Baked chicken legs are easy to prepare, inexpensive and, most importantly, tasty. Their baking allows you to get a juicy flavorful meat and crisp. Preparing them is just as simple - all you have to do is mix the chicken legs with your favorite spices, put them in a preheated oven. Below are the various cooking options for the legs.
A recipe for delicious chicken legs in the oven is a great idea for a quick main course that your family will appreciate. Baked chicken is considered one of the most popular and favorite dishes of all. To make it more aromatic and appetizing, it is advisable to marinate the legs in advance so that they stand in a mixture of spices for several hours or even a whole day. However, some recipes require quick processing and subsequent baking of chicken meat. You can cook chicken legs with or without a crispy crust or breading - it all depends on your personal preferences. You can even make both chicken and a side dish to it, baking chicken legs along with potatoes and other vegetables. In this case, the vegetables will be soaked in meat juice and will become much tastier than boiled or fried separately.
As a separately prepared side dish, rice, mashed potatoes or pasta, as well as a salad of fresh vegetables, are ideal. It all depends on your imagination and personal wishes.
Chicken legs with honey
This is one of the classic options for cooking chicken. For this recipe for making chicken legs in the oven, you will need:
- 2 legs;
- 2 tablespoons butter;
- 2 tablespoons olive oil;
- a quarter cup of flour;
- teaspoon of fine salt;
- half a spoon of garlic powder;
- a quarter of a spoon of ground pepper;
- a third of a glass of honey;
- a quarter cup of brown sugar;
- juice of half a lemon.
How to bake chicken legs with honey?
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. To make sure your oven is hot and you can start baking chicken in it, start pre-heating at the seasoning mixing stage. A step-by-step recipe for chicken legs in the oven is as follows.
Remove the legs from the packaging and rinse them thoroughly under cool, running water. Remove dangling pieces of fat or skin. After that, dry the meat with paper towels. This will help the flavors to better absorb in the meat, and also allow the skin to become crispy during cooking. Put the prepared chicken legs on a plate.
Combine salt, garlic powder, flour and pepper in a large plastic bag with zipper. Put the legs there and fasten the bag. Shake it to mix well until all parts of the chicken are evenly coated.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a metal or glass pan in the oven. Remove it when the oil has completely melted and mixed. It takes only a few minutes. Remember to use the kitchen gloves so that you don’t burn your hands when you are grasping the hot pan.
Place the spiced chicken legs in a baking sheet with a mixture of oil. Use forceps to prevent dusting off the pieces. Bake for 30 minutes.
While the legs are baked, place the pan over medium heat and add honey, brown sugar and lemon to it. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, and then remove the pan from the stove.
Remove the chicken legs from the oven and pour the honey mixture on them. Put back in the oven and bake for another 35 minutes, until the skin is crispy and brown. Serve such legs with vegetables, rice or potatoes of your choice.
Spicy hot legs
This recipe for chicken legs in the oven is ideal for lovers of savory and spicy dishes. It will require:
- 2 chicken legs;
- 200 grams of unsalted butter;
- a quarter of a spoon cayenne tea pepper;
- teaspoon of fine salt;
- half a spoon of black pepper;
- half a glass of fresh lemon juice.
Cooking spicy legs
The recipe for chicken legs in the oven looks like this. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Rinse the chicken legs under the tap with cold water, and then dry with paper towels.
Put the oil in a pan, put it on the stove, turn on a moderate fire. After it melts, add cayenne and black pepper, salt and lemon juice and mix to combine into one mass. Remove the pan from the stove.
Using a pair of tongs, place each leg in the oil mixture one at a time. Turn each piece over several times until it is completely covered. Then place the legs in a metal or glass pan.
Put in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Then check for readiness. Chicken legs will be cooked when the skin becomes crispy and golden brown. Serve with mashed potatoes and salad.
Rosemary legs
This recipe for chicken legs in the oven involves the use of breading, which allows you to get a crispy appetizing crust. In total you will need:
- 2 chicken legs;
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced in minced meat;
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, crushed leaves;
- 4 cups dry bread crumbs;
- pepper and salt;
- a glass of milk;
- 2 eggs;
- a glass of flour;
- olive oil.
Cooking garlic rosemary legs
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Wash and dry the legs, put on a dry plate. Place the flour in a shallow pan. Combine the eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Stir rosemary, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a third separate bowl. A recipe with a photo of chicken legs in the oven looks like this.
Using a pair of cooking tongs, cover each leg with spices one at a time. Dip it first in flour, then in eggs, and then in a mixture of garlic and rosemary. Place the coated chicken pieces in a glass or metal baking dish coated with olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes. The legs will be ready when their surface becomes rosy and crispy. Serve with green beans and wild rice, other side dishes of your choice.
Leg with basil
Seasoning basil always gives an interesting taste to dishes. If you do not have it fresh, you can use dried. This will not greatly change the taste of the finished dish. To make the baked chicken legs more tasty and piquant, garlic should be added to the basil. Another trick used in this recipe for chicken legs in the oven is adding melted butter. Baked chicken legs can be served with rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. You can also add some salad or various vegetables to them. In total you will need:
- 3 large chicken legs;
- salt and pepper;
- a quarter cup of molten unsalted butter;
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or tablespoon freshly chopped);
- a quarter of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
How to cook chicken legs with basil?
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Place the legs in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine the melted butter with basil and garlic powder. Spread the legs with this mixture on all sides. Bake for 1.5 hours.
Asian option
If you are not a big fan of spicy foods, add fewer seasonings. Below is an interesting recipe for chicken legs in the oven, which involves the use of aromatic ingredients such as lime, thyme, ginger, garlic and maple syrup.
You combine zest and lime juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, ginger, soy sauce and mix them with chicken legs in a plastic bag, cooling for several hours. After that, all you have to do is put pieces of chicken and marinade in the baking pan, sprinkle with your favorite ready-made seasoning or just salt, and bake. The recipe with a photo of the legs in the oven according to this method is indicated below.
As you can see, this is done very simply. Serve this delicious dish with boiled rice, Asian noodles or with potatoes. All you need is the following:
- 1 kg of whole chicken legs;
- 2 tablespoons lime zest;
- juice from 2 medium limes;
- 4 garlic cloves, minced;
- a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar;
- half a glass of maple syrup;
- a glass of olive oil;
- tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves;
- tablespoon chopped fresh ginger;
- teaspoon of soy sauce;
- teaspoon of fine salt;
- teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
How to cook chicken legs?
The recipe with a photo of step by step chicken legs in the oven is performed like this. In a medium bowl, mix the zest and lime juice, garlic, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, thyme, ginger and soy sauce. Put the legs in a large plastic bag with a zipper and pour the marinade there. Seal the contents of the package, put in the refrigerator for 3 hours or at night.
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Transfer the legs to the baking dish and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve hot.
Chicken legs on a pillow of vegetables
This baked chicken dish is a good idea for a quick and satisfying dinner. To prepare it requires only one container and very little time for cutting the ingredients. You can follow this chicken legs recipe in the oven with any vegetables you have on hand: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, broccoli. As seasoning, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices are used here. All you need:
- 1 kg of chicken legs;
- a mixture of your favorite vegetables (onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes and / or broccoli);
- olive oil;
- 1-2 tablespoons of art. balsamic vinegar;
- salt and pepper;
- fresh parsley (chopped);
- dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano).
How to make chicken legs with vegetables?
Cooking chicken legs in the oven according to the recipe below is very easy. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Wash and peel your favorite vegetables, then cut them into small pieces. Make a chicken pillow out of them by placing the baking dish on the bottom. Pour olive oil, balsamic vinegar, season with salt, pepper and herbs.
Wipe chicken legs with olive oil, then generously sprinkle with pepper and salt, put on top of vegetables in one layer.
Bake for an hour, that is, until the chicken is ready. Put the legs on a serving platter. Stir the vegetables in a baking dish and fry for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with chopped fresh parsley.
Chicken legs with potatoes
To prepare this dish, you need to bake chicken legs on a "pillow" of potatoes and cabbage. Meat juices will drain onto vegetables and make them juicy. Preparation of components takes only 10 minutes, and the finished dish can be done in 8 or more servings. In addition, after cooking, long cleaning is not required, since you will use only one baking sheet, and the dish can be served on the table right in it. A detailed recipe with a photo of the legs in the oven with potatoes is indicated below. In total you will need:
- 800 grams of tender young cabbage without stalks and stalks;
- 800 grams of young potatoes, cut into pieces 7 mm thick;
- 1 medium onion, thinly chopped;
- a quarter cup of olive oil;
- salt and freshly ground pepper;
- 8 whole chicken legs;
- teaspoon of paprika.
How to make baked chicken legs with potatoes?
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. In a very large baking sheet, put the cabbage, potatoes and onions, smeared with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, smooth.
Rub the legs with salt and pepper, sprinkle with paprika and spread on top of the vegetables. Cover the baking sheet with foil. Bake the legs in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes until the chicken becomes rosy and the vegetables tender. Transfer the legs to a plate and spoon the vegetables nearby. Serve with lemon slices. This is a universal recipe for chicken legs in the oven. The combination of chicken, herbs and potatoes is a great meal in itself, but it will also be delicious with homemade hummus or other light sauces such as cucumber and yogurt.
Breaded legs
This is another crispy breading option. If you take ready-made crackers, you just have to stir them with spices. If you use fresh bread, you need to dry it in the oven or toaster and chop it. For this, a blender or a regular wooden rolling pin may be suitable. In addition, as a breading, you can take not only crackers, but also crushed corn flakes or chips. For this chicken legs recipe in the oven you will need:
- 1 cup boiled rice;
- half a glass of breadcrumbs or 2 slices of bread;
- 1 tablespoon onion powder;
- 1 tablespoon paprika;
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard;
- half a teaspoon of coriander seeds;
- half a teaspoon of crushed caraway seeds;
- celery salt;
- fine salt;
- a quarter of a spoon of cayenne pepper;
- 2 tablespoons olive oil;
- 4 chicken legs;
- 1 egg, slightly beaten.
How to cook breaded chicken legs?
Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add oil and whisk until completely combined. Set aside. The recipe for crispy legs in the oven is as follows.
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat it to 200 ° C. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the chicken legs with the beaten egg. Shake to remove excess layer and apply breading mixture evenly. Place the chicken legs on the baking sheet with the skin facing up. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the meat is soft. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.
Ginger and garlic legs
You can make chicken legs in this oven with or without a crust. It all depends on whether the whole foil will be used during the whole baking process or partially. You will need the following ingredients:
- half a glass of soy sauce;
- a quarter cup of dark brown sugar;
- 3 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger;
- 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 5 medium prongs);
- 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil;
- 1 teaspoon freshly frozen black pepper;
- 1.5 kg of chicken legs.
Put all the ingredients on the list, with the exception of the legs, in the baking dish and mix thoroughly. Put the pieces of chicken in one layer in the marinade and rub them well on all sides of the meat. Cover with foil, refrigerate and marinate for 12 hours.
Remove the pan from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220 ° C and place the rack in the middle. Turn all the legs to the sides, bake for about 40 minutes. Remove foil and fry for about five more minutes. Serve with the remaining marinade in the sauce. Garnish can be prepared at any discretion. Legs are cooked not only for the holidays, but also for everyday dinner. This is a hearty and tasty dish that will delight the whole family.