This recipe is called Pollo al Ajillo Español and is a Spanish Garlic Chicken. It is a recipe that you want to repeat because it is easy and delicious. The best part is that it is made in only 30 minutes.
In Spain, garlic and white wine equal to al ajillo, so that is why this Spanish Garlic Chicken is known as pollo al ajillo español.
This Spanish pollo al ajillo is similar to the Puerto Rican style pollo al ajillo, but the Puerto Rican version has no wine. Both delicious but have different flavors.
The Spanish al ajillo chicken is usually made with a whole chicken, but in this version we make it with boneless chicken thighs. I like to serve it with bread to dip in the chicken juices and a Spanish sangria recipe.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Garlic- The garlic is the heart of this recipe. I used 14 garlic cloves, but you can always add more whole garlic cloves.
- Oil- You can use olive oil, but if you don’t have any, you can use a neutral flavored oil.
- Chicken- I used boneless chicken thighs.
- Seasoning- You only need salt and pepper because most of the flavor comes from the searing of the chicken, the wine, and garlic.
- White wine & water- The white wine is what makes the recipe special. It really adds a lot of flavor.
How to Make Spanish Garlic Chicken
- Photo 1: The first step is to peel the garlic cloves. A lot of people just add the cloves unpeeled, but I like to peel them. Then take about 4 cloves and slice them. Don’t worry if it seems like too much garlic because the whole cloves actually have a mild flavor once cooked.
- Photo 2: Cut the chicken into 6 pieces. Depending on how small or big the chicken is, you can cut the chicken into 4 pieces instead of 6.
- Photo 3: In a medium size pan, add your oil. Wait for the oil to get hot, and add the chicken and sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes per side.
- Photo 4: Lower the heat to medium so the chicken doesn’t burn. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir while the garlic cooks so it won’t burn. Add the wine, bay leaves, water, parsley, and stir. Cover and finish cooking for 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- How to serve. This is a dish that is served with bread to dip in the delicious sauce, but over French fries or mashed potatoes is delicious.
- Storage. It is best to store in an airtight container made out of glass or ceramic. This is because the strong garlic smell will be hard to remove from a plastic container.
More Chicken Recipes
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Spanish Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 14 garlic cloves (about 1 head +2 cloves)
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Peel all the garlic. Take four garlic cloves and slice them. Cut the chicken thighs into 6 pieces.
- In a medium size pan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and the salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes per side or until they have a nice golden brown color on both sides.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir a couple of times to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the wine, water, bay leaves, parsley, and stir. Cover and finish cooking for 10 minutes, then serve. ¡Buen provecho!
Recipe Notes
- Meat- For this recipe, you can use a different cut of meat. If you use chicken drumsticks or bone-in chicken thighs, you have to cook for a little longer to make sure the chicken cooks through.
- Vegetables- Even though it is not traditional, some people like to add carrots, peas, or even onion to this, so if you like, add them as well.
- Storage- Use an airtight container to store the chicken. You can keep your leftovers up to 4 days in the fridge. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*The nutrition information is automatically calculated, so this is only an approximation.
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