This recipe was adapted from Chef John’s Grilled Greek Chicken. I prefer oven-roast to grill as it’s much easier to set up and clean up. Trust me, the chicken turns out as flavorful and crispy as it can ever get!
It’s super easy to scale up and make a big batch of the marinade. Simply marinate all the chicken legs and store them in the freezer, or let the chicken marinate in the fridge for several days until ready to be consumed.
Ingredients:
4 Chicken leg quarters
1 tablespoon Salt
2 Lemons, squeezed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 cloves Garlic , minced
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation:
Wash the chicken thoroughly, and pat dry with kitchen paper towel. Season the chicken evenly with salt. Don’t forget to season the meat under the skin, massage the chicken gently so it’ll turn out more flavorful.
In a large bowl, make the marinade by mixing the lemon juice, vinegar, minced garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and olive oil.
Marinate the chicken legs with the mixture either in a bowl, or in a zip lock bag with a tray or plate underneath. Store the chicken in the fridge overnight, or longer (one, two, three...or a number of days, the longer the flavor will develop).
Preheat the oven to 425 degree F, prepare a roaster pan with a perforated tray or grill rack on top. I used the set by Granite Ware.
Roast the chicken skin side up, at 425 degree F for 30 minutes.
Take out the chicken, turn down the oven temperature to 350 F degree, continue to roast the chicken for another 45 to 50 minutes.
Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes, and transfer the chicken to a serving plate.
Ahh...the sizzling sound, the golden brown color and the aroma of lemon and oregano...don’t blame the chicken, blame it on our ancestors who wired our genes in such a way that we have no power to resist any of the above!
Tips: The Greek flavor in this recipe comes from the fruity and sour taste of lemon and the unique aroma of oregano. If lemon is not available, simple add two more tablespoons of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Oregano can be replaced with other aromatic herbs such as rosemary or thyme.