Easy dinner recipe that is healthy and great for entertaining! Moist, tasty chicken legs with a side of carrots all roasted together with lemons and herbs. Don’t be afraid to cook with chicken leg quarters. They require little preparation and the result is extra flavor!
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken leg quarters, rinsed and patted dry
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sage
1 Â tsp rosemary
6 cloves garlic (1 minced, 5 smashed)
1/2 onion, sliced
6 carrots, thickly sliced
2 lemons (1 whole, 1 sliced)
10-15 sprigs thyme
DIRECTIONS
1) Move oven rack to top 1/3 of oven. Preheat at 450 degrees.
2) Cut a small slit in skin of each chicken quarter and slide 1 Tbsp butter into each slit underneath skin.
3) Spread onions, 5 smashed garlic, and lemon slices on bottom of a deep casserole dish or roasting pan. Place carrots around edges of same dish. Place chicken quarters in center of dish.
4) Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sage, rosemary, and minced garlic in small dish and mix well. Pour over chicken.
5) Take whole lemon and roll and press to loosen juices. Cut in half and squeeze juice over entire dish. Evenly spread sprigs of thyme on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6) Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered until juices run clear when cutting into meat or internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
TIP
If you would rather use drumsticks or chicken breasts, reduce cooking temperature to 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cover dish with chicken breasts to keep it moist. To make this meal extra healthy, skip the butter and take off the skin after it has been cooked.
Makes 4 servings.
475.3 cal; 27 g fat; 15.6 g carb; 4.3 g fiber; 38.6 g protein
