Sneak In Some Garlic The Next Time You Roast Chicken For Rich Results

It should surprise one that roasted chicken, comforting yet also lavish and indulgent, remains such a beloved dish. Nothing beats sinking your teeth into the tender, juicy meat and feeling the savory, briny flavors seeping into your taste buds. Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a casual weeknight, this dish serves as the perfect choice for memorable and spectacular meals.

However, as happens with most chicken dishes, sometimes roasted chicken can turn out a bit bland. The simple, easy remedy to this? Garlic. No testament is needed for this kitchen staple's wonder and magic at this point. It adds a robust depth that effortlessly elevates almost any dish — roasted chicken included. According to Serious Eats, roasting garlic helps to mellow out its harsh edges and creates a caramelized sweetness. The pungent and peppery flavor profile enhances the natural taste of chicken. When roasted, these flavor notes come together and impart a deeply rich, savory taste, accompanied by an utterly enticing aroma. This gives the dish a gorgeous complexity that will have you completely captivated from the very first bite.

The simplest way to add garlic to your roast chicken is to chop garlic cloves into tiny pieces and slip them underneath the skin, much like you normally would with herbs and spices. Another popular technique calls for creating a garlic paste by finely mincing the cloves and mixing them with herbs, salt, pepper, and any other spices of choice. Then, dry rub the mixture all over the skin or underneath it. This will also work with garlic butter, which is great for infusing your chicken with a creamy, buttery undertone. If you have the time, make a garlic marinade from fresh cloves, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and some herbs, and then leave the raw chicken in it for a few hours or overnight prior to roasting.

Alternatively, whole garlic cloves also work for stuffing the chicken. Peel a few cloves and stuff them inside the cavity along with other aromatics like lemon wedges, onion slices, and fresh herbs. For those who prefer a more subtle taste, roast your chicken alongside whole garlic bulbs or make garlic-infused oil and drizzle it over the chicken before roasting.