Recipe Background

You can use this recipe for Roasted Rosemary Chicken to turn economical chicken leg quarters into a flavorful dinner. This recipe uses a two part cooking process. First you create a crispy crust with a fresh rosemary spice rub, then keep the meat tender with a lemony onion sauce. If you are unfamiliar with how to use fresh rosemary, I've included some directions.

Roasted Rosemary Chicken

6-8 bone in leg quarters (leg attached to the thigh), with skin removed

Rosemary Rub:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (see cook’s notes)
¼ teaspoons each salt and black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika

Lemon Sauce:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ large onion
½ cup white wine (or chicken broth)
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest (lemon peel)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place skinless chicken in a large baking dish with 2” sides. Mix together the rosemary rub and pour over chicken, rubbing it in with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the lemon sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and turn off heat. After the chicken has baked for 20 minutes, pour the lemon sauce over the chicken and bake an additional 40 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Cook’s notes: When using fresh rosemary, remove the rosemary from the stalk by placing two fingers from each hand at the top of the stalk and pull two fingers from one hand down toward the base of the stalk. The rosemary leaves will fall right off the stalk (don’t use the stalk in this recipe). When grating the lemon zest, it’s easier to have a dry lemon. Just grate the yellow portion and it’s easier to grate the lemon first before juicing it.

Serves 6-8 and leftovers are yummy for lunch.

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