Pollo al Ajillo
Chicken in garlic & white wine
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken thighs
- 12 cloves Garlic
- 150 ml White wine
- 60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 2 Bay leaves (optional)
- 3 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Pat the chicken dry and season well with salt and pepper.
- Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and remove the skins.
- Chop the parsley.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high. Toast the garlic until golden, then scoop it out.
- Brown the chicken in the same oil, skin-side first, until deeply golden on both sides.
- Return the garlic to the pan. Add the bay leaves and pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits.
- Lower the heat. Simmer covered until the chicken is cooked through and saucy.
- Shower with the parsley. Serve with bread for the garlicky oil.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Pollo al Ajillo
Pollo al ajillo is a rustic Spanish garlic chicken, a tapas-bar and home-kitchen staple that turns a handful of pantry ingredients into something greater than their sum. Bone-in chicken is browned skin-side down in olive oil that has first been infused by toasting whole smashed garlic cloves, which are scooped out and returned later so they perfume the dish without burning. White wine deglazes the pan, lifting the browned bits into a light sauce, and a couple of bay leaves add a gentle herbal note. It is a one-pan dish that trades on technique rather than long ingredient lists.
The chicken comes out deeply golden and tender, sitting in a garlicky, wine-scented oil that begs to be mopped up with bread — which is exactly how it is traditionally served. The flavor is savory and aromatic, the garlic mellowed and sweet from toasting rather than harsh, the wine cooked down to something rounded. It suits a casual dinner and pairs naturally with crusty bread and a simple salad or a glass of the same white you cooked with. The care is in the sequence: toasting the garlic to flavor the oil, browning the chicken well, then simmering it covered so it stays juicy while a quick sauce forms around it.
Pollo al Ajillo: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pollo al Ajillo?
A serving has about 614 calories — 34g protein, 5.3g carbs, 47.2g fat, 0.8g 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 34g of protein, roughly 22% of its calories.
Is Pollo al Ajillo gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Pollo al Ajillo 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.
How long does Pollo al Ajillo take to make?
About 38 minutes start to finish, but only around 23 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Pollo al Ajillo?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bay leaves, parsley — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Pollo al Ajillo make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.