It may seem like an odd pairing, but the milk tenderizes the chicken while the garlic becomes soft and sweet. Lemon adds bright flavor and the whole thing smells–and tastes–divine.
Even as an adult, I anticipate my Christmas stocking every year. My husband always succeeds in finding a handful of gifts that are the perfect balance between practical and perplexing.
Early in our marriage, the gifts were mostly useful toiletries: a 500-count box of Q-tips, shampoo, and toothpaste. Over the years, however, he has left the bathroom in favor of the kitchen, with most welcome results.
A few of the gifts never change. I bank on English breakfast tea in bulk, a bottle of olive oil, two bags of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms (I’ve mentioned my sweet tooth in the past!), and peppercorns for our pepper mill.
Over the years, I have also received jumbo jars of pepperoncini (his favorite) and food items ranging from bags of fried fava beans and yellow lentils to a tin of Virginia peanuts and a box of ice cream cones (yes…that sweet tooth again).
There is no need for these gifts to actually fit in the stocking, by the way. They are typically stacked in a neat pile on the floor below.
So why am I writing about Christmas stockings when we will soon be thinking about Easter baskets?
Along with the variety of edibles, there are usually a couple of magazines. I rarely buy magazines for myself, so this is always a treat. This year, a recipe from British chef Jamie Oliver popped out from one of the pages.
“Chicken in Milk” was odd yet intriguing, and I cooked it right away. The aroma was amazing, and the chicken ranked with the most tender I’ve ever consumed. I made the recipe several more times, dialing back the tanginess of the sauce and simplifying the preparation.
Though my family loved this tender chicken the first time, with each revision they adored it a little more.
The pairing may sound odd, but this simple, mostly hands-off method produces the most tender, flavorful chicken imaginable. The calcium in the milk is thought to jump-start a natural enzyme in the chicken, which acts as the tenderizer. Cooking the chicken in the liquid further infuses it with moisture and flavor.
Whole cloves of garlic are our favorite addition as they become soft and mellow as the chicken cooks–and I tend to be generous with them. Do make sure to use 2% or whole milk to balance the tang of the lemon, and don’t be off-put by the curdiness of the sauce. It’s a natural reaction when the acid meets the milk, and stirring will help to smooth it out.
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs (I use 1½ pounds of each)
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cinnamon stick or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A few fresh thyme sprigs (may substitute sage)
- ¼ cup lemon juice and the zest of one lemon
- 10 garlic cloves, skin removed but left whole (may use more if you are a garlic fan)
- 2 cups 2% or whole milk (could use canned coconut milk for a non-dairy option)
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Preheat the oven to 375℉. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or another heavy pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in the pot and allow it to cook without moving until the skin is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. (A splatter guard is helpful. This step will render much of the fat, brown the skin, and is best done in two batches so as not to crowd the pan. I don’t bother to brown the side with little to no skin..) Remove the browned chicken to a plate. Discard the excess oil, leaving the crusty bits on the bottom. This will add good flavor later.
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Put the chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook, covered, in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. (I don’t baste or even peek, although I have taken the chicken out after 1 hour and 20 minutes and it was fine. I have also cooked early and reheated.) The lemon juice will sort of curdle the milk, making a thick sauce, which is creamy and delicious.
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Serve with crusty bread or over rice, noodles, or potatoes, as desired, to soak up the delicious sauce. A side of peas or green vegetable of choice completes the meal.
• To see what would happen if I omitted the browning step, I skipped it recently and was pleasantly surprised. While the color of the skin is not golden brown and beautiful, the resulting chicken is every bit as delicious as it is when browned first. Do note that the sauce will be greasier because the rendered fat is discarded in the browning step.
• If you don’t typically use 2% or whole milk, look for the 16-ounce bottles to eliminate waste. If your grocery store doesn’t carry this size, many convenience stores do. Non-fat milk is too thin for this recipe, and the lack of fat will fail to balance the tang of the lemon juice.
Something about this recipe caught my eye on Pinterest. I thought I would give it a try, keeping in mind that my daughter is gluten and dairy free. I substituted the milk with unsweetened almond milk as none of us like coconut anything. I bought garlic at the store but it didn’t get put in our bags so I used a lot of granulated garlic instead and a seasoning mix of rosemary and garlic and threw a chopped onion in my dish. I also threw asparagus in the dish. So 1) asparagus got mushy and that was a bad call on my part. I will try carrots next time instead. 2) we need the real garlic as something was just missing a bit. 3) the sauce was very tasty but the almond milk did not get creamy…we all liked it a lot however and 4) even my pickiest kid loved the chicken. We will try it again with a different veggie, real garlic and rice instead of pasta as a side. Thanks for sharing so many good recipes.
Thanks for your wonderful comments, Kelly. I’m sure others will enjoy reading the feedback regarding your adaptations. Ultimately, I’m glad the chicken was delicious and you plan to make it again!
Yay, Carol! And I can’t wait for my thyme plants to grow a little bigger. It’s one of my favorite herbs!
Add another fan. My thyme plants are just taking off and the stalks are small, , so I also used fresh parsley, minced.
made it a few weeks back with unsweetened coconut milk and it was DELICIOUS! I added more garlic and thought there was too much pepper. I am making it again tonight for Passover and I’m using even more garlic (it tastes so good and we LOVE garlic) and only 1/4 tsp of pepper. I also added cilantro to it the first time around and really liked that and will do it again tonight! Thanks so much for this recipe is it SO good–one that will become a favorite!
Hi Janice,
I am so happy this was a success and love your tweaks. I adore coconut milk so might just try that way the next time. Thanks for the great comment!
The chicken fell off the bone it was so tender and moist. My girls do not like dark meat so I will try some chicken breasts next time and not cook it as long as you suggested. Also read that someone added kale and carrots-I may try that next time as well. The flavor was wonderful!
Thanks for your comment, Judy. So glad you enjoyed and I look forward to hearing how you and your girls like it with chicken breasts!
This is sooooo good!! I’ve already made it a second time. Thank you Ann!
You are welcome…thanks for letting me know!
So what happens if you forget the lemon juice ?
Hi Tami,
I have not prepared this without the lemon juice. The flavor would be slightly different although I think the chicken would still turn out juicy and tender.
Your Chicken in Milk was absolutely amazing! I’ve added it to my file of favorites and am making it again today! Love your newspaper column and website for healthy and delicious meals and just wanted to say THANK YOU!
I appreciate the wonderful feedback, Erica…thank YOU! These are the sort of comments that make this little labor of love completely worthwhile!
This sounds absolutely wonderful. Recently, I tried another Jamie Oliver chicken recipe, and it was the first time following one of his, and I adored it. Looking forward to trying this recipe as well. Pinned!
Hi Kris,
Thank you…the feedback I have received on this recipe has been wonderful, and I hope you like it as well. Feel free to let us know what the other recipe you liked is!
super!
This recipe is very similar to the Jamie Olivier roasted chicken. Has anyone tried just using breasts?
Hi Cathy,
I mentioned Jamie’s recipe above as my inspiration…such a great meal! We like it with a little less lemon, and I have made a few other adjustments as well. If you try with breasts, I think it would be fine…maybe remove from the oven a little sooner as the white meat cooks more quickly that the dark meat. If you use boneless chicken, it would require less time yet, and the sauce may not cook down quite as well. I think the flavor would still be wonderful though. If you try, please report back!
This reminds me of a recipe I made in the 1980’s (as a teenager). I found it in a magazine, but can’t remember the magazine. Magazines like Lady’s Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, etc. (good reason to write a great recipe down at any age).
I cannot find the recipe although yours seems to come close. If anyone can find that recipe, it is the ONLY one to use! It was a family favorite and I am so grateful my Mother would let me experiment so young! Best chicken ever! I can’t wait to try yours. Thank you so much!
Hi Linda, I have memories of pouring through the recipes in my mom’s magazines (the same ones you mentioned), too! Wouldn’t it be fun to come across the recipe in question. Perhaps someone will see this comment one day and be able to help. In the meantime, I hope this recipe comes close!
POR FA EN ESPAÑOL ME LA MANDAS ESTA DELICIOSA RECETA ME GUSTA TODAS TUS RECETAS SON FANTASTICAS UN SALUDO
Muchas gracias, Cecelia. Yo se un poco español, pero no es suficiente para escribir mis recetas como este. Lo siento!
I am trying this tonight.
I printed and doled out your porcupine meatball recipe for our neighbors. I just realized I am the old lady in the neighborhood!
I hope you enjoy it, Jill, and how thoughtful of you to pass along the meatball recipe. I’m chuckling at your old lady comment. Whatever the age, you seem young at heart!
Thanks for the comment about the lemon – I was hesitant to add lemon to milk, knowing what can happen! This sounds yummy.
Happy it helps…and hope you enjoy!
Have you ever tried skim milk? And what about just skinless,boneless, chicken breast?
I have not, Chris. The 2% milk gives the sauce a little thickness with limited fat, but you could try skim. Also, cooking with the bone in allows for the longer cooking time–which creates the tender, juicy meat–without drying it out. I would suggest trying without the skin but with the bone as a happy medium. And if you do try, I’d love to know how you make out!
Thanks Ann–will definitely try coconut milk–that sounds good and will let you know!
My husband is gluten and dairy free–would it still work with either soy or almond milk?
I haven’t tried with another milk, Janice. I think I would try coconut milk first–if you like the subtle flavor–but soy and almond would likely create an equally tender chicken. If you try, I’d love to hear what you think.
I made this years ago but used buttermilk and it was awesome.
I’ve been tempted to try with buttermilk, Becky, but keep going back to the lemon! Thanks for your comment!
Oh my goodness, this sounds like heaven!! one question though…Do you leave the lid on while it’s in the oven? Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Kim! Yes, do keep the lid on the entire time. I find that a tight-fitting lid helps keep all the moisture in, and the result is extremely tender chicken. Enjoy!
Ann I just saw this on bloglovin and I’m already hooked. I’ll also increase the amount of garlic cause we love the stuff and get friends to bring it back from France for us. Delicious xoxo
Can’t wait for you to try it with all that yummy garlic, Beverley!
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed!
We just finished our Chicken Baked in Milk and it was a huge hit. I added carrots,kale to the recipe and sprinkled peas on top after it was out of the oven…a perfect one pot meal
Hi Brenda,
I love your veggie additions…a brilliant way to make this a one pot meal. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!