Cooking with 4-H: Oven Smothered Chicken

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We’ve partnered with 4-H to bring the fun of 4-H to your home.

Celebrity Chef and 4-H Ambassador, Carla Hall, takes this southern favorite and lightens it up to make it perfect for any night of the week!

OVEN SMOTHERED CHICKEN
(Serves 4-6)

Recipe courtesy of Carla Hall and 4-H Fresh Chefs Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 6 chicken legs, excess fat trimmed
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 onions, very thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled
  • ¼ cup unsalted chicken stock


DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Season the chicken generously with salt, then sprinkle with the spice mixture. If you have time, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
  3. Toss the onions and garlic in a 3-quart shallow glass or ceramic baking dish. Spread in an even layer and put the chicken skin side up on top. Pour the stock all around. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
  4. Bake until the chicken is cooked through – about 1 hour. Uncover and turn the chicken in the pan juices. Arrange them skin side up again. Bake until the meat is fork-tender and the skin is lightly browned – about 30 minutes longer.
  5. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Use a fork to smash the garlic and onions into the pan juices and stir well to form a light pan gravy. Season to taste with salt and spoon all over the chicken.

Note: Chicken thighs may be substituted for legs. Dark meat works better than white meat, because white meat will dry out.

To get your free copy of the 4-H Fresh Chef’s Cookbook, click here.