Thank goodness for pre-peeled garlic.
Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic is a classic recipe from Provence, easily translated to the pressure cooker…but, oh, the garlic peeling. Most recipes start with “peel the cloves from 3 heads of garlic”. That’s a lot of peeling - and yes, I’ve tried the “shake the garlic between two metal bowls” trick; it doesn’t work as well for me as it does in online videos. Especially when I have a better option in my grocery store’s produce section.
That’s right, pre-peeled garlic is here to make chicken with 40 cloves of garlic into a quick and easy recipe. Check the refrigerator case in your grocery store - you don’t want garlic in oil; you want whole, peeled cloves. (Also - make sure they container looks dry, and there are no yellowing cloves. Pre-peeled garlic is easy, but it also goes bad quickly.)
Other notes for the recipe, beyond pre-peeled garlic: use chicken thighs. Dark meat chicken stands up to the pressure cooker better than white meat, and thighs give me a much higher meat to bone ratio than drumsticks.2[/footnote]
I stir in a flour slurry to thicken the sauce at the end - with a pressure cooker, the sauce comes out thin, and needs the help. Finally, I love spreading the garlic cloves on bread - I slice up a French baguette and serve it on the side.
Looking for a classic of southern France, in a hurry from the pressure cooker? Grab some pre-peeled garlic, some chicken thighs, and get cooking.
Video: How to make Pressure Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic - Time Lapse (2:36)
Pressure Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic - Time Lapse [YouTube.com] Print
Pressure Cooker Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 chicken thighs 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic recipe. The classic farmhouse recipe from Provence, updated for a pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 40 peeled cloves garlic
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (about 10 sprigs)
- 2 tablespoons flour (optional, to thicken sauce)
Instructions
- Brown the skin side of the chicken thighs: Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. (I use sauté mode adjusted to high in my Instant Pot pressure cooker.) Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper. Sear the thighs in 2 batches: put 4 thighs in the pot, skin side down, and sear until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Move the browned chicken thighs to a bowl, then sear the second batch of thighs, and move them to the bowl as well. The thighs will render a lot of fat - pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot before moving on to the next step.
- Lightly toast the garlic, then deglaze the pot with wine: Add the garlic cloves in a single layer into the pot and toast until just turning golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Don’t overcook the garlic - burnt garlic tastes bitter.) Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol, then scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat edged wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits of chicken into the sauce.
- Pressure cook for 25 minutes with a natural pressure release: Pour in the chicken stock, then add the bowl of browned chicken thighs and any juices. Try to submerge the thighs as best you can in the liquid in the pot. Sprinkle the fresh thyme leaves over the top of the chicken, then lock the lid. Pressure cook on high pressure for 25 minutes in an electric PC, 20 minutes in a stovetop PC, then let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes more.
- Thicken the sauce and serve: Scoop the chicken thighs and garlic cloves to a platter with a slotted spoon. Put 2 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl (I use a 2 cup pyrex), then whisk in ½ cup of the cooking liquid from the pot to make a flour slurry. Whisk the flour slurry back into the pot, set the pot back to medium-high heat (sauté mode in my IP), bring to a simmer, and simmer for 1 minute. Taste the sauce for seasoning - it should be highly seasoned, and may need some more salt and pepper. Ladle some sauce over the chicken and garlic, and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.
Notes
- This recipe fits in a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker. (I love my 6 quart Instant Pot)
- 40 cloves of garlic sounds so exact. I just dump a 6 ounce container of pre-peeled garlic into the pot…or, 3 heads of garlic, if I have to do all the work myself. 6 ounces seems to be the usual size of a package of pre-peeled garlic, but if you could only find, say, 4 ounces..you’ll be fine. That’s still a lot of garlic.
- Don’t want to use wine? Use more chicken stock (or water) instead.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: French
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Jeremy says
Made this recipe and loved it! Can you use boneless chicken thighs instead?
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, you can! Follow this recipe for the instructions up to the pressure cooking step, then use this recipe's pressure cooking times: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/instant-pot-quick-boneless-skinless-chicken-thighs/
Lynn says
This recipe was yummy. I pulled the chicken skin off after browning and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes until crisp. I crumpled over the top of my served dish. It added a little crunch and a cracklin crispy taste. I also roasted the garlic a bit in the oven before and it was so rich tasting. Just yummy.
Mikaelah M Morocco says
This is SO good. I would rate it higher if I could.
KS says
Will it fit a 5 qt insta pot?
Mike Vrobel says
Yes
Christi says
Made this for dinner last night and the whole family loved it. It was easy to cook and delicious. It will definitely stay in the rotation.
Nancy says
What kind of white wine should i use? Can't wait to try this recipe.
Mike Vrobel says
Any dry white wine will work.
John Tonge says
Wow! I love chicken thighs, I love garlic, I love white wine! This recipe will get my pressure cooker out of the pantry today.
Mike Vrobel says
Do it - you'll love it!
Dani says
Thank you for this recipe! I consider myself an accomplished cook, so it's frustrating when that doesn't translate to my Instant Pot; I'm still fairly new to it. I will be trying this for sure!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome - and don't give up on translating your cooking skills - most of them still apply!
Peg says
Hello
Love 40 cloves but usually do in my clay cooker.
Thank you for all your insight on the instant pot.
I already have a 6 qt electric pressure cooker(cooks essential from QVC long ago-it can brown also)slow cooker and yogurt maker. Don't have a lot of storage space for another appliance. Maybe I would sell all for the instant pot. I have Lorna Sass's pressure perfect. I would like to try a cheesecake.I have a tendency to wait until the last minute to throw dinner together so I probably use more than slow cooker. I'm stumped!! Can you ballpark how good the price is for instant pot during Amazon July sale.?? any suggestions are appreciated.