One of my favorite things to cook up in big batches are these spicy, roasted chicken legs, which I coat in a mixture of butter, lemon juice, and seasonings, then roast in the oven. They’re great hot, they’re great cold, and they’re nice and portable, which can come in handy when people around you often have to grab something to eat when they’re headed out the door.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. In this case, 1 tablespoon of Morton’s Hot Salt. You can use whatever seasonings makes your skirt fly up, be it minced garlic, salt and Cayenne pepper ... let your imagination run wild. Stir it together until combined. Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings. Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown.

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Well, I don’t know about the whole “fun” business, but I do know that I like this recipe. Living out in the country, I have to think in bulk. I have to buy in bulk, stock in bulk, and when it comes to the appetites of my husband and a bunch of hungry cowboys and kids, I often have to cook in bulk. One of my favorite things to cook up in big batches are these spicy, roasted chicken legs, which I coat in a mixture of butter (duh), lemon juice, and seasonings, then roast in the oven. They’re great hot, they’re great cold, and they’re nice and portable, which can come in handy when people around you often have to grab something to eat when they’re headed out the door. But unlike fried chicken legs, which, while tasty, can often mask the true chicken flavor, these roasted legs simply allow the yummy chicken flavor to shine through.

Oh! I almost forgot! They’re totally delicious. Come on…I’ll show you.



The Cast of Characters: Chicken Legs, Butter, Lemon Juice, and Seasonings. (I use Morton’s Hot Salt, but the world is your oyster. Spice wise, anyway.)









Now, I cooked about 24 chicken legs, so I melted 2 sticks regular butter in a saucepan.









Then, either cut a few lemons in half…OR find the bottled lemon juice in the far reaches of the fridge. Sometimes, fresh lemon is the best choice. But for this? It just…doesn’t…matter.









See? I chose the bottled stuff, just to spite whoever doesn’t like bottled lemon juice. I’m a middle child that way.









Either way, measure abotu 1/2 cup of lemon juice…









And pour it into the melted butter.









Now, you can use ANY seasonings that appeal to you. Sometimes I add a bunch of minced garlic , some salt, and cayenne pepper. But a year or so ago, I discovered this stuff. It’s salty, spicy, and a little smoky, too, and Marlboro Man likes it.









I use about 1 tablespoon.









And I just dump it right into the butter/lemon juice mixture.









Now stir it together well…









And be sure to stick your finger in and give it a taste. Add more spiciness if you’ve got the guts. (Note: When you stick your finger in, remember to remove it quickly. That butter is HOT.









Thoroughly rinse your chicken legs.









And with tongs, transfer chicken legs to the butter mixture one by one.









Tilt the pan if you need to, and slosh the chicken around until thoroughly coated.









Remove each chicken leg to a baking rack.









And before you pop them in the oven, give ’em another coat of the butter mixture.









I love this trusty, rusty (literally) old brush. I love rust. It keeps my skin dewy and fresh.









Now, give them another sprinkle of seasoning. Don’t be shy! Lay it on, baby.









And now they’re ready to roast! Pop ’em in a 400-degree oven for exactly thirty minutes. How easy is that?









After thirty minutes, they should be nice and golden brown. But if they could use just a little more color, turn the broiler on high and let ’em sit under it for a minute or two. That’s what I did.









And it added just a hint of depth to the skin. Mmmm…look at all that crispy black stuff underneath. Normally, it would be the start of a great pan sauce…but today I just can’t be bothered with pan sauce. I have punks biting my ankles.









I like to heap the chicken legs on a platter. I don’t know, it just says “abundance” to me.









Oh! Bonus Serving Tip: Always choose the platter that’s a little small for what you need. Then it looks like you have plenty of food!









If you’re feeling very Martha-ish, throw some sprigs of fresh thyme on the platter.









And if you’re not, don’t. I”ll always love you no matter what.

And don’t you forget it, neither.