Pollo al Latte
An unlikely classic — chicken simmered slowly in milk and garlic until tender and savoury.
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken thighs
- 500 ml Milk
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion
- 30 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 Lemon (optional)
- 2 Bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp Dried oregano (optional)
Method
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Smash the garlic, thinly slice the onion, and peel strips of lemon zest.
- Brown the chicken in the oil and butter over medium-high, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Tuck the chicken back in with the garlic, bay leaves, lemon zest, and oregano.
- Pour the milk over the chicken; it will curdle into golden bits, which is the magic. Simmer uncovered on low for 35 minutes.
- Squeeze a little lemon over the top and serve, spooning the curd-sauce around.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Pollo al Latte
Pollo al latte is the chicken cousin of the classic Italian maiale al latte — pork braised in milk — a preparation that looks strange on paper but has been quietly beloved across northern Italy for generations. Chicken thighs are browned, then simmered slowly in milk with garlic, onion, lemon zest, and herbs until meltingly tender. As it cooks, the milk breaks and curdles into golden nuggets, and rather than being a mistake, those curds are the whole point: they concentrate into a savory, faintly sweet, lemon-scented sauce. The meat comes out soft and deeply flavored, the sauce nutty and unexpectedly complex.
What separates this version is the patience of the braise — thirty-five minutes uncovered on low heat lets the milk reduce and the curds turn golden, while lemon zest and a final squeeze of juice cut the richness and keep it bright. Bone-friendly thighs stay juicy through the long cook far better than breast would, and the browning step at the start builds the fond that colors the sauce. It's a rustic Sunday-style main that pairs naturally with bread, potatoes, or polenta to catch the curd-flecked sauce. Spoon the golden bits generously around the plate — telling a first-timer to expect the curdling is what turns skepticism into a favorite.
Pollo al Latte: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pollo al Latte?
A serving has about 630 calories — 37.9g protein, 12.5g carbs, 47.1g fat, 1.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 37.9g of protein, roughly 24% of its calories.
Is Pollo al Latte gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Pollo al Latte has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Pollo al Latte dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Milk, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pollo al Latte?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out lemon, bay leaves, dried oregano — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pollo al Latte make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.