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.
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!