This creamy mustard sauce is just so versatile: it's delicious on these oven baked chicken legs, but is equally as good on pork chops, steak, white fish and more. We are going to learn how to make some delicious oven baked chicken and the most simple mustard sauce. We'll then smother the chicken in the sauce for a delightfully easy weeknight meal. Let's take a look at how to do it.
These oven baked chicken legs are gluten free, low carb and ridiculously delicious.
EAT THESE OVEN BAKED CHICKEN LEGS TONIGHT.
I'm serious. Next time you're at the grocery store, pick up some legs or leg quarters and make this recipe. Here's how simple it is: we're going to saute the chicken to start, bake it off and make a cream sauce with just cream, mustard and shallots. All these flavors, along with the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan, combine together for an incredible eating experience.
There are a couple reasons we want to bake off the chicken legs or quarters in the oven:
- Chicken legs and thighs take forever to cook, particularly on the stove top. Yes, it can be done- but why take the time?
- We are going to cover the chicken while it is cooking to capture the juice. We don't want that cooking off and the easiest way to do this is in the oven.
- We're going to get even heat in the oven. Even if we were to cook in cast iron on the stove, there are hot spots in the pan. In the oven, all the pieces should cook at the same speed with a consistent outcome every time.
HOW TO BAKE CHICKEN LEGS IN THE OVEN
Ok. So to get really good flavor for a baked chicken recipe we need to do a little pre-work before the baking part. Let's take a look:
- Seasoning: We are only going to use salt and pepper to season the chicken. Sure chicken loves garlic and onions, but we don't need to add in those aromatics to this recipe. We're going to keep things simple, starting with the seasoning, to allow the chicken flavor to shine.
- Saute: We are going to heat up some fat in a pan and saute the chicken. This will crisp the skin, adding in more flavor as well as start to build a fond on the bottom of the pot. A fond is simply the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. These browned bits are big on flavor!
- Bake: Let's cover the pot and put it in the oven where the magic happens. Within 20 minutes, we will have deliciously tender oven baked chicken that is ready to eat.
Making chicken in the oven is simple. Could you skip the Saute step? Sure, but the chicken will not be nearly as flavorful.
CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE
I could write about this creamy mustard sauce all day. It is just so simple, but the flavor is so complex and rich. It is truly and addicting sauce. Let's take a quick look at how we are going to make this mustard cream sauce.
The first thing that we need is a good base for the sauce. In this recipe, we are going to use the juice from the cooked chicken as well as the fat in the pan. The cooked chicken juice really rounds the sauce and allows it to marry so well with the chicken legs.
Next, we are going to add in some aromatics with finely chopped shallots. I suggest that you use about ⅓ cup although you can certainly use more. If you don't have shallots on hand, you can use onion in its place. We'll let the shallots cook for a couple minutes until they begin to turn translucent.
Last, we'll add in the cream and mustard. When cream is added to heat and liquid, it thickens almost immediately. Please make sure that the heat is low enough to not scorch the cream- that would be a real bummer. The result of these quick and easy steps will be a luscious, creamy sauce. Oh it is so good.
QUICK COOKING TIP: This sauce is going to thicken quickly after it is made. I would not recommend letting the sauce hang around for any length of time after it has been added to the chicken. If you are not sure of the timing of the other elements for dinner, keep the cream sauce separate from the chicken. When everything else is ready, give the sauce a quick stir. If it has thickened too much, add in a tablespoon or two of water and mix it up again. It should quickly thin out to a pourable consistency.
OVEN BAKED CHICKEN LEGS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE
These oven baked chicken legs are tender, juicy and packed full of flavor with the addition of a creamy mustard pan sauce. They are just so good you’ll need to make extra!
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Leg Quarters
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Duck Fat, Rendered Bacon Fat, Lard or other cooking fat
- ⅓ Cup Shallots
- ½ Cup Cream
- 1 tablespoon Ancient Mustard, (or other Whole Grain mustard)
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Use a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot that has a lid for this recipe.
- Heat the pot over high heat and add in the fat to the pan. While the fat is heating, season the chicken with the salt and pepper. When the fat is hot, brown the leg sections for 4 minutes a side.
- Once all the leg sections have been browned, add them back into the pot, cover and place in the preheated oven for 18 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Remove the lid and pull the chicken out of the pot. Set aside, covered with foil. Place the pot back over medium-high heat and add in the shallots.
- Stir the pan juice and shallot mixture, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. When the mixture has reduced by ½, add in the cream and mustard. Stir will and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour the creamy mustard sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.
- Enjoy and Happy Eating!
Notes
We want to cook the chicken until the juices run clear. If you notice that you have some pink juice on the plate after you remove the chicken from the oven, simply place the chicken in some foil and put back in the oven for a couple more minutes. Typically leg quarters are cooked in 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the oven and the size of the leg.
Also, if your sauce is too thick: add water by the tablespoon. If it is too thin, continue to reduce.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Amount Per Serving Calories 930
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE CREAMY OVEN BAKED CHICKEN LEGS RECIPE
This is truly a comforting chicken dish to make any night of the week. It is easy to make, delicious enough for kids and adults to share and reheats extremely well for leftovers the next day. If you have extra sauce left over, give it a try on some pork or even as a hamburger topping. Heck, I would just eat it with a spoon all on its own.
We love to pair these oven baked chicken legs with my spicy Italian broccoli recipe, my Sauteed Spinach with Bacon & Shallots or even with my Butter Braised Carrots with Thyme. They are all really tasty and easy weeknight meal options for the whole family!
This looks really delicious. Thanks for sharing Scott!
Hi Elaine:
Thanks so much- have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
These legs freakin' amazing. I'd eat them tonight for sure. 🙂
Thanks Justin- they are pretty rad. I love them!
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This look AMAZING. One of my absolute guilty pleasures are chicken nuggets with honey mustard (did I really just admit that?!) - this meal look like such a healthy alternative to that. Definitely adding this to my "To Make" list.
Hi Megan-
Perfect- one of my guilty pleasures is a dark chocolate peanut butter cup with extra peanut butter on it. Nuggets sound good too though.
Hope that you like the recipe- it's pretty easy and yummy too.
Take care-
Scott
I will certainly try these out!! I mean, mustard cream sauce.....DONT MIND IF I DO! Thanks for sharing
Hi Doug:
Thanks for taking a minute to write your comment! Sounds delicious- right? And super easy.
Let me know if you make the recipe-
Take care-
Ancient Mustard, Kosher salt...For pity's sake drop the self-indulgence and just say mustard and salt!
Hi-
Thanks for writing. There are lots of different mustards and salts out there. Ancient mustard is one type. If you use yellow mustard, the recipe just won't taste the same.
Kosher salt is different than table salt. You can use what you would like, but I'll take a moment to let people know what I used.
Hope that you have a great day.
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Im making this...right now! Chicken is in the Duluth oven baking now I'll let you know my thoughts
I'm mean dutch
Hi there:
How did the chicken legs come out?
Take care!
Scott
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This looks really good - just what I was looking for.
Can this be made ahead? Can you make a double batch and freeze the leftovers?
Usually I like to cook once and eat twice 🙂
Hi Wendy:
Sure, make it ahead. Keep the legs separate from the sauce and reheat them separately as well. This sauce has a tendency to get thick, so add some water or cream to thin it out when reheating. As for freezing, again, keep them separate and the leftovers will be delicious. If you combine, the sauce might scald when reheating.
Thanks for writing and happy eating!
Scott
I just made and ate these. Holy cow delicious! I'm on Ketogenic diet and had gotten bored with the recipes I search for that diet so I went looking without the pre-cursor of Keto. So glad I did. This is my new favorite and my hubs thought it was out of the park. Side of oven crisp broccoli with a little of the sauce on top. Perfect and it's keto! Thanks for such an amazing recipe!
Hi Lori:
Sounds like you and your husband were in for a real keto treat with that crisp broccoli complimenting these delicious chicken legs. I'm in the mood for broccoli now... Thanks for writing.
Have a fantastic day!
Scott