Smashing 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

  Smashing 40 Clove Garlic Chicken Is packed with flavor for Serious Garlic Lovers.  

This post may contain affiliate links.

Smashing 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Smashing 40 Clove Garlic Chicken was a big hit in my house. My husband decided that on a scale of 1-5, this chicken rated a 6.  A delicious herb rub flavors the skin, while 40 cloves of garlic are stuffed inside the chicken during baking.  We used a whole chicken but this would work equally well with chicken parts.  Just scatter the garlic over and around the chicken and when the chicken is done, the cloves will be soft, mellow and perfect for squeezing into a bowl for a dipping sauce.

This recipe is great in the oven and sublime in the smoker or grill.

Our oven roasted asparagus would be a wonderful side dish.  Prep the asparagus while the chicken is cooking.  While the chicken rests, turn the oven up to 500 degrees and pop in the asparagus.  The chicken can continue to rest until the asparagus is done.

One of the best parts of this preparation is that while you have to peel the papery outside of the cloves, you leave the actual skin on the clove during the cooking process.  After the chicken is done, simply squeeze the cloves and the sweet garlic pulp will pop right out.  Discard the garlic skins.

What are the giblets and what should I do with them?

Without getting too specific, the giblets are various internal parts of the chicken which usually include the liver, and sometimes the neckbone.  They can be used to make delicious chicken stock.  They may be found in a bag inside the chicken cavity.  From experience I recommend you check both ends of the chicken for the bag.

If you find them after you already cooked the chicken this may or may not be safe, depending on how they were wrapped. If they are in paper, the food is safe to eat.  However, if they were wrapped in plastic which has now melted all over the inside,  you cannot  safely serve the chicken.  Be sure and check both ends of the chicken for the little bag before cooking.

My chicken doesn’t seem to have giblets.  Is that okay?

Your kosher chicken may or may not have giblets.  During the koshering processing the chicken and the giblets are processed separately.  If there is any problem with the giblets they will not be packaged with the chicken.  This will not affect this recipe at all.  You can read more about kosher giblets at Empire Kosher.

I don’t have a rack to put the chicken on.  What can I use instead?

Long celery sticks or carrots lined up in the pan make an excellent roasting rack during the cook time, and a delicious snack after.

How do I know when the chicken is done?

Everyone has their own method for determining when poultry is done.  Some say to “shake hands with the bird’, i.e. see if the drumstick rotates freely.  Others say to pierce the skin and see if the juices run clear. I prefer to keep the juices inside the chicken as much as possible, so I recommend using a thermometer and cooking until the thigh is at 160 degrees.  Letting the chicken rest allows the juices to redistribute and the temperature to rise to 165 degrees without drying out.

Tools used in making this recipe:
ThermoPro TP03A Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer Kitchen Cooking Food Candy Thermometer for BBQ Grill Smoker Deep Fry Oil Thermometer
Cuisinart 7117-14RR Lasagna Pan with Stainless Roasting Rack