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.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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.
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!