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Home Dietary Gluten Free Recipes

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk {Seriously Delish}

By:Nagi
Published:1 Jan '15Updated:13 Dec '18
154 Comments
Recipe v

When you read the recipe, you’ll be dubious. There is no denying this is an odd combination of ingredients. But I promise you, this Chicken in Milk is seriously delicious. It is one of the best roast chickens I have ever had in my life. Ever.

Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk in a casserole pot, fresh out of the oven ready for serving.

To say that this is one of the best roast chickens I have ever had in my life is a big call, I know. That’s how good this is.

When you read the recipe, you’ll probably be as dubious as I was. “Lemon and milk? Surely that will curdle. And a cinnamon stick? This just sounds weird.”

I then took to Google out of curiosity to see if others had tried it. To my surprise, there were many and they raved about it! Quite a few even declared this to be the best chicken they’ve ever had. I can’t say that with my hand on my heart (it’s up against Southern Fried Chicken, Korean Chicken, Karaage….to name a few!), however, there is no doubt that this is one of the best chickens I have ever had. Possibly the best roast chicken I have ever had.

And it is so much easier than traditional roast chicken. Virtually foolproof. Insanely juicy, flavour infused chicken every single time.

Close up of Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk in a casserole pot, fresh out of the oven ready for serving.

What It Tastes Like

The chicken is baked for 1.5 hours in the braising liquid so it is really tender. Not “fall apart” tender, but it’s not a roast for carving. It’s more for tearing bits off.

Because it is baked uncovered for most of the time, the skin comes out lovely and crispy on top. The braising liquid, which reduces down to a sauce, is truly incredible. It infuses into the chicken and reduces down into what I call “liquid gold”. There’s a hint of cinnamon fragrance, garlic, subtle lemon freshness and the muskiness of sage, all mixed through the chicken juice. The garlic is a treat in itself. Cooked until soft, I pop them straight out the skin straight into my mouth. If there are any leftover, I spread it onto toast – best treat ever!

I was convinced the milk and lemon would end up as a curdled mess, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The milk dissolves into little bits of curd which might look a bit odd at first glance but when you take a bite, it’s almost like little tiny bits of bocconcini or buffalo mozarrella cheese. I wanted more of it!

In conclusion, I’m pretty certain that this is going to be my “go to” recipe when I have whole chickens to cook. It is ridiculously easy to make, with the hardest part being the browning of the chicken (I’ve provided a few tips that I picked up when I was doing it).

So without further ado, here’s the recipe!

Braising liquid being poured over Chicken in Milk cut up in pieces on a white plate, ready for serving.

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Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk in a casserole pot, fresh out of the oven ready for serving.

Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk {Seriously Delish}

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 1 hr 40 mins
Total: 1 hr 45 mins
Chicken, Dinner, Roast
4.88 from 39 votes
Servings4 - 6
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Though the ingredients list might seem odd, this is actually one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had. Possibly the best roast chicken I've ever had. It's incredibly easy to make and produces a very tender chicken with crispy skin on top. The braising liquid reduces to a fabulous sauce that has a hint of freshness from the lemon and muskiness from the sage and cinnamon. The whole cloves of garlic cook in the skin so they are soft and mushy (mild garlic flavour, much more sweet), perfect for popping out of the skin and eating with the chicken, or spread it on toast! The milk dissolves into bits of curd which remind me of bocconcini and taste like little bursts of creaminess.

Ingredients

  • 3 - 3.5 lb / 1.5 - 1.8 kg whole chicken
  • 2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
  • Black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 stick cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
  • 2 lemons , zest only (avoid grating the pith which is bitter)
  • 10 cloves of garlic , whole, skin on
  • 2 1/4 cups milk (I used low fat)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190C/375F.
  • Wash the chicken under water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Sprinkle over the salt and 5 grinds of black pepper and pat all over the chicken, concentrating on the top and sides.
  • Heat oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. (Note 1)
  • Brown the chicken all over as best you can. I find the easiest way to do this (and minimising skin tearing) is with tongs stuck in the rear of the chicken and a wooden spoon to lift and leverage the chicken. Tilt the chicken as required to brown as much of the skin as you can. (Note 2)
  • If you can manage it (or if you have a helper), pour the excess fat out of the pot with the chicken still in it. If you can't, remove the chicken onto a plate, then drain the fat.
  • Add the remaining ingredients into the pot (return the chicken to the pot if you removed it).
  • Bake covered for 40 minutes, then bake uncovered for 50 minutes (1.5 hrs in total).
  • Let stand for 5 minutes or so before removing the chicken from the pot onto a serving plate. Serve the sauce on the side. I prefer not to strain it because I want the bits of curd and garlic on my chicken, as well as bits of sage.

Recipe Notes:

1. Choose a pot that fits the chicken fairly snugly. But not too snugly, otherwise it is very difficult to brown the chicken!
2. The browning of the chicken can be a bit difficult if you are using a very snug pot. But it is a key step for this recipe because browning = flavour + crispy skin and also renders the fat. The fat that isn't rendered out in this step ends up in the sauce and might be too fatty for your taste if you don't brown the chicken enough.
3. The nutrition is for 6 people and has been adjusted to reflect that 1/4 cup of the chicken fat is rendered out and poured off while the chicken is browned. It also assumes that all the sauce is used which is probably not the case so the calories is slightly higher than it should be
I should be honest and tell you that though recipes always say that a whole chicken will typically serve 6 people, in my household it only serves 4 + plenty of scraps for my dog Dozer. 🙂Jamie Oliver Chicken in Milk Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 303gCalories: 466cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 6.2g (2%)Protein: 61.3g (123%)Fat: 20.4g (31%)Saturated Fat: 5.3g (33%)Cholesterol: 183mg (61%)Sodium: 794mg (35%)Potassium: 644mg (18%)Sugar: 4.8g (5%)Vitamin A: 300IU (6%)Vitamin C: 2.5mg (3%)Calcium: 150mg (15%)Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

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154 Comments

  1. Patience says

    November 3, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    5 stars
    We had this tonight for the second time and it was amazing! So juicy and delicious. The sauce is wonderful and my kids wanted to drink it off their plates. Thank you for your fantastic recipes.

    Reply
  2. AMD says

    October 31, 2021 at 1:49 am

    I really want to try this tonight. I have oat milk or whipping cream that I can use (or coconut milk). Which one do you think would work better?

    Reply
  3. Céline says

    October 19, 2021 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    Ok, so I’m not a very good cook and I rely on your videos 100% but when I saw that this was a Jamie Oliver recipes I thought, why not! It was absolutely wonderful! I really loved the tenderness of the chicken! I made it without sage, cause I didn’t he a any, and put oregano instead. And the garlic!!!! With roasted sweet and white potatoes and green peas!! DELICIOUS

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 19, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Thanks! N x

      Reply
  4. Julie G says

    October 10, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    OMG. That was delicious. Even my fussy father said it was delicious. I Will make again. Mum asked for the re pie too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 11, 2021 at 2:30 pm

      Always happy to please the fussy parents! N x

      Reply
  5. P Kumar says

    October 6, 2021 at 11:35 pm

    5 stars
    What blew me away is the simplicity of this dish. And for that the outcome is something to rave on. Maybe I’ll try spatchcock and some risotto to plate it with to make it a full meal. Your recipes are awesome and this is probably the 3rd one I tried.

    Reply
  6. Meg says

    September 26, 2021 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    This is so delicious!!! It will be part of the rotation for sure.

    Reply
  7. Evelyn says

    August 14, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    Hi Nagi
    If I dry-brine the chicken 1 day before, will the result be better?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 16, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      It’s super tender here – there really isn’t a need to dry brine for this one! N x

      Reply
  8. Michelle says

    August 6, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    Could I use almond milk in this recipe in replace of regular milk?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 7, 2021 at 10:50 am

      Not for this one sorry Michelle! N x

      Reply
  9. Marie says

    August 3, 2021 at 9:36 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I love your recipes! Everything I have tried has been delicious. I would like to make this but it’s the middle of summer here. Do you think this could be made in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 4, 2021 at 11:29 am

      Not this one as written sorry Marie! N x

      Reply
  10. michelle l booth says

    May 1, 2021 at 3:59 am

    no one in my family will eat dark meat or skin. Iknow, I know. How about boneless, skinless, chicken breasts? i am sure less cookingtime,. I have made this with brined, pork roast before, yum

    Reply
    • Georgia says

      August 25, 2021 at 7:36 am

      Hi Nagi,

      Could I make this with chicken drumsticks and thighs instead of a whole chicken?

      Absolutely love all of your recipes! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Amy says

    February 24, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    5 stars
    Really delicious and juicy chicken, love those little curds! I used a heap of subs (lime zest instead of lemon, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon instead of a stick, thyme instead of sage, garlic powder instead of cloves and an onion thrown in) and it still turned out great, gotta love a versatile dish! Thanks Nagi x

    Reply
  12. Christine says

    February 15, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    This is a wonderful chicken recipe, huge flavours, beautifully tender chicken, and the oven does the work. One of the best, most tender roasts I’ve tasted. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  13. Lilian says

    January 11, 2021 at 2:38 am

    If I am using quarter chicken legs is the timing and method the same or should i reduce the roastinÄŁ tine i.e. roast covered half an hour then roast uncovered another 30 mins? Appreciate it u could reply chicken looks good.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 11, 2021 at 1:44 pm

      Hi Lilian, this recipe is better suited to a whole chook as you really need to cook that whole time for the sauce to do its magic. A 1/4 chicken will take much less time. N x

      Reply
  14. Pat Perry says

    December 30, 2020 at 6:37 am

    5 stars
    I have made this several times and its the best! I serve with polenta

    Reply
  15. Monica says

    September 25, 2020 at 5:05 am

    Hi Nagi,

    I´ve being reading your website since a long time.

    I would like to make this recipe but only with thighs and legs, ÂżAny suggestion to cook it properly?

    Regards from Mexico

    Reply
  16. Janice says

    September 3, 2020 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    absolutely delicious! don’t think i’ll make roast chicken any other way! i only had dried sage so used 2.5 tsp, and for the milk i used half full fat and half low fat. between us two, were definitely finishing up the chicken in two meals, with no leftovers. yum!

    Reply
  17. Reva says

    July 26, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Hi Nagi, so excited to make this. Just had one question, can I use full fat milk for this? Will it alter the taste/consistency of the end sauce? Thanks x

    Reply
  18. Julie says

    July 21, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    4 stars
    I had to try this after reading the glowing reviews about this weird yet interesting combination of flavours. I browned the chicken in a wok which is so much easier and then transferred chicken and everything else into a casserole dish. Everything about the dish was great and the curds was the best part! I had about 1 3/4 cup of sauce after cooking. Would that be right? Anyway, instead of throwing it away, I popped it into the fridge overnight, scooped out the layer of fat on top and had leftover chicken soup for lunch.

    Reply
  19. Taz says

    July 1, 2020 at 10:20 am

    Cooking this right now. Keeping my fingers crossed it comes out okay, I have never roasted a chicken so I didn’t know if I should put in middle rack or lower rack..so I picked the middle . I’m worried there will be little sauce left!

    Reply
    • Taz says

      July 1, 2020 at 10:21 am

      Oops…I meant I picked the lower rack.

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 1, 2020 at 12:21 pm

      It will be fine Taz, enjoy! N x

      Reply
      • Taz says

        July 1, 2020 at 2:04 pm

        5 stars
        Well it turned out great! Juiciest most tender chicken I’ve ever had and the sauce was ..hard to decribe. No real distinct flavor but a subtle medley of various flavors. For sure I will make this again but can I ask…do I put the chicken breast side down in the liquid or up so it browns?
        I should also add that I watched the Jaimie Oliver video of him cooking it (I’m very visual) but he changed things up from his own original recipe. So, in the end, I came back here cause I knew your notes would give me better guidance . That’s why I love this sight. because you give such detailed information on how to do something so that even someone whose never cooked can make a spectacular dish.
        Final note , I did have a bit of a struggle browning the chicken because the skin was tearing off and sticking to the pot. Should the heat be on high? Medium?

        Reply
  20. Dani says

    June 12, 2020 at 12:01 am

    4 stars
    Great way to get a juicy, moist roast chicken and the sauce is delicious!!. I didn’t add cinnamon as my husband doesn’t like it but the roasted lemon zest and garlic are a gem!!. Browning the chicken was a bit tricky but the end result of crispy skin was worth it!!
    Thanks Nagi another recipe to add to one of your many recipes xx

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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