There's something about this time of year that makes me crave roast chicken (case in point, this other one-pan spicy roast chicken I posted just over 5 years ago).
I guess it's because it feels like the perfect food to straddle the hearty comfort foods of winter with the lighter flavours of spring and summer.
This particular take on roast chicken feels like the perfect in-between dish for an in-between season.
There's plenty of crispy-skinned chicken and golden roast potatoes to help satisfying that comfort food craving, along with slices of Meyer lemon and whole asparagus for a pop of bright spring sunshine.
The kicker is a vibrant Meyer lemon and grainy mustard dressing that's drizzled on at the end to tie it all together. (Can't find Meyers? No problem... regular lemons are a perfectly fine substitute.)
The Perfect One-Pan Meal for Busy Weeknights
This is the kind of meal that's pretty much built for those crazy-busy workdays, because it's just a matter to tossing everything in the pan as soon as you walk in the door and then letting the oven do the rest of the work.
The best part, though, is that it literally uses only one pan, meaning there's minimal cleanup to do after you've finished gobbling up your dinner.
In a word, it's a lazy girl's best friend. Particularly if said lazy girl wants to enjoy a walk to soak up the last bit of late-evening sunshine, or was planning on curling up on the couch to watch the season finale for that show she's been hate-watching for the last couple of months. (C'mon, admit it. You've totally got one of those shows on your list.)
More Easy and Delicious Recipes for Chicken Legs
Chicken legs quarters are totally underappreciated, in my opinion.
Not only are they way more flavourful than more popular cuts of chicken (yeah, I'm talking about you, boneless skineless breasts), they're also incredibly affordable. The only catch is that they take a little longer to cook, but think about that as an opportunity to build up extra layers of flavour.
Here are a few other delicious ways to enjoy chicken leg quarters:
- Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Lemon and Olives from Crumb
- Maple Roasted Chicken Quarters from Homemade in the Kitchen
- Oven Baked Tandoori Chicken from Recipe Tin Eats
- One-Pan Smothered Chicken from The Salty Marshmallow
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One Pan Meyer Lemon Chicken Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This easy one-pan meal delivers loads of delicious, lemony flavour with minimal prep (and even better, minimal dirty dishes to clean up!) It's especially delicious with Meyer lemons, but regular lemons are a perfectly good substitute if you can't find Meyers.
Ingredients
- 1 lb red-skinned baby potatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
- 4 chicken leg quarters, cut into drumsticks and thighs
- 2 Meyer lemons, cut into thick slices
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
Meyer Lemon Dressing:
- ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp old-fashioned grainy mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- In a large roasting pan, toss the potatoes with 2 tsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper until evenly coated. Spread out into an even layer.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry. Season all over with the remaining salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables, making sure the thighs are skin side up, and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices around the pan, and top off with the rosemary sprigs.
- Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken skin is golden and crisp. Scatter the asparagus over the chicken and potatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, and drizzle all over the contents of the pan.
- Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for about 10-15 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown and a quick-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165F on the thickest part of the chicken. Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Main
Terri@foodmeanderings says
This looks delicious, easy and healthy - love it!
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says
This is totally my kind of meal. Perfect for this not-quite-spring/summer weather too!
Bella Sears says
This looks delicious and easy to make.
Karen Ahmed says
Looks perfect and so healthy!!!