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Golden Baked Chicken Legs with Garlic and Dijon arranged on a blue plate with fresh herbs.
Linda

Baked Chicken Legs with Garlic and Dijon

Crispy, golden chicken legs coated in a tangy, garlicky Dijon sauce that turns weeknight dinner into something worth slowing down for.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, French-Inspired
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2.5 lbs chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs) about 4-5 pieces, patted dry
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Garlic-Dijon Sauce
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped
To Finish
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
  • Small Bowl (for sauce)
  • Instant-Read Thermometer

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Pat chicken legs completely dry with paper towels - this is what gets you crispy skin. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between pieces. Season all over with salt and pepper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, and thyme until smooth. The mixture will be thick and fragrant.
  3. Brush or spoon the Dijon mixture evenly over the chicken, coating the top and sides. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads 165F. The sauce will have formed a crusty, deeply browned coating.
  4. Let rest 5 minutes on the pan - the juices will redistribute and the coating will set slightly. Transfer to a platter, spoon any pan drippings over top, and scatter with fresh parsley.

Notes

For extra-crispy skin, broil the chicken for the final 2-3 minutes - watch closely so the mustard glaze doesn't burn. This sauce works beautifully on bone-in pork chops too; just reduce bake time to 25-30 minutes. Make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the fridge; the garlic flavor will actually deepen.