If today is the day of a big gathering, start with the bird because it takes the longest to cook! You can use a chicken or turkey for this Garlic Confit Roasted Bird recipe, depending on how many guests you’re serving. (By the way, you can watch the video of how to make this recipe here.)
To make the garlic confit, start the night before by preheating your oven to 200 degrees F.
Fill an oven-friendly saucepot with two cups of garlic cloves, then cover it with olive oil so that all the cloves are covered. Bake for two to three hours, careful not to burn. The cloves are ready when you can mash them, and they spread like butter. Pour your cloves with the oil into a jar, and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, you’ll have a jar of perfectly cooked garlic for your Garlic Confit Roasted Bird, which you’ll turn into a spread that we’ll rub under and over the skin of our bird. Depending how much you love garlic, use a cup or more of the confit, warmed just so it’s soft, and mash it together with a handful of herbs you like from your garden. Typical herbs for poultry would be rosemary, sage, and thyme, which is what I’ve used.
Now, simply rub your spread over and under the skin so that the bird is totally immersed in this garlic confit mixture. Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees F for chicken or 325 degrees F for turkey, and then for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes at the end or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
We’ll get that cooking, and start on the rest of your meal!
PrintGarlic Confit Roasted Bird (Chicken or Turkey)
This Garlic Confit Roasted Bird is perfect for the garlic-lovers in your life. A luscious herb garlic confit mixture coats the bird, and caramelizes in and around the meat and skin as it cooks.
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-4 hours
- Total Time: 4-6 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 12+ servings 1x
- Category: Entrees
Ingredients
- 2 cups garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Handful of freshly chopped mixed herbs (rosemary, sage, and thyme are great)
- Chicken or turkey
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.
- Fill an oven-friendly saucepot with garlic, then cover with olive oil. Bake two to three hours, or until easily mashed with a spoon. Pour into a jar and refrigerate overnight, or use once cooled.
- Mash a cup of garlic confit with herbs, then rub it over and under the skin of your bird. Sprinkle bird generously with salt and pepper. If you like, add aromatics to the cavity of the bird, like a halved onion and/or lemon.
- Bake bird in the oven covered at 350 degrees F for chicken, or 325 degrees F for turkey, and then for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes at the end or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Once it’s come to temperature, remove cover and broil for a few minutes to crisp up the skin. Enjoy!
If you make this Garlic Confit Roasted Bird, let me know what you think!