These Easy Oven Baked Chicken are a weeknight staple in my home. It’s one of those dishes that require very little to no advance preparation while providing a nutritious meal packed with protein, fibre, fat and flavour. I make it in my oven but an air fryer would also do the job nicely.
How to make Easy Oven Baked Chicken
The chicken: Use an entire leg of a chicken, that includes the thigh and drumstick, per person. You could make this dish with just drumsticks or chicken thighs. I prefer and recommend leaving the skin on, which keeps the meat moist and becomes deliciously golden and crispy. It’s probably my most favourite part of the dish. Chicken skin is full of collagen, good for bone, hair and skin health.
The vegetables: Choose a selection of 2 or 3 in-season vegetables that will hold-up well to roasting in the oven. So carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, whole green beans, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, pumpkin, all work beautifully. Go with what you like; just ensure that you cut them into fairly thick batons. This way, the veggies will roast and keep their shape. Nobody likes eating mushy veg.
The marinade: Make a simple seasoning or marinade of ground spices and dried herbs such as paprika, black pepper, chilli powder, thyme, oregano or a mixed herbs along with a couple of grated garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Use the back of a teaspoon or your index finger (with short nails) to gently separate the skin from the meat without displacing or tearing the skin. Rub some of the marinade as far under the skin as possible and on the underside (skinless side) of the thigh and marinade the chicken for 30 mins, or even longer in the fridge. Reserve some of the seasoning to toss the vegetables in before baking.
Baking: I arrange the chicken in individual serving dishes but it’s fine to put them in a single, large, rectangular baking dish. Nestle the vegetables around the chicken and be generous, because they will shrink as they release moisture during baking. Bake for 25-30 mins at 220℃, till the chicken and veggies are beautifully golden and cooked through. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 74℃.
And that is pretty much all there is to this Easy Oven Baked Chicken recipe. It is quick, fuss-free cooking at its best. I would go so far as to say that even when you’re entertaining, these Easy Oven Baked Chicken will impress your guests if just jazz up the dish with a larger variety of vegetables and baste the finished dish with a little butter during the final 5 minutes of cooking for that extra shiny skin. Serve it with crusty bread or it by itself, and it’ll be just as delicious.
Easy Oven Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken legs (thigh+drumstick), skin on
- 1 zucchini, cut into batons
- 2 carrots, cut into batons
For the marinade
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt
- olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl.
- Gently loosen the skin of the chicken using the back of a teaspoon or your index finger, taking care not to tear the skin. Rub some of the marinade under the skin and some over. Reserve the rest. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 min or up to overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 220℃. Place the chicken legs, skin side up, in 2 oven-safe baking dishes. Toss the vegetables in the remaining marinade and arrange around the chicken.
- Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes until the skin is golden and and the internal temperature is 74℃. The vegetables should also be lightly golden and cooked by then. Serve warm.