Discover how to make the classic Spanish dish, pollo al ajillo. It's so popular that you’ll find it on almost every bar or restaurant menu, whether as a tapa or a main dish. Chicken with garlic is the star here. It’s a low-fat, nutritious meat that's easy to digest and incredibly versatile. This chicken recipe is one of the most popular Spanish chicken recipes.
Pollo al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Chicken)
This recipe takes me back to childhood Sundays when we’d visit a restaurant to enjoy this classic dish, the experience was always amazing. The sauce from frying, with the garlic and a splash of sherry wine for a kick, was perfect with a good piece of bread or patatas a lo pobre.
Now when I miss this dish I make it in my kitchen. This Spanish garlic chicken is easy, quick, and simple to make, and it comes out more or less the same way I had it in the Spanish restaurant.
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⭐Why You'll Love This Pollo al Ajillo
Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: With just chicken, garlic, olive oil, and sherry, this dish tastes like a gourmet meal. It’s easy to make but packs a lot of flavor.
Easy to Make: This recipe is a breeze and doesn’t need fancy cooking skills. It’s perfect for both experienced cooks and beginners.
Delicious Aroma: As garlic and sherry cook together, your kitchen will fill with a mouthwatering smell that’ll make everyone eager to eat.
Classic Comfort: Pollo al Ajillo is both cozy and elegant, making it ideal for a family dinner or a casual get-together with friends.
🧾Pollo al Ajillo Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Pollo al Ajillo:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I love using extra virgin olive oil to fry the garlic and chicken. It adds a rich, fruity flavor and smoothness. Plus, it can handle high heat without burning, perfect for sautéing.
Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic cloves are my go-to. They give the dish a savory aroma that mellows out and sweetens as it cooks, adding great depth to the chicken and sherry.
Chicken: I prefer skinless chicken for this recipe. It soaks up all the garlic and sherry flavors, becoming tender and tasty. You can use chicken with skin too if you like.
Salt and Pepper: I season the chicken with salt and pepper. Salt brings out all the flavors and keeps the dish from being bland, while pepper adds a bit of kick and balances the richness of the olive oil and the sweetness of the sherry.
Sherry Wine: I use Amontillado Sherry. It helps lift the caramelized bits from the pan, adding richness to the sauce as it reduces and thickens. It’s key for a flavorful, rich sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Pollo al Ajillo
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant, but don't let it burn. Remove the garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside
2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook in the same pan until golden brown, 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan once browned and set it aside.
3. Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving about 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
4. Add the browned chicken and garlic back to the pan, pour in the sherry, and scrape the bottom to release any browned bits.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer the chicken in the wine for 10-15 minutes, until it's tender and most of the wine has evaporated.
6. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Serve the hot chicken with garlic and sauce on top. Enjoy with poor man's potatoes.
🍽 What to Serve with Pollo al Ajillo
I love serving my pollo al ajillo hot, right out of the pan. It’s perfect with ciabatta for soaking up all that tasty garlic sauce.
I also enjoy it with poor man’s potatoes (patatas a lo pobre), crispy potato wedges, or bubble potato pillows—they all go so well with the sauce.
For sides, I usually choose Pasta Salad, Tomato Burrata Salad, or Marinated Tomatoes.
To drink, I like lemonade, and for dessert, nothing beats a sweet crema catalana or natillas (homemade custard) to finish off the meal.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Fry the Garlic Carefully: Garlic can burn quickly, so watch it closely. Take it out of the pan as soon as it turns golden to avoid a bitter taste. If you’re worried about burning, cook it over medium heat and stir often.
Cook the Chicken in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you add too much chicken at once, it’ll steam instead of fry. Cook in batches if needed.
Deglaze Well: When you add the sherry, use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty bits stuck to the pan. These add tons of flavor to the sauce.
Adjust the Sauce: Let the wine reduce slowly to thicken and concentrate the flavor. Don’t rush this step—it’s key for the sauce’s taste and texture. If the sauce is too thin, simmer it longer. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water or chicken broth.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
❓Commonly Asked Questions
Pollo al Ajillo is a traditional Spanish dish featuring chicken cooked with garlic, olive oil, and sherry wine, resulting in a flavorful and aromatic meal.
🐓More Chicken Recipes to Try!
If you love using chicken when you are cooking, then check out the following recipes for inspiration: Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Croquettes, Chicken Skewers (Pinchitos de Pollo), Chicken Gyros, Korean Fried Chicken, Chicken One-Pot Rice(Spanish Rice Recipe), Honey Garlic Chicken, Chicken Alfredo Pasta Fettuccine, Chicken Noodle Soup, Marry Me Chicken, Butter Chicken, Mustard Chicken, and Chicken fungi.
🍛More Comfort Food Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite comfort food recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Pollo al Ajillo
Ingredients
- 200 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 25 Garlic Cloves
- 1 kg Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 250 ml Sherry Wine
Instructions
- In a large casserole pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to the hot oil and sauté until golden brown and fragrant, being careful not to burn it. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
- In the same skillet, add the chicken pieces and cook until they are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes per side.
- Once the chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Remove excess oil from the pan, leaving about 4 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Return the browned chicken and garlic to the pan, pour in the sherry wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the chicken simmer in the wine for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the wine has been almost completely reduced.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if needed.
- Serve the chicken hot, spooning the garlic and sauce over the top. Pairs with poor man’s potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sandra says
This pollo al ajillo recipe was a hit! The chicken was so tender, and the garlic sauce was the perfect accompaniment. I'll definitely be making this again.