Chicken legs are often one of the least expensive cuts of chicken. Coincidentally, they are also my favorite part on a rotisserie chicken because that dark meat is just so juicy and tender! Since I loooove rotisserie chicken, I decided to try to make Oven Roasted Chicken Legs that were close in texture to the moist and tender rotisserie chicken that I so love. How would I accomplish that? Low and slow heat, my friends. Low and slow.
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How to Keep Roasted Chicken Moist
When meat is cooked slowly at a low temperatures it stays juicy and tender. The connective tissues soften and break down into a tasty gelatin. The whole process is meat magic. You’ll also want to cover the meat tightly to prevent moisture from evaporating, and baste once or twice while the chicken legs baste. Easy enough!
What Temperature Do you Roast Chicken Legs at?
The method I use requires two phases: a low 300ºF for one hour (that’s the “low and slow” part), and then finishing off the chicken without a cover at 425ºF for about 30 minutes to crisp up the skin. This two phase method gives you the best of both worlds–tender juicy insides and crispy brown skin.
Can I Use Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts?
This low and slow roasting method is designed for bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces only. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cook much faster and will dry out using this method. For instructions on how to cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts, see my recipe for Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breast.
How Do You Season Roasted Chicken Legs?
As far as seasonings go, you can use just about anything! I used my favorite blend du jour, lemon pepper seasoning, but you could also use any of these seasoning blends:
- Poultry Seasoning
- Chili powder
- Steak seasoning
- Curry powder
- Taco seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Chipotle pepper
- Herbs de Provence
- Za’atar
There are so many options. I smeared my chicken skin with a little butter first, which also makes a huge difference. That little bit of creamy butter mixed with the chicken juices made the most incredible sauce ever. Sure, you can use olive oil or coconut oil instead, but butter… yeah, butter is just special.
What Do You Serve With Roast Chicken?
These Oven Roasted Chicken Legs go great with: Vinaigrette Slaw with Feta, Spinach and Feta Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Cheddar Casserole, or Lemony Cucumber and Couscous Salad, Roasted Carrot and Feta Salad.
Oven Roasted Chicken Legs
Servings 2 to 4 servingsIngredients
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs ($4.20)
- 1 Tbsp butter (room temperature) ($0.11)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning* ($0.15)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of a casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then smear butter over the surface of the skin. Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning liberally over both sides of the chicken pieces. Place the seasoned chicken in the casserole dish.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for one hour at 300ºF. Baste the chicken once half way through. After one hour, remove the foil, baste again, and turn the heat up to 425ºF. Continue to bake the chicken at the higher temperature for 20-30 minutes, or until the skin has achieved the desired level of brownness. Serve with the juices spooned over top or with bread for dipping.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Oven Roasted Chicken Legs – Step by Step Photos
Since I’m trying to buy higher-quality meat while staying in budget, I have to be really careful about what cuts I buy. These chicken legs were $2.99/lb., which is good for this particular store. I bought four whole legs (thigh and drumstick connected), and froze two for later.
The two that I froze I simply wrapped back up very tightly in the plastic and wax paper that they came in, then sealed it off in a quart sized freezer bag (labeled and dated, of course).
Anyway, back to the two that I cooked for the Oven Roasted Chicken Legs… Preheat the oven to 300ºF and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Smear about 1 Tbsp of room temperature butter over both pieces (1 Tbsp total, not per piece). Then season each side liberally with lemon pepper seasoning, or your favorite seasoning blend. Place the seasoned chicken in a casserole dish coated with non-stick spray.
I love this stuff because it’s kind of a one-stop-shop. It has salt, pepper, and lemon, which is my FAVORITE. Anyway, regardless of what seasoning you use, make sure to be aware about whether or not it has salt. If the seasoning is salt-free, you’ll want to add a pinch or two to the meat.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, then bake in the preheated 300ºF oven for one hour. Baste the chicken half way through (spoon the juices over top). After an hour, the meat should be quite tender, but the skin will be soft and blonde, like the photo above. To achieve that nice brown crispy skin, remove the foil and turn the oven temperature up to 425ºF.
Bake the chicken for an additional 20-30 minutes at the higher temperature (you can leave it in the oven as it heats up to the higher temp), or until it develops the level of brownness that you like on the skin.
The liquid that ends up in the bottom of the casserole dish is PURE GOLD. It’s like, one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, so don’t let that go to waste. I like to spoon it over whatever I’m serving the chicken with (if serving with rice or pasta), or serve some bread to sop it up. You can also pour it into a skillet, add a little white wine, and simmer it until it’s reduced to make a delicious pan sauce. Something about that butter, lemon, and pepper is just per-fect.
Superb recipe! Perfect cooking instructions for temperature(s), and cooking time. Chicken turned out moist, thank you.
Pretty good. I made it in my cast iron pan with a sheet of aluminum covering the top since I don’t have a casserole dish.
Superb. But would be better with a meat thermometer, switching to high heat when the chicken gets to say 130 and then finishing at say 165. After an hour at 300 my chicken was already 165.
Absolutely delicious!! An added bonus is how quick and easy it is to prepare. I used my Dutch oven, with lid on for the low temperature, then off for the high. Will make again for sure 😊
Absolutely delicious, but I think you messed up on the nutrition facts??? I was checking because my dad and my sister are about to start eating low-carb, and there is NO WAY those have that many carbs.
Delicious
I’m not a fan of dark meat
Made with drumsticks and cool running chicken season
100% would make again
So juicy so flavourful
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷😘
Love this recipe!
Instead of using lemon pepper I used fresh basil and thyme from my garden.
I put the herbs under the skin and baked it for an hour skin side down with some chicken broth, butter, oil and garlic (instead of basting it, weird italian trick for juicy meat)
I then flipped it for the 45 minutes eith salt and pepper at 425 for the nice golden brown skin and served with carrots and ceasar salad!
I love the sound of using fresh herbs. How much of each did you use?
Love the simplicity of the recipe, I’m always put off with multiple ingredients. Very tasty and tender
This was so delicious!! I didn’t have any lemon pepper, so I seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Then I sprinkled fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano sprigs from my garden all around the chicken, which added great flavor to the sauce, which I served over white rice. Scrumptious!! Thank you for such a great, easy recipe!
This was awesome! Perfectly crispy skin, fall-off-the-bone tender meat. I don’t think I covered mine tightly enough, though, because there wasn’t much liquid at the bottom of the pan. Oh well, still delicious as is! And so versatile – I just used plain ol’ salt & pepper this time, which was plenty flavorful, but this could work just as easily with garlic salt, za’atar, Cajun spice blend, or any of the other mixed you mention above. Another winner! (I’m struggling not to make the obvious “winner winner, chicken dinner” joke here, because this makes one hell of a chicken dinner!)
Used this many times, and really happy with the recipe.
Of course, I change it a bit, like everybody else.
45 mins at f130, then 20 mins at f200
Use Italian seasoning as spices, and never bother to baste or turn. Just bung it in the oven and let it get on with it!!
This was delicious & my entire family (2 teenage boys) loved it. I used 4 leg quarters, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, & paprika. Followed instructions exactly using a 9 x 11 casserole dish. Made sure the foil covering was nice & tight, lots of gravy to pour over mashed potatoes. Thank you so much! Will definitely be making this again. BTW, cheapest meal I’ve made in a while, found leg quarters for $0.99/lb & a 5 lb bag of russet potatoes for $1.29- score!
Im used to putting a bit of water at the bottom of pan. No need?
I did not add water to mine. :)
DELICIOUS! cant believe it took me so long to try this recipe
I made this for the first time tonight, and outside of switching up the seasonings, stuck to the recipe. I’m never cooking chicken legs any other way.
Mine didn’t have enough juices to baste with, and I had 4 legs, and 4 times the butter (I misunderstood the butter part). I also missed the part about adding salt if the seasoning didn’t have any, but despite this, it was great. I imagine it will be better when I make it again tonight, following the directions more closely.
Oh yeah. Finger licking great! This came out just as you said. I cut the chicken off the bone for my husband and licked my fingers. Wow I use butter kosher salt fresh ground 5 berry peppercorn and herbed de province. Great! Thank you.
Thank you SO much for putting the recipe first and the steps after! When I bookmark a great recipe (like this one :-) I want to find the recipe straightaway. Well done! I’m baking right now, actually!
I’m not being intentionally mean, but when you discuss and review a recipe, consider the fact that people are human. They’re probably standing in their kitchen. When you speak of connective tissues and gelatin, it’s just gross. Duh… Not trying to hurt your feelings but just think about it…
Doesn’t bother me when she uses those words. I’m fully aware of what I’m eating when I’m eating meat.
does not bother me either.
Oh no! Sciencey words! There are probably some kid-friendly cookbooks out there if these basic terms are putting you off.
Who starts off saying they’re not intentionally being mean and ends what they have to say with “duh”?
You’re right. It wasn’t mean. It was rude and tasteless. Who hurt you?
Grow up Shannon.
Seems strange that you find it gross to be aware of what in fact you will be putting inside your body… those nutrients are exactly what give the body many of its building blocks! Our human bodies aren’t gross, why should any nutrients be considered as such??
This is hilarious. When reading this comment, it sounds like a pre-teen wrote it. Connective tissue, muscle, bones, blood vessels, cartilage, skin, sometimes feathers are ALL things you’ll come into contact with when making this dish, IN the kitchen. Your comment was unnecessary. Pick a new recipe.
I’ll be trying this recipe tonight and can’t wait!
You are eating an animal, accept it or don’t eat meat.
I have to admit I had the opposite reaction… in fact “connective tissue” was part of the search string I used. I was looking for recipes with enough cook time to let the connective tissue soften and the leg quarter to become fully tender.
Too easy for words! It was perfect! Do let the chicken legs come to room temperature first. I used herbes de Provence but everything else was the same. There is no need to baste in the first hour. The legs were large so I added another 10 minutes (40) uncovered and basted twice during that time. I used the juice to cook my zucchini with, and sopped up some sauce with whole pita bread. Everything was delicious!
Tried yesterday , raiding the freezer for things to add to a risotto and found some chicken legs. Tried this method including using the pan juices to add to the stock. Chicken was tasty, juicy and had that lovely soft stickiness. The only change was the seasoning, we don’t have lemon pepper seasoning in UK (or at least I have never seen it) so used just plain old salt and pepper. Thanks, this is going to become a regular recipe.
Hello, I have made this dish a few different ways as well, I also added veggies like onions or carrots and potatoes and no matter how or what I add to this dish it turns out perfect and so yummy. Easy to prepare and so delicious.if u add a little bacon to this dish just for extra flavor. The explosion of goodness in your mouth will keep you coming back to this dish.
Hi Beth! I’m curious if you ever got around to trying this recipe in the instant pot? Curious what settings to use and how it turned out.
We haven’t tried it in an Instant Pot. Sorry!
Followed the recipe EXACTLY … the best chicken that I ever had!!!
Discover this recipe 2 days ago, looking for oven roasted thighs and drumsticks. Followed your ingredients and instructions exactly, and the result was absolutely fantastic! Just like you said – almost like a rotisserie chicken. I am definitely adding this to my Favorites list – Thanks lots.
I make this once a week since discovering it last year. Just the bomb. Thanks for a great recipe! I make double and the next night it might be chimichangas or chicken and dumplings!
Used this recipe last night for 4 chicken leg quarters. The chicken came out amazing. Did not change a thing from recipe!
Oh happy to hear it Paula!
I make these 6 at a time and use that delicious sauce + water as a broth to cook my jasmine rice in. Best rice I’ve ever had.
If you were making 8 of these what you increase the cook time? If so to what?
Hi Lindsay! It would be the same amount of cooking time. Just make sure that the legs aren’t too crowded in the pan. Enjoy!
I cook my chicken thighs like this every time now, i do end up cooking it for 45 minutes at the higher heat then 20, and it still comes out tender and juicy. Using different seasonings every time and it always comes out super delicious.
Hooray!
So I plan on raising my own chickens for meat starting next year. In an effort to do so, and also by a stroke of luck that Aldi started carrying this, but I found organic ethically-grown whole chicken for around $11-13 per bird. To feed myself and my boyfriend for dinner and leftovers for lunch, I buy two. From this I get four wings, four legs, four breasts, and four tenderloins. I throw the wings in a freezer bag until I have about 12-16 wings. I have a couple of recipes that use whole legs and now I’ve added this super easy recipe to the mix (thank you!). I have to be careful to plan out what I make for the week, but usually I can about 3-5 meals out of two whole birds, enough for dinner and lunch the next day. I also make broth from the two carcasses and usually get SIX QUARTS! On broth day even my dog gets to chow down on the used organ meat and cooked carrots. It’s so much that I’ve had to start canning it and looking for recipes for that too! I thought you’d like to know my little “hack” to get more bang for your buck, even if it is a little extra work.
I meant to say, in an effort to get used to using whole chickens, I’ve been buying whole chickens!
The chicken pictured isn’t done.
Well, don’t keep us in suspenders, say what you would do differently. Swooping in to drop a negative comment alone isn’t helpful – it just makes you look like a food troll, and nobody appreciates that.
I believe the comment was made because some of the chicken still looks a little pink in some areas, ie: near the joint. It could just be the camera, but it does look a tad raw in that area. *shrug*
I am excited to try this recipe for dinner tonight. Do I need to cook longer if I use a larger baking dish and increase to 4 pieces instead of 2?
No, it should be about the same amount of time. :)
I’d never be able to retire paying that kind of price for meat. Otherwise, the recipe turned out fabulous.
@Cleaver — I agree that is outrageous. I just bought a whole cut-up chicken for $1.49 per pound and that includes two breasts which are the most expensive pieces. I cannot imagine paying $3.00 per pound for just legs and thighs :O
So true. I’m making a variation of the dish, but I paid 59 cents per pound for drumsticks. : )
Simple, tender, juicy, tasty. What more could you want?
I tried this today and it turned out great. I put my own seasonings on the chicken and we love it. I’ll be using this alot in the future.
How do ppl rate a recipe, when u deviate from the original recipe? Anytime u change anything from what is originally presented, it’s not the same recipe.
What is the green leaf lastly added? Sorry, can’t tell.
Just a little chopped parsley added for visual appeal only. :)
Excellent recipe. The chicken was moist and yummy. I am on the Keto diet and this is a perfect Keto recipe. Thank you for sharing. Cooking chicken at 350 degrees dried it out. This is the solution to moist chicken.
Will this recipe work out with out the aluminium?
If you have a covered baking dish, that will work instead of covering it with aluminum. :)
My family really enjoyed this chicken. I’ve made several of your recipes and the food was all well received and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
My husband does NOT like roast chicken and sounded disappointed when I told him what we were having for dinner. He took a glance at the chicken while it was resting and decided to give it a try (thanks to the golden skin). He loved it and said it was much better than my mother’s roast chicken (a huge compliment!). He even had seconds. This recipe was a hit! Thank you!
Awesome!! I’m glad he changed his mind! :)
That’s the most weak ass instruction in my life . Lame
Grow up
Pillock.
Oh wow. Now I know what they mean by cyber trolls.
Great recipe! I tried it tonight. I didn’t have lemon & pepper, so just used the seasoned salt, a little kosher Salt, and black pepper. The chicken turned out great and the juice was even better!! Thank you for sharing!
I am making this tonight, I just added some crushed garlic to it. Thanks for the recipe
Made this today, and wow….so easy and good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)
This is now a favourite in our home. Only 2 of us, so takes the place of whole roast chicken for Sunday lunch. Simple recipe with delicious results every time. Cant get lemon pepper, but I sprinkle ours with Italian seasoning, and that works really well.
Excellent! Best ever if you follow the instructions you will not be disappointed.
Oh. My. Stars.
This was the best chicken I’ve ever made. I’ve always thought roasting chicken was a complicated, intimidating thing. But three ingredients?! And one of those ingredients is chicken?!
A thousand times thank you. You took the fear out of roasting chicken, and we are already excited to make this again.
So glad you liked it, Ashley!!
No juice at all after 30 minutes. Foil is tightly crimped around pan edges. Checked again at 45 minutes..nothing. I added a cup of chicken stock for moisture .At a loss ??
Very good!
Why do Restaurants only give carb, and fat on their menu? I can’t even go to lunch with friends, because I’m afraid to eat anything. My SODIUM intake for a day in day is 2,000 or less. That’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not one menu, at one Restaurant gives you a sodium count. If you buy your food at a grocery, they are obligated to display everything on a label. Why can’t Restaurants do this? I ate what I thought would be safe today. A leg thigh herb roasted chicken. I removed the skin. It was still 826 mg of sodium. Add that to my toast, and banana for breakfast, and the potatoes with the chicken, and I’m in trouble! I try to be so careful! I have Congestive Heart Failure, now I’m over by 175 mg. It doesn’t sound like much, but it could kill me! I don’t know how I can get the importance of adding a sodium count to menues/Restaurants!
What does this comment have to do with the recipe? Restaurants cannot give you an accurate sodium count on their menus because it’s almost impossible to measure that when food is being prepared to order. You may want to try asking the wait staff what items they have that may accommodate your food restrictions.
On another note. This recipe worked perfectly. I dry brined my chicken ahead of time, but only because I wanted to give it a try and this seemed like the best time to give it a go. Tossed some veggies in with the chicken to roast at the 45 min mark to make a fabulous meal. This recipe is my go to roasted chicken even without the dry brining and it works every time. Love it. Thanks!
Hello Beth.
Thanks for the chicken leg recipe which is just what I have been looking for. I am in Australia and was wondering if you could publish temperatures in centigrade as well as Fahrenheit which would be helpful. Obliged. Dave.
I’ve made this several times and love it! Trying to cut out dairy though – how do you think it would work with olive oil? Or do you have another suggestion?
You can definitely do it with other types of fats, but the sauce in the bottom of the dish is definitely yummier with butter because butter has cream in it. :) I’m not sure there is anything that will create a similar flavor to that.
I haven’t used vegan butter (like Earth Balance) for this, but I’m sure it would be a great substitute. To me, it tastes just like butter. I’ve used it exclusively as a butter substitute for many years.
This is my absolute favorite chicken recipe and I am making it as I type this. So awesome. If people aren’t getting enough or any sauce, more butter and make sure your foil is tight!!! I have never had any issues and this is completely awesome. Read the pin, actually read the directions. It will come out like it’s supposed to.
I tend not to get enough juice for the first baste, but it always comes out at the second baste to the end. I just re-read the directions here and I totally use a TBSP for each piece. Ha! I use thighs, and I cook them in a deep, straight-sided skillet with a fitted lid. Maybe it is a matter of foil too loose and not enough butter. I made this with breasts once and still got enough juice. Just saying. I don’t even have a proper temp-dial on my shitty oven so I have to guess. Still works perfectly.
Am I doing something wrong? Because mine didn’t produce any juice.
Hmm, the first possibility that I think of is that perhaps the foil wasn’t covering tight enough and therefor allowing the moisture to evaporate? Do you think that could have been a possibility?
Gonna make this tonight
Made this tonight with my own spin applied.
Drumsticks.
Slut the skin on each and brushed soy sauce on the meat, laid skid back down and coated with melted butter. Seasoned with Cajun seasoning, onion powder, salt, and a bit of pepper.
EXCELLENT!
I’m always looking for chicken recipes & I came across this one today. My oven is preheating and I’m about to make them. I do not have any lemon pepper, but your suggestion for other options are great.
I believe I’ll be making them with my homemade Taco seasoning…. Either that or the one in a previous posting of a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, EVOO & salt/pepper!!!! YUMMO!!!!
I love chicken. Have tried many recipes… This one is so easy and so delicious… Made it with just drumsticks… Will for sure repeat soon…
I have used this method every time I make chicken, which is not often because we get local, pasture-raised chicken at $4.50/lb. I understand the need to buy cheap meat, but people, don’t slag Beth about it. Get what you get. Or eat less meat. We are paycheck-to-paycheck. Mostly veg. Do what you do, but this recipe is fail-safe. I have no idea why people question Beth about pricing around the country. Beth’s methods (oh, and sauces!) are solid. That is all.
Hi, Beth. Just found this page, and I’m trying your low&slow method tonight. I did want to comment… you mentioned buy extra, and freezing it. I’ve done that forever, but I used to have a problem with freezer burn, no matter how I tried to wrap it. About 10 years ago, I invested in a vacuum sealer, and have not regretted it. I watch for really good sales, buy in bulk, and the savings way more than pay for the system and the bags. If you are really careful, you can find some great bulk deals when the store is promoting some loss leaders. If their usual $6.00/lb product is on sale for $2.99, I get as much as I think I can fit in my freezer! Bag up in one-meal portions, and go from there.
Is there a big difference is one is to cook this without the skin??
Yes, you definitely want to use skin-on chicken for this recipe because it helps hold in the moisture and keeps the meat tender.
People usually want to remove the skin to reduce fat in a recipe. Leaving the skin on for cooking, and then removing before you eat, does not add significant fat, but does add significant flavor, and prevents drying out. Just part of the science of cooking – meat doesn’t really absorb additional fat in the cooking process.
Made it for dinner today and it was amazing!
Your Whole Foods label just says chicken legs and not organic chicken legs. $2.99/lb is very expensive! I just bought 3 chicken legs at $1.29/lb at Lucky’s Market. And Lucky’s doesn’t usually give you all the extra skin and fat so there is hardly any trimming to be done. I use a mixture of worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, evoo, s&p, and liked the results very much. I use convection at the end so I only turn the heat up to 400.
Correct. Even their non-organic meat is more pricey because they require very high farming standards for all the meat they sell.
Not one drop of juice in the pan . What a disappointment.
hello! is there any difference in cooking time if im using only drumsticks? I have about 6 drumsticks i wanted to use for dinner… thanks!
Yes, since they are smaller pieces, they will likely cook much faster, but I don’t know exactly how long without testing it.
This was so easy and delicious! Thank you for another great weekday recipe!! My grocery store had chicken quarters on sale for .39/lb so naturally I bought a couple pounds and froze them. Tried it with the butter and lemon pepper seasonings–super tasty!! will try some other combos for the extras I bought!
What a great deal! Enjoy!
An easy, delicious dinner ! All you need is a veggie and maybe a biscuit and dinner is done ! This would also make a nice company dinner without too much fuss.
Sooo good! super easy thanks for the recipe 👌🏽
Came across your recipe trying to change things up!!Looks fabulous!! Making this weekend, I always buy hind quarters instead of drums or thighs if I can most of the time, I find them in bulk at a cheap price.
Wow! Just made it! I used olive oil instead of butter as I am lactose intolerant plus i try to eat healthy as possible. Was fantastic.!..sooooo Good! Better than bought rotisserie plus i control the salt. Only made one leg as I live alone but would have eaten more had I made it! LoL thank you for this wonderful easy recipe! I love the internet!
What is the nutritional info?
I’m preparing this for the 4th or 5th time. It’s delicious! Just the bomb. And simplicity as well.
The cooking temp and time is terrible! After 1 hour the Chicken was not even touch by the temp. Plus, the recipe calls for Chicken Legs but in the comments you say it for Chicken Breasts!
Which is it? Make up your mind.
Actually turned out good. Had to change up the cooking time a little bit, most likely due to the High-Altitude I live in. Sorry, spoke too soon. 😁
Made this last week, turned out great! I have 2 separate dishes In The oven now with different seasonings.
Will I need to change the cooking time if I am making more than two?
As long as they’re not really crowded in the dish, you shouldn’t need extra time. Each piece will still get the same amount of heat exposure as if you were doing just two.
Will the baking time and temp change if I use chicken thighs?
Yes, these instructions are for bone-in breasts with skin only. I haven’t tried this with thighs yet, so I’m not sure how long or what temperature they would need.
I thought these were legs/thighs still attached
Me too. I’m totally confused now. I thought this recipe WAS for legs/thighs (quarters).
I just made this chicken recipe this evening for the first time and used thighs because the store did not have what the recipe called for and the thighs turned out PERFECT! I have always struggled with chicken (usually overtook it no matter what) and I wanted to cry at how amazing this turned out! I also took the thighs out and added some flour and chicken broth to the juices to make a pan gravy. Oh. My. Goodness. In case it helps, for the second part of the cooking (raising the temp to 425) I left the thighs in while the temp increases and cooked 20 mins from the time I upped the temperature. Perfection and I can’t wait to make it again!
We love this! The kids call it the “chicken sauce: YUM” recipe, and my 10-year-old chose it as her meal to make this week. Easy and SO very good.
I really like it. It’s convenient and yummy!
This cooking method stinks! tried it twice and both times chicken was overdone.
Dun – you have got to figure out what’s wrong with your oven. I am a chicken-idiot with a shitty, old gas oven and I’ve made this 3 times already with the best results. I checked back in because I only have thighs this time, and another commented that this method still works. Were you using breasts? I’m just saying…there is nothing wrong with the method here. If it sucked for you, it’s got to be your oven or you weren’t paying attention. This is THE BEST method I have ever found after consistent failures cooking chicken. I’m sorry it failed for you, but you gotta figure it out.
This is one of my favorite recipes – it is quick and easy to put together, and turns out tender and delicious! I did not baste (missed those directions – oops!), but it was still fantastic!
Just made this recipe and it’s amazing!! Simple, inexpensive but it takes chicken to the next level! Already looking forward to making it again and playing around with seasonings!
Tried and loved -esp “yum sauce”!!
Beth – can I cook this chicken using a glass Pyrex casserole lid instead of foil?
Yes, that should work very well. :)
I make this recipe all of the time and it comes out perfect every single time! One thing I like to do is make a spaghetti squash at same time and once it is all shredded up, toss it in the chicken/butter sauce that is in the chicken’s baking dish. I’m sure this would work really well with regular pasta too.
Cooking this for the second time tonight. Simple is always best with chicken and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved this – the sauce is amazing! Thank you!
Made this for the first time last night. Really easy and loved the texture of the meat when finished. Will try with different herbs per your suggestion next time to see what flavor I find. Thanks for a great recipe.
Sorry, but who but a fool would buy chicken legs for 3 dollars a pound? Last week I purchased a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters for .49 cents a pound at Kroger’s! OK, maybe you live in NYC or Frisco. If I lived there…I wouldn’t live there.
I have made this recipe so many times now. Oh my goshness. This. These leg quarters have saved my bank account and my sanity at night. I never realized it was so /so/ easy. Once again you have created a dish that is on my meal plan almost weekly. You’re amazing!
I’m so thankful for easy meat recipes that I (a lifelong vegetarian/vegan) can make for my carnivorous boyfriend. He loved this, and can’t wait to enjoy your other recipes as well!
I made this was really good my husband asked for it again
I went a bit different direction with seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, 1/4 tsp of fresh garlic per quarter, 3 pinches of thyme per quarter. I greased the pyrex baking dish with olive oil and then placed these HUGE quarters in there, skin side down. They barely fit! After all the seasoning was on there, I used a large spoon to distribute the garlic evenly and get the seasoning into the meat and fat. Pre-heating the oven now to 400. I have no foil, so I’m just going to cook it open. Anyways, I expect this will be REALLY tasty. Am tempted to add a touch of soy sauce, but I don’t want to kill the thyme with soy. I plan to flip them 1/2 way through and cool for about an hour or so total.
Flipped them, and they’re starting to look like they should, but I will be cooking these a bit longer, as some of the meat is still very pink, I think that I needed a bigger pan. You want space around the chicken to allow for proper cooking. Anyways, just a small tip there about not cramming too much meat into ONE pan.
VERY tasty!! Some others have mentioned that the juices in the bottom of the pan is REALLY REALLY tasty! Save it, and use it! Such a great meal for so easy to prepare!!
I made this today and it was so delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. The chicken was so juicy and the sauce was amazing.
Leg quarters were on sale here for like 78 cents per pound. 10 pound bag. Made this tonight. Very smple and very good.
I made these over the weekend — I got a big bulk package of chicken legs on sale and so I did it on a sheet pan, covered with foil. SO GOOD! The chicken was super moist and flavorful. I shredded the extras we didn’t eat to serve in salads later this week. YUM! Thanks for a great recipe…this is definitely the best way to make chicken legs, and also very easy.
Just wanted to post a Thank you.
Great recipe for the better quarter of the chicken (well I like chicken wings too). For someone who is not a cook it is simple, cheap and tastes Great!!! Drumstick and Thigh came out juicy and moist; and with great flavor.
I will definitely look for more of your recipes to try.
I’m likely much older than most of your audience, but I’m still looking for simple recipes for busy work nights. This was one of the very few internet recipes that I’ve tried that was obviously tested properly, as my results matched yours exactly, Beth! Right down to the YUM juices, which paired beautifully with my lemony basmati rice (I didn’t use lemon with the chicken). Thanks very much for your efforts, and for sharing this one. Still licking my fingers!
I tried this with drumsticks and they were delicious. My stepson who is a “foodie” went back for seconds! Proud moment.
I made this for dinner tonight. I’ve NEVER made quarter cut, very intimidating lol I finally did and this recipe was AH-MAZING. I did set the oven to 425°, after baking for an hour. I checked on it, and it was burning the juice. I took it down to 375° for the last 10 mins and it came out PERFECT! The adjustment could just be my oven. The chicken was tender and literally fell off the bone. Well definitely make this again. Thanks!
What if I just use the legs and not the whole cut?
Smaller pieces will probably take less time to cook, but I’d need to experiment with it before suggesting cooking times.
HI Beth
would like to try this tonight. with drumsticks and thigh mix did you test the time for this yet? don’t wanna over or undercook tnx a bunch sue
i have about 10-12 in total by the way
No, I’m sorry, I haven’t tested it yet. :(
I made this recipe yesterday. It was great. The liberties that I took for the three leg quarters… I added 1 cup of chicken broth (I wanted more yum sauce), thinly sliced some onions to put on top of chicken, fresh sliced lemons on that, prior to that…, plenty of butter, garlic, thyme, lite on the rosemary, parsley and plenty of lemon pepper. In the roasting pan was carrots, mushrooms and onion. Everyone was very pleased.
I made this last night and it was so ridiculously good that I’ve been fantasizing about it all day today. I’m going to buy more chicken after work so I can make it again.
I used just the legs, 5 of them, and didn’t have sauce halfway though, but I did have plenty after an hour. The browning was perfect after taking the foil off for 20 minutes. I had sauteed some squash, zucchini, and onions in olive oil and used the sauce to dip the veggies in. It was incredible!
Oh, I also sprinkled Tony’s Seasoning along with the lemon pepper (because, ya know, Louisiana – that’s just what you do). It was perfect!
I used just legs. At the end with the 425 degrees, I checked it at 20 minutes and there was no browning of the skin. I checked 5 minutes later and my yummy sauce had burned up :( Chicken still tasted great!
Absolutely the best chicken I have ever made! This is the most tender yet perfectly crispy on theoutside. I could not stop eating it! I used drummetts and it turned out perfect just like the legs. I will definitely be using this again!!
Sauce was yummy, but chicken was on the dry side. (Will use Ina Garten’s recipe for roast chicken instead. This has never failed.) I liked the lemon pepper, though.
I’m relatively newbie with cooking and don’t understand a lot of logic behind recipes like this. How is it you’re able to slather chicken with butter and cook it at such a high temperature without it smoking crazily? Doesn’t butter have an extremely low smoke point?
I think it’s because by the time the temperature is raised to 425 (it’s only at 300 for most of the cooking time) the butter has mixed with other ingredients/molecules, like the chicken juices. Also, when baking, the temperature of the air may be 425, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the items *in* the air have gotten up to that temperature. It would be a different story if you added the butter directly to a skillet that is 425 degrees. :)
Thanks Beth! That makes sense, I hadn’t thought of it that way. This recipe was delicious. Definitely making it again. Your site is getting me through basics of cooking. :)
It was okay but it got the whole family sick! Will not make again.
Salmonella probably got the whole family sick, if anything……..not the author’s fault…..
Exactly Lucy.
This is a easy awesome flavorful dish. I used Montreal chicken seasoning. So juicy. Served with mashed potatoes honey glazed carrots
I made this twice tonight! Seriously! It was that good! But both times I didn’t have the yum sauce. I followed the recipe, any idea why?
Hmmmm that’s interesting. There should have been at least a little from the butter melting off. Maybe your oven is quite a bit dryer than mine for some reason. This is a mystery! (And a tragedy because that yum sauce is seriously YUM.)
This Chicken was so juicy and tender I couldn’t stop eating it. The sauce is as you said perfect and yummy. I put it over my pasta and it was the best ever. I love your recipe and will always use it.
I usually don’t like dark meat chicken, but Sprouts had quarters on sale, so gave this recipe a shot. Some of the best chicken I’ve ever had. Made exactly as instructed. Thank you!
Would I change the cooking time if I just had the legs ???(with no thigh attached)
Yes, since they are smaller pieces they will probably cook faster. Unfortunately I’d need to test it to see just how long to cook them. :(
I made this with chicken thighs in an oven-proof skillet with a cover. I didn’t get enough juice to baste it halfway through as directed, but towards the end, the juice was there and yummy! I followed Beth’s seasoning idea, with lots of black pepper, butter, and lemon slices. And fresh thyme. The low and slow is SO GOOD! Fall off the bone. Beth, you really are making me a better cook. I love you!
I tried this and it was the best ever!!!! Could I use this recipe for a whole chicken???? Making one tonight and my boys adored this recipe
You could use a similar method, I’m just not sure how long it will take to cook. :)
Awesome recipe! I did uncover the chicken half way just to allow the sauce to evaporate/thicken a little but it was fantastic. The meat was falling off the bone. So tender. This will be a regular dinner staple in our home from now on. THANKS.
What would the cooking time be for frozen chicken? Mine has been in the oven for an hour and still raw inside. I just turned the temperature up to 425°f, I also still have the tin foil on
I wouldn’t suggest putting frozen chicken in the oven, it will lead to uneven cooking (the outside will cook far too fast for the inside). Always thaw the chicken first.
Thank you for this tip, I love chicken but always had the issue of uneven cooking. Never thought it being frozen would be the cause.
I just ordered the Instant Pot so I’m super excited for that version!
Chicken leg quarters were only 89 cents per lb., so I got a package for $4.49 that had FIVE chicken leg quarters! I didn’t feel like wrapping the other 3 up to freeze, so I assembled two casserole dishes full. First, I dipped each in a bowl of clean water (neater way to rinse chicken, so you are not splashing poultry wash water around like with traditional rinsing). Then I patted them dry and rubbed with butter. I was a little more liberal with my butter, and I am sure it ended up being more than 1/2 T per leg quarter! 😳 I also didn’t see that you rubbed the lemon pepper on all sides, so mine is all sprinkled on top. My lemon pepper has salt, so I didn’t need to add that. Wrapped both casserole dishes with foil and popped into the fridge. All I have to do tonight is pop them in the oven! Will be back to rate the recipe then.
So good! Wouldn’t change a thing. Served it over the chickpea rice pilaf and a side of roasted carrots. Since I had 5 leg quarters (dispersed between 2 pans) I did notice that the ones in the glass Pyrex dish crisped and browned at 20 minutes during the 425 degree step, and the ones in the Le Creuset casserole dish needed the full 30 minutes. I took the chicken from the extra cooked meat and shredded it with plans to use it in a matzo ball soup or casserole later this week.
Sorry, it keeps erasing my rating!
Making this right now (for Valentine’s Day) :) I love lemon pepper and simple chicken recipes. I just took it out at the 30 minute mark and there was no liquid to baste with! I added a bit of water since that’s what I had to do when I made turkey for the first time this past Thanksgiving…as long as the skin gets crispy and yummy at the end I’m sure it can’t go wrong!
Thanks again for the recipes and pictures!!
Verdict – it came out great! I threw it under the broiler for a couple extra minutes for optimal crispy skin :)
Making this again tonight with the remainders of the chicken package I bought last week! It looks like my rating didn’t go through so I’ll try again.
This is 100% one of the best recipes I’ve ever made, and it has 3 ingredients. Thanks, Beth!
This looks so simple! I’ll have to try it. I also eat a lot of leg meat so I can afford higher welfare standards
Made this for dinner tonight and it was spectacular. Husband and it bone dry. Super easy to make too. Thank you for such a helpful recipe.
I made this and it was the best roast chicken I have ever done. Ever.
I admit I had to adjust it a little. I only had chicken thighs. The package had 7 so I used my large stainless roasting pan instead of a smaller casserole dish. I used only butter, salt, and black pepper for seasoning. When it was done I made pan gravy with the drippings, using flour, rosemary, parsley, BTB chicken flavor, a cup of water, and a splash of chardonnay (which I never usually like in recipes, but I had some in the fridge, so I took a chance).
After tasting this my whole weekly meal plan went right out the window…that chicken was eaten with the pan gravy for three days straight. No using it for other recipes. It was that good! I’m so torn…should I make the gravy again or try other recipes with this chicken next week? Tough decision.
Thanks Beth for the inspiration!
Those are not chicken legs. They are chicken quarters …
Well, the grocery store where I bought them had them labeled as “chicken legs, whole”, so I guess people use different terms sometimes. :)
Here in New Zealand they are also called chicken legs!…
the quarter is the leg…..”quarter” is just more of a butcher term. but it is the whole leg versus just the drumstick or just the thigh.
I tried this last night and it was absolutely delish. I’m a newbie cook so the fact that this is a no-brainer recipe was awesome. Thanks!!
I do the same thing but in my crockpot. I make foil balls that I single layer in the pot then add the seasoned leg quarters. Since they are elevated they mimic a slow roast. I will then take them out and put them under the broiler to crisp up the skin. I also wanted to ask if you have ever used jasmine essence? I find it at Asian markets, it comes in small glass bottles for a couple of bucks. I add a scant 1/8 to 1/4 tsp to the water when I cook plain white rice and it comes out like more expensive jasmine. You can also find pineapple and coconut essence. These have no sugar in them so you can add them to savory or sweet dishes. I also like to add the pineapple to lemonade in the summer.
Ooh, I’ll have to see if I can find some jasmine essence! Thanks for that tip. :)
I also can’t wait to try this. I just bought chicken legs today. Beth, If I am using only the leg(not the leg/thigh) do I have to adjust the cooking time because it is a smaller portion?
You might need slightly less time, but as long as it’s covered tightly it shouldn’t be too big of a deal if they get extra time. They’ll just get more tender. Mine could have even gone a bit longer.
Looks delicious! I usually bake skin-on, bone-on chicken legs (like the ones you have here) for 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees and it comes out great. What’s the purpose of baking it so long at low heat first?
It helps break down the collagen, which gives it that super tender texture (think of slow cooked roasts or rotisserie chickens).
An interesting fact of the day: here in Australia this cut of chicken thigh + drumstick is called a Maryland. I have no idea why! And after 20 years of living here it still sounds very strange to ask for 5 chicken Marylands at the butchers!! But I do envy your prices. Marylands are still cheap but go for around $5/kilo (or $2.27/pound). At 39¢/pound, I’d be stuffing my freezer full of them! ;)
Interesting! :D
What timing! I made my first roast chicken tonight. We all love Rotisserie Chicken as well .. thought I’d try to do one myself. Came out amazing but in a fraction of the time. I flat roasted it – with kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the back bone to remove it. Flip chic over and press down to flatten. Season and cook skin side down in hot cast iron skillet for 3-4 minutes. Turn over and put skillet in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. I added some garlic and lemon juice to the pan drippings with a little butter for a pan sauce … it was amazing!
I will surely have to try this recipe – we eat a lot of chicken here! If you lurrrve you some Rotisserie Chicken, you should be making your own! Have you never heard of Sticky Chicken? A whole chicken you roast with a seasoning mix rubbed in for 5 hours at 250F. Best chicken ever!! And since you are going to have that oven on that long…….roast 2 chickens!
The seasoning rub:
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
add: 1 t Cajun Seasoning
or – Northwoods Seasoning from Penzey’s, sprinkled on heavily in place of the seasoning mix
2 3-4 lb. chickens, washed well, giblets removed and patted dry inside and outside
Rub seasoning rub all over chicken and inside the bird as well. Put In a plastic bag or wrap well in plastic and chill for 4-6 hours. Put chicken in a greased roasting pan and put a whole peeled onion in the cavity of the bird. Preheat the oven to 250F and roast for 5 hours to a minimum internal temperature of. 180F. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
this sounds so nice! You don’t have to worry about such low heat to roast, even though for a long time?
You’re safe from bacteria developing as it sits there so gently warmed?
Never have I heard of anyone getting sick from this recipe and I have made it since 2008 when I had my Personal Chef business. It is cooking – not just being gently warmed. If you are concerned, try putting the temp up to 275F or 300F and cook for about 4 hours. Be sure to check the internal temp of the bird in the thickest part of the thigh and in the breast also just to assure yourself that it has reached the 180F internal temperature. Check the internal temp about 1/2 hour before the time is up if you do increase the oven temp – dried out chicken is not good eats!
Okay, that just sounds TOO GOOD to not try. I hate cooking whole chickens (I have a mental issue with it), but I might have to try it anyway. ;) Thanks for sharing!
I made this tonight – it was SO GOOD! I used Chinese 5 spice powder and it was good! I want to pick up some lemon pepper seasoning for next time. I also didn’t use butter and used olive oil instead. I love your recipes, keep them coming! Thank you!
Simple and delicious! Oven roasted chicken with lemon-pepper seasoning is one of the dishes my husband gets cravings for!
Perfect timing! Chicken legs were on sale for $0.39/lb last week so I bought a bunch (because you can’t beat that price) with no plan in mind. These look great; looking forward to pulling them out of the freezer.
I just bought a bunch of chicken legs with the idea of making something similar and then saving the bones to make stock. Think I’ll make this for dinner tonight to go with the rice dish I was going to make.
I’ve also made this with garam masala dusted on top (super tasty, accompanied by a spiced rice). It’s so versatile!
And then you can use the bones to make chicken broth.
I usually buy chicken thighs 6 at a time (we’re a family of 3). First day gets roasted thighs, second day gets leftovers in some sort of sauce (usually on rice), usually we get enough meat left for a sanwich or two the following lunch, and then we get 2-3 days of soup lunches made from the chicken broth. Chicken stretches out so well!
I love how simple this recipe is. I just got some lemon pepper seasoning, and butter with lemon pepper sounds so good.
Ha-ha. This brings back memories of when I didn’t know how to cook. I’d do a chicken leg w/basil (not my fav herb) and serve w/ricearoni. Yuuuuck. I’m sure the butter & choosing an herb I like would help.
Someone I know thinks that “seasoning” means to marinate virtually all meats in Italian dressing. (:
I was in my local market yesterday and the leg quarters were .59 a pound. Maybe I will get some and try your technique.
Chicken legs just showed up in my weekly grocery flyer for $.49/lb. Was wishing it was warm enough to grill (LOVE grilled chicken legs) but this recipe convinced me to buy a pack and give this a whirl. Looks delicious!
Oh gosh yes. I have an Instant Pot and would love, love, looooove an Instant Pot Budget Bytes recipe 😆💛
Yes please on trying things out in the Instant Pot! I just bought one over the holidays, and would love to see your take on some recipes for it!
Me, too! I am in need of more recipes for my brand new Instant Pot!