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.
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.
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!
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Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk {Seriously Delish}
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:
Nutrition Information:
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
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
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!
If I am using quarter chicken legs is the timing and method the same or should i reduce the roastinģ tine i.e. roast covered half an hour then roast uncovered another 30 mins? Appreciate it u could reply chicken looks good.
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
I have made this several times and its the best! I serve with polenta
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, ¿Any suggestion to cook it properly?
Regards from Mexico
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!
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
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.
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!
Oops…I meant I picked the lower rack.
It will be fine Taz, enjoy! N x
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?
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