Oven-baked chicken with garlic sauce

When I have people over for dinner on Sundays and want something that fills the whole house with the aroma of serious cooking, I rely on this roasted chicken with garlic sauce. It’s not complicated, but it’s the kind of dish where all the flavors work well together. I've tried the recipe several times and realized that free-range chicken has a different texture, but it works well with any kind of sturdier chicken.

Quick Info

Total time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cooking time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 (2 large chickens)
Difficulty: medium
Occasion: family lunch, Sunday meal

Ingredients

2 free-range chickens, about 1.6 kg each
1.5 heads of garlic
1 medium orange (with skin, well washed)
2 red onions
palm oil, enough to grease and for the pan (about 5-6 tablespoons)
2 cups of water
chicken spices: allspice, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, thyme, turmeric, sweet paprika, coriander, oregano
(optional for potatoes: rosemary)
(optional for chicken: sweet and spicy sauce, if you want extra heat)
Potatoes (enough for a side dish, I usually use 1.5-2 kg, but it depends on the pan)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt

Preparation Method

1. Wash and portion the chickens if needed. Rub them with palm oil and sprinkle the mentioned spices (allspice, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, thyme, turmeric, sweet paprika, coriander, oregano). Let them marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces. Boil them in salted water just until they start to soften, but not fully cooked. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large baking dish, add 3-4 tablespoons of palm oil. Place the chickens in the dish, and inside each chicken, put a whole or halved red onion. You can also use sliced onion if it doesn’t fit whole.

4. Place the dish on the stove over medium heat, and brown the chicken on all sides. Turn it gently to avoid sticking.

5. Pour a cup of water over the chicken, add the washed and quartered orange directly into the dish. Sprinkle a little more of the spices over the chicken and sauce. If you like it spicy, you can brush the chicken with the sweet and spicy sauce now.

6. Put the dish in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Let the chicken roast for about an hour. Occasionally, take the dish out and baste the chicken with the sauce that forms.

7. After an hour, take the dish out and add the boiled potatoes. If you like rosemary, sprinkle it over the potatoes now.

8. Prepare the garlic sauce: crush 1.5 heads of garlic and mix it with a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of brown sugar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add a cup of water and mix until it becomes a fluid sauce.

9. Pour the garlic sauce over the chicken and potatoes in the dish. Spread it to cover everything.

10. Return the dish to the oven and let everything brown for another hour. If you’re adding homemade sausages, make room among the potatoes. The potatoes won’t get crispy if the dish is overcrowded, but they will remain flavorful.

11. Take the dish out when the chicken is golden and the potatoes have color. Serve with simple pickles.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

It’s made from ingredients I always have at home or can easily find. Roasted chicken is great for many people and doesn’t require constant attention. The taste is balanced, flavorful, and the garlic sauce changes everything compared to a regular chicken.

Tips and Variations

Tips

Don’t let the potatoes boil completely at the beginning, or they will break apart in the dish. Add the garlic sauce only after the chicken has been in the oven for an hour to avoid burning the garlic.
If you have free-range chicken, you might need to slightly increase the cooking time.
If you want crispy potatoes, don’t overcrowd the dish.

Substitutions

Palm oil can be replaced with another neutral oil, but its flavor is quite specific here.
White onion can be used instead of red onion without affecting the recipe.

Variations

Add coarsely chopped carrots if you want another vegetable in the dish.
You can use only chicken thighs if you don’t want a whole chicken.
For a fresher taste, add a little lemon juice at the end.

Serving Ideas

It can be served directly from the dish, with simple pickles. You can sprinkle some fresh herbs on top at the end if you want something fresh. Green salad is a good side, especially if there's leftover garlic sauce in the dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does the chicken have to be free-range or can I use another type?
You can use any larger chicken, but free-range chicken has firmer meat and a more intense flavor.

2. What do I do if I don’t have palm oil?
You can use sunflower oil or another neutral oil. The taste will be slightly different, but the recipe will still work.

3. Do the potatoes need to be fried beforehand?
No, just parboiled and placed in the dish to brown together with the chicken.

4. Can everything be done only in the oven, without browning the chicken on the stove?
Yes, but the chicken will have less crust. If you don’t want to use the stove, increase the oven temperature at the beginning, then lower it after 15-20 minutes.

5. How spicy does it get with the sweet and spicy sauce?
It doesn’t get very hot. If you want more intensity, add sauce to taste, but don’t overdo it if not everyone is accustomed to spiciness.

Nutritional Values

Estimated per serving (out of 8): approximately 650 kcal. Protein: 35 g, Fat: 35 g, Carbohydrates: 50 g.
The values depend a lot on how many potatoes you use and how much sauce remains in the dish. The garlic sauce with sugar and oil adds a few calories, and free-range chicken tends to be leaner.

Storage and Reheating

It keeps well in the fridge, covered, for 2-3 days. When reheating, the chicken remains juicy if you add a little sauce on top. The potatoes won’t be crispy anymore, but they are tasty. I don’t recommend freezing, as it’s not worth it due to the garlic sauce.

 Ingredients: 2 medium chickens (1.6 kg each) - I had free-range chickens 1 and a half heads of garlic 1 medium orange with peel 2 red onions palm oil (to taste) 2 cups of water spices: allspice, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, thyme, turmeric, sweet paprika, coriander, oregano, rosemary (if you like it for potatoes), sweet and spicy sauce (if you prefer it more seasoned for spreading) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon brown sugar salt

 Tags:  baked chicken