Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo Al Ajillo) is one of Spain’s most beloved traditional dishes! Tender chicken cooked in olive oil, garlic, herbs, and a splash of sherry, it delivers bold flavors with just a handful of simple ingredients!
You’re not a fan of garlic? This Spanish chicken with garlic might change your mind. 🙂
But hang on, what exactly is pollo al ajillo?
‘Pollo‘ is chicken in Spanish, and ‘ajillo‘ means garlic — which translates to garlic chicken.
It’s a popular dish from bustling tapas bars in Madrid to rustic kitchens in Andalucia, and it’s one of those tapas that you can ultimately serve as a main dish.
Note that almost every Hispanic country has its way of making garlic chicken, but the use of sherry makes this recipe distinctly Spanish.
So whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a dish to impress at your next tapas night, this authentic pollo al ajillo will transport you straight to the heart of Spanish cuisine.
Oh! Always make sure to have some bread on hand when serving, and if you want to do it like the locals, pick up those garlic bits and place them on top of your bread. Yum!
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Why this chicken recipe is a keeper!
- Incredibly simple and flavorful. You only need a handful of ingredients — garlic, olive oil, chicken, sherry, and herbs to create a depth of flavor that tastes like you’ve cooked it for hours.
- Versatile on the table. It works as a main course, a tapa, or a part of a multi-dish Spanish meal spread. Plus, you can easily serve it with rice, bread, or potatoes, without feeling like you’re missing something. 🙂
- Easy to scale. No fuss when doubling or tripling this recipe for gatherings without losing its quality, since the cooking method is forgiving.
Ingredients
(See the recipe card below for measurements.)
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil, if possible.
- Chicken – I strongly suggest using cuts of chicken with bones for making Spanish garlic chicken — the bones give you a deeper, more flavorful dish.
- Garlic – if you love garlic, feel free to add more than I indicated in this recipe.
- Herbs and seasoning – parsley, bay leaves, dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Sherry – not to be confused with sherry vinegar that’s used in authentic patatas bravas, sherry is a fortified wine primarily produced in Spain.
Sherry comes in various types, so make sure you use the dry sweet variety.
How to make pollo al ajillo
Start by seasoning the chopped chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium to large skillet.
Once the oil is ready, start browning the chicken in batches.
Do not place them too close to each other — avoid overcrowding the pan.
Place all the browned chicken back into the skillet.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, dried rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.
Mix to combine everything.
Cover with a lid, then adjust the heat to medium.,
Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, occasionally mixing to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Remove the cover, turn the heat back to medium-high, then pour the sherry.
Leave it for two to three minutes, uncovered, and then mix your Spanish garlic chicken to combine.
Keep it uncovered while cooking for about ten minutes until the sherry has completely evaporated; continue mixing during this time.
Take the skillet off the heat and transfer it to plates.
Serve your Spanish garlic chicken with fresh parsley, if desired.
Helpful tips
- Chop the chicken into smaller portions. It makes cooking easier, both in terms of time and mixing.
- Smash the garlic, do not slice it finely. The aim is to have noticeable bits and pieces of garlic flavored by the herbs and sherry.
- Feel free to replace the dried herbs with fresh ones if you have them on hand or if that’s how you prefer them.
- If you have time left, you can place the skillet in your oven (using your typical broiler setting) and leave it there for no more than ten minutes. You will get a more golden, darker color to the chicken.
Recipe variation
- Sherry substitute. You can use red wine, white wine, or Madeira. Any of these will turn out great.
However, if you want to keep it traditional, buy some sherry to try out for this dish, and look for Manzanilla sherry.
Some sherries are extremely sweet (like Pedro Ximenez), which will NOT work with this dish.
- Boneless chicken breasts. Yes, you can use other boneless chicken parts as well, but I don’t recommend it.
You need to keep the bones in the chicken to get the maximum flavor in every bite. It simply doesn’t taste the same when you use boneless cuts.
You can try it if you’d like to see for yourself. 🙂
Serving suggestions
Locally known as ‘espinacas con garbanzos,’ this nutty, delicious side is no-meat and full of Spanish flavor. Served warm, it’s a great companion for the garlicky chicken — especially when you want something vegetable-forward in your meal.
Spanish Chorizo and Potato Stew
For something meatier and heartier, serve ‘patatas a la Riojana‘ alongside your garlic chicken. The smoky, paprika-rich sauce and tender potatoes make a comforting and filling combination.
End your meal on a sweet note with magdalenas. They’re delicately flavored, olive oil-based Spanish muffins, lightly flavored with lemon — a lovely dessert to round off a savory feast of Spanish dishes.
What are you waiting for? Grab some fresh garlic and prepare the rest of the ingredients for this Spanish garlic chicken recipe — you’ll be amazed how quickly the plate empties.
So make sure you make extra then! 🙂
More classic Spanish recipes
Pollo al ajillo is an excellent example of Spanish cuisine because it reflects its core elements, ingredients, and cooking traditions — just like these other Spanish dishes:
Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Stew
Like this stew, Spanish cuisine is known for using a few fresh ingredients to make bold flavors. Made with chorizo and chickpeas, both of which are staples in most Spanish kitchens — two common ingredients, one complex-flavored dish.
Just like Spanish garlic chicken, patatas bravas is a popular tapa; small plates meant for sharing with friends over drinks — a tradition that aligns perfectly with Spain’s social dining culture.
It’s typical for different regions to have their twists on cooking Spanish dishes at home. Similar to the preparation of garlic chicken, some locals use white wine instead of sherry to make this chicken stew with chorizo.
Regional variations have long been a hallmark of Spanish cuisine.
CHECK OUT THIS LIST OF DINNER IDEAS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!
📖 Recipe
Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo Al Ajillo)
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet (10.25 inch)
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken (3/4 to 1 kg), chopped
- 10 to 12 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 to 3 pcs dried bay leaves
- 1/3 cup sherry (or any of the substitutes mentioned)
- salt and pepper, to season
- parsley, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper.
- Set a medium to large skillet on medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Once the oil is ready, start browning the chicken. (Note: Do not place the chicken pieces too close to each other.)
- Once all the chicken is browned, put everything back in the skillet and add garlic, salt, and pepper, dried thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Mix everything to combine. Put a lid on the skillet, adjust the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes while mixing occasionally.
- Remove the lid and adjust the heat back to medium-high. Pour the sherry on the garlic chicken and do not touch for about 3 minutes.
- Start mixing, and if bits are sticking in the bottom of the pan, the sherry should have deglazed them so that everything would be combined.
- Continue cooking uncovered (mixing occasionally) until the sherry has completely evaporated. It usually takes about 10 minutes.
- Remove your garlic chicken from the heat, garnish with some fresh parsley (if preferred), and serve.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: If you want a deeper color to the chicken, place the skillet in the oven (set at your usual broiler temperature) for about 10 minutes. Do not keep it longer; you might end up drying the chicken.
- Refer to the post for more tips and suggestions.
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