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Baked Chicken Legs with Best Marinade

Prep Time: 6 hours
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes
Baked Chicken Legs recipe with garlic, lemon and dijon. An easy and excellent chicken marinade with so much flavor. Learn the secret to great chicken legs! | natashaskitchen.com
Baked Chicken Legs recipe with garlic, lemon and dijon. An easy and excellent chicken marinade with so much flavor. The longer you marinate this, the better (at least 6 hours and ideally overnight).
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken legs
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $7-$9
Calories: 179 kcal
Servings: 14 chicken legs or drumsticks

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs 14 count Chicken Legs or drumsticks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, (Use light oil, not extra virgin)
  • 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 4 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice from 1 large lemon
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp salt, (we use fine sea salt)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients and stir or whisk together until well blended .

  2. Transfer chicken legs to a large mixing bowl or a large ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss with your hands to evenly coat the chicken, pushing some of the marinade under the skin of each chicken leg for richer flavor. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate 6 hours or overnight, tossing chicken once while marinating.

  3. Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or a silpat. Arrange chicken skin-side-down and bring chicken to room temp while oven preheats. Brush chicken legs with any extra marinade left in the mixing bowl. Bake at 400˚F in the center of oven for 25 minutes skin-side-down then turn the chicken legs over and bake additional 25 minutes skin-side-up. For crispier skin, broil on high heat 2 to 3 minutes or until skins have browned.*

Recipe Notes

*For extra flavor, brush chicken legs with the lemony sauce drippings in the baking pan after they come out of the oven and serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

Note: Much of the oil, marinade and salt will end up in the bottom of the pan and discarded after baking which makes it difficult to gauge the nutrition facts on this recipe. 

Nutrition Facts
Baked Chicken Legs with Best Marinade
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 68mg23%
Sodium 419mg18%
Potassium 165mg5%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 160IU3%
Vitamin C 3.1mg4%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0.6mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.