Easy Lime Roasted Juicy & Flavorful Chicken Legs

Hummm so here’s a fantastic way to roast chicken, i would say its very similar to lemon or orange chicken, but this time around I cut back a little on the fat and only used chicken legs. It’s one of those recipes that just works , and the lime gives it this bright, fresh twist that makes it feel a little more savoury than your usual chicken roast.

The secret here is building a little bed of onion, carrot, and garlic at the bottom of the pan. The chicken sits right on top of it, soaking up all those flavors as it roasts, and the vegetables become this incredible, sweet, and savory base that you’ll want to eat with a spoon straight out of the pan, it also keeps the chicken not in contact with the bottom of the pan. The soy sauce adds just enough depth to tie everything together without overpowering the lime.

And if you’re smart about it, it’s a great way to make a big pile of roasted chicken all at once, so you can use the leftovers for all kinds of dishes, from tortilla wraps to chicken rice. Honestly, once you try it, you’ll wonder why you ever made it any other way. Let’s check the recipe!

Easy Lime Roasted Juicy & Flavorful Chicken Legs

Servings: 2
Time: 55mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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This is a great and simple roasted chicken recipe, just season and roast, nothing to it!

Ingredients

Chicken – 2 Legs
Lime – 1
Onion – 1 Large
Carrot – 1 Large
Garlic – 2 Cloves
Bay Leaf – 1 Leaf
Olive Oil – A Drizzle
Soy Sauce – A Drizzle
Sweet Paprika – A Pinch
Smoked Paprika – A Pinch
Oregano – A Pinch
Thyme – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and prepare a Pyrex dish or ovenproof pan.

Cut the onions and carrots into cubes and place them at the bottom, followed by the chopped garlic to make a bed for the chicken.
Season with a drizzle of olive oil, pepper, paprika, dried oregano, and salt.
Then add the two chicken thighs, season everything with soy sauce, olive oil, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, pepper, and salt.

Finally, add the bay leaf and cut the lime into thin slices and arrange them on top of the chicken, seal with aluminium foil. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender.
If you are unsure if the chicken is cooked, pierce it with a knife; if the liquid comes out clear, it is cooked through, if a reddish liquid or blood comes out, it needs to cook a little longer.
In the last 10 minutes, remove the foil and let the top brown, when it’s done and tender, remove from the oven and it’s ready to serve! Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: When cutting the lime, try to get the slices as thin as possible. Thin slices release more juice onto the chicken as it roasts and they also look really nice on top.

Don’t skip the vegetable bed. It’s not just for flavor, it also lifts the chicken off the bottom of the pan so it roasts more evenly and doesn’t sit in its own fat.

The soy sauce might seem like an odd choice here, but it adds a subtle savory depth that works really well with the lime. Don’t be tempted to skip it or add too much, just a light drizzle is all you need.

If you want crispier skin, crank the oven up to 200°C (392°F) for the last 10 minutes. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out.

To check if the chicken is fully cooked without a knife, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg should read at least 74°C (165°F).

This recipe scales up really easily. If you’re feeding a crowd or just want leftovers for the week, double or triple the number of chicken legs and use a bigger pan. Leftover chicken is amazing shredded into tortilla wraps, mixed into chicken rice, tossed in a salad, or stuffed into a sandwich the next day.

This recipe for Easy Lime Roasted Juicy & Flavorful Chicken Legs was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Pernas de Frango Assadas com Lima foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.