14 Anytime Chicken Leg Recipes

Fish Sauce-Caramel Chicken
Photo: Christopher Testani

This versatile cut of poultry doesn't just belong on the grill; there are plenty of tasty ways to enjoy chicken legs. From spice-braised chicken legs with red wine and tomato to French classics like chicken Dijon and coq au vin, get inspired by these delicious and satisfying chicken recipes.

01 of 14

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon
Con Poulos

Food & Wine culinary editor at large Justin Chapple's roast chicken legs drip meaty, delicious fat onto a smoky, peppery bed of potatoes, red onion, and crispy croutons.

02 of 14

Spice-Braised Chicken Legs with Red Wine and Tomato

Spice-Braised Chicken Legs with Red Wine and Tomato. Photo © Tina Rupp
© Tina Rupp

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's mother, Maria, the legendary cookbook editor at W.W. Norton, made a version of this lightly spicy dish when Guarnaschelli was a kid. Alex has adapted the recipe by adding red wine.

03 of 14

Chilaquiles-Style Roasted Chicken Legs

Chilaquiles-Style Roasted Chicken Legs
© Kana Okada

Chilaquiles is a baked Mexican dish that's often made with leftover shredded chicken, tortilla strips, and cheese. In her more substantial and refined version, former F&W editor Grace Parisi bakes whole chicken legs with tomatoes, hominy, jalapenos, and tortilla chips.

04 of 14

Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale

Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale
© TINA RUPP

For this easy one-pan dish, chicken legs are roasted on a bed of potatoes and kale so the meaty juices keep the vegetables moist. Prep takes just 10 minutes and the resulting meal serves eight or makes for excellent leftovers. There's very little clean-up as everything bakes up together and can be served straight from the pan.

05 of 14

Chicken Legs Marinated in Yogurt and Spices

Chicken Legs Marinated in Yogurt and Spices
© Helene Dujardin

This pungent cumin and coriander-spiked marinade is reminiscent of restaurant tandoori spicing ⁠— without the scary red dye. The yogurt helps the spices penetrate and tenderize the meat. Also try the marinade with pork medallions and lamb leg or blade steaks.

06 of 14

Breaded Oven-Baked Chicken Legs

Breaded Oven Baked Chicken Legs
© Ian Knauer

If you have seasoned breadcrumbs instead of panko, you can use them here — the resulting texture will still be crispy but won't have quite the same crackle that panko provides. Whichever you choose, make sure to include the Parmesan cheese with this baked chicken.

07 of 14

Wine-Baked Chicken Legs with Marjoram

Wine-Baked Chicken Legs with Marjoram
© Sarah Bolla

The pungent marjoram in the creamy sauce for this crisp-skinned chicken might seem like it would overwhelm the aromas of melon and honeysuckle in a New Zealand Chardonnay. But lightly oaked Chardonnay can stand up to foods with strong flavors like fresh herbs as long as the dish has some richness.

08 of 14

Chicken Legs Coq au Vin

Chicken Legs Coq au Vin
Con Poulos

Coq au vin is typically made with a cut-up chicken; this version from chef Eric Ripert uses only drumsticks, so the meat cooks uniformly in the rich red wine sauce.

09 of 14

Fish Sauce–Caramel Chicken

Fish Sauce-Caramel Chicken
Christopher Testani

This delicious take on ga kho gung, Vietnamese caramelized chicken with ginger and fish sauce, is sweetened with shallots, garlic, and palm sugar.

10 of 14

Chicken Dijon

Chicken Dijon. Photo © Johnny Valiant

© Johnny Valiant

Cookbook author Melissa Clark's favorite part of the chicken is the drumstick because it's juicy and easy to brown. She likes using only drumsticks in this mustardy stew — thickened with tangy crème fraîche — so that all the meat cooks at the same rate. 

11 of 14

Lu Jitui (Braised Soy Sauce Chicken)

Lu Jitui

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This classic comfort dish often found in Taiwanese bento boxes features chicken legs cooked with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing rice wine. A touch of sugar balances the salty, savory soy and lends the dish a subtle sweetness, while garlic cloves, scallions, star anise, and bay leaf deepen the flavor of the braising liquid. The chicken legs are braised until the meat is juicy, tender, and falling off the bone.

12 of 14

Coconut Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
Carson Downing

The addition of coconut milk, while not part of every adobo recipe, softens the bright vinegar in this version, inspired by sommelier June Rodil, who adds just enough to make the dish super wine-friendly. “I was born in the Philippines, and this is the staple there. Like, if you can’t make it, we’re talking disinheritance," Rodil says.

13 of 14

Citrus and Fennel Chicken with Olives and Calabrian Chiles

Citrus and Fennel Chicken with Olives and Calabrian Chiles
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

A mix of citrus, buttery olives, and spicy, oil-packed chiles punches up the flavor of braised chicken leg quarters. Toasted fennel seeds and dry sherry add a pleasant warmth to the sauce, which begs to be served with a baguette for sopping. 

14 of 14

Poul Nan Sos (Haitian Chicken in Sauce)

Poul Nan Sos (Haitian Chicken in Sauce)
Eva Kosmas Flores

"When I was a kid, we often left Queens on Sunday mornings to visit Mémère, my paternal grandmother, in New Jersey," chef Gregory Gourdet writes. "Along with warm kisses and a few words of broken English, this chicken stew would greet us. Its official name (poul nan sos in Haitian Creole or "chicken in sauce") is quite an understatement. The meat is marinated overnight with onions, garlic, thyme, and chiles along with citrus, and then rubbed forcefully onto the chicken to access the fragrant oils. After the meat takes on all that flavor, it's stewed with the marinade and loads of bell peppers for a satisfying, thrilling stew." 

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