40 Clove of Garlic Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Break out the garlic and make this juicy chicken recipe! This healthy garlic chicken recipe uses many garlic cloves along with leeks, onions, and chicken broth. It's easy to make when you use your slow cooker. And yes - it really does use 40 cloves of garlic!

I love using my slow cooker in the wintertime or any day that I don't feel like using my stove or oven. It is such a great tool to create warm, hearty dishes without much effort. I am also a huge fan of garlic and can’t get enough of it.

I have heard about 40 clove garlic chicken for a while but have never tried to make it. Yup, you read that right... 40 garlic cloves! This was my first attempt, and I was delighted with the results. Surprisingly, even with so much garlic, it doesn’t become overpowering.

I created this recipe after reading several recipes out there for this dish. Many of them called for a lot of butter and oil, all of which have been reduced in this recipe. You could also try this out with chicken thighs or drumsticks; I just happened to have chicken breasts on hand! Garlic chicken lovers will also want to try this Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala and Lemon Garlic Chicken.

What You’ll Need For 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

What makes this recipe so healthy and delicious are the fresh vegetables and herbs. Always try to use fresh herbs when you can - you'll notice a big difference in the final product.

Here's what you need:

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you have them.
• Chicken Broth: Use a low-sodium chicken broth. Vegetable broth or chicken stock works well too.
• Onion: The type of onion you use isn't important - use your favorite kind. To save yourself time, you could even use frozen diced onion.
• Leeks: Sweet onions or green onions can be used as a substitute for leeks.
• Paprika: Any variety of paprika will work in this recipe. I prefer sweet paprika!
• Garlic: I used about three heads of garlic before I lost count. Try to use all 40 cloves like it says because it really adds to the flavor.
• Salt and pepper: Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. I think using more pepper than salt is the best ratio.
• Parsley: Either fresh or dried parsley will taste fantastic in this recipe.
• Bay Leaf: This is optional, but I always try to add it in when I can. Just make sure to remove it before you serve the garlic chicken.

What To Serve With Garlic Chicken Recipe

This chicken dish would be excellent paired with comfort food, like something that reminds you of your childhood. However, it’s such a flavorful dish that you can add something mild with it, like some mashed cauliflower or creamy polenta. It's also really good over a bed of rice to soak up all the sauce.

To keep the garlic theme going, make some garlic bacon Brussels sprouts. They have crispy parmesan cheese on top!

Lastly, roasted potatoes and asparagus make a delicious side for almost any chicken dish. Add some crusty bread on the side if you want to spread the soft garlic cloves on top.

Recipe Tips And Ideas For Slow Cooker Chicken

Follow these tips to make sure that this chicken turns out juicy every single time!

• Saute the leeks before you add them to the slow cooker. This will caramelize them and make the dish even more incredible.
• Don't just dump everything into the slow cooker. Instead, when you add the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, stir it really well together. This will help all the flavors to meld together as it cooks.
• Reserve some of the cooking liquid at the end and drizzle it on top of mashed cauliflower or some crusty bread. 
• For a more traditional flavor, swap in a dry white wine for the chicken broth. You could also use half chicken broth and half white wine. 
• If there is too much onion flavor in this recipe, leave out the leeks.  They are not traditionally used in 40 garlic chicken. 
• If you are serving this for a dinner party, consider searching the chicken breast beforehand to give it some color. You could also swap in chicken thighs with skin, just make sure to brown them before adding them to the slow cooker. If the chicken skin gets soggy during cooking, pop it under the broiler before serving. 

Frequently Asked Questions About 40 Garlic Chicken

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers…

What is 40 cloves of garlic chicken?

This traditional French Provencal dish is classically made with bone-in, skin-in chicken thighs or legs. The chicken thighs are seared in a heavy skillet until nice and brown. Then the chicken is braised in white wine with 40 cloves of whole garlic, fresh thyme, white wine, and butter.  As the chicken and garlic cook, the garlic takes on a mellow flavor and gives a delicious garlicky flavor to the dish that isn't overpowering.

Normally this dish is served with crusty French bread to soak up the sauce. 

How do you store leftover chicken?

The best way to store leftover chicken is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

How can I speed up the prep time for this recipe?

The most time-consuming part of this recipe is chopping up all the veggies and herbs. However, you can speed up the process by buying peeled garlic. Usually, it can be found in a bag or small plastic container with refrigerated produce.

What are some ways I can reuse the leftover chicken?

This chicken has a robust garlic flavor, so reuse it in Italian or Mediterranean recipes since these cuisines use lots of garlic in them.

This chicken will taste fantastic in chicken pasta dishes, wraps, or shredded on top of a spring mix or arugula salad. You can also shred it and use it in homemade chicken soup.

Do I really have to use 40 cloves of garlic?

No, you don't have to count out 40 cloves of garlic for this recipe. Just use a lot more garlic than you usually would!

More Delicious Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:

• Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
• Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken
• Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
• Slow Cooker Italian Red Pepper Chicken
• Slow Cooker Greek Stuffed Chicken Breasts