catelyn
Saturday 3rd of February 2018
So I’ve seen pioneer woman do this as well so I’m guessing that it is delish! Now I do have a question for you though! Do you think boneless skinless chicken thighs would work? I don’t currently have bone in skin on thighs.
Julie
Saturday 3rd of February 2018
Yes, it'd definitely work with boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well :)
Karen
Sunday 5th of April 2015
I still can't believe that I actually made this dish without destroying it, and it was phenomenal! I've never cooked with wine before, but it won't be the last time. The house smelled incredible, and I felt like I was cooking fancy food. Served it with roasted baby potatoes and asparagus. Thanks so much, Julie!
Julie
Monday 6th of April 2015
Yay! So glad it worked out for you. It's such a delicious dish!
cari
Sunday 22nd of June 2014
Your directions don't include what to do with the oil and what temp to cook the chicken for 30 mins...my garlic totally burned and it turned out horrible.
Julie
Monday 23rd of June 2014
Hi Cari, sorry I forgot to write what to do with the oil! Writing recipes is not always fool-proof. Mistakes happen and thank you for catching that. Although that ingredient was missed in the directions, your garlic shouldn't have burned, as in the directions it says to keep stirring around the garlic cloves so they don't burn. There is no temperature to cook the chicken as it is cooked in the skillet..this isn't an oven dish.
Annie
Monday 16th of June 2014
I make a version of this that was actually featured on SimplyRecipes.com. I don't use any brown sugar or heavy cream and it's still the most amazing dish. Served with homemade mashed potatoes and some sautéed spinach, it's absolute heaven.
Nicole
Wednesday 14th of May 2014
I mean...I don't even know what to say or where to start. I love garlic and I love chicken. I can't imagine the flavor in this dish. I am definitley going to try this and PIN it.