Recipe By Christie Morrison
Published on August 5, 2024
Sometimes the key to the perfect one-pan dinner is making the right incision.
Time
1 hr 15 minYield
4Why This Recipe Works
Whole chicken legs (aka chicken leg quarters) are great to use for a cost-effective weeknight meal. For our goal of a one-pan meal, we decided to pair the chicken with cauliflower wedges and cherry tomatoes, all baked on one sheet pan. To help render the fat and season the chicken, we cut slashes through the meat and made a quick seasoned oil with olive oil, garlic, lemon, and sage to brush over the chicken. Positioning the cauliflower wedges in the center of the baking sheet, with the chicken on the perimeter, meant they would cook through in the same amount of time. To finish crisping the chicken skin and get some char on the cauliflower, we run the baking sheet under the broiler, along with the cherry tomatoes, for about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Adjust 1 oven rack to lower-middle position and second rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 475 degrees. Trim outer leaves of cauliflower and cut stem flush with bottom of head. Cut head into 8 equal wedges, keeping core and florets intact.
- Gently toss cauliflower, shallots, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together on rimmed baking sheet to combine. Position vegetables cut sides down in single layer in center of sheet.Recipe TipMaking sure the flat sides of the cauliflower have as much contact with the pan as possible will ensure maximum browning, and browning equals flavor.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Leaving drumsticks and thighs attached, make 4 parallel diagonal slashes in chicken: 1 across drumsticks, 1 across leg joints, and 2 across thighs (each slash should reach bone). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1 piece of chicken, skin side up, in each corner of sheet (chicken should rest directly on sheet, not on vegetables).Recipe TipThese pockets allow the seasoning to get deeper into the meat more quickly for flavorful weeknight chicken.
- Whisk garlic, lemon zest, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1 tablespoon sage together in bowl. Brush skin side of chicken with seasoned oil mixture (use all of it). Transfer sheet to lower-middle oven rack and bake until cauliflower is browned, shallots are tender, and chicken registers at least 175 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.Recipe TipWe like to use a silicone pastry brush here since it’s touching raw meat, and silicone brushes are much easier to clean than their bristled counterparts. We like the ones from OXO and Norpro.
- Remove sheet from oven and heat broiler. Scatter tomatoes over vegetables and place sheet on upper oven rack. Broil until chicken skin is browned and crisp and tomatoes have started to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes.Recipe TipIf your broiler has different settings, heat it to the highest one. Broilers can vary drastically so start checking the color on your chicken and vegetables at the low end of the range.
- Transfer sheet to wire rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
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