Roasted Lemon, Garlic Paprika Chicken Legs and Wedges

A super simple traybake dinner that is easy to cook and uses a wonderful combination of lemon, paprika, and garlic, all deliciously roasted together.

This garlic paprika chicken is something I often make because it’s so tasty and satisfying. I recently cooked it for my parents-in-law, who thought it was delicious and declared they would very happily eat it again and again.

Notes on the ingredients of Roasted Lemon, Garlic Paprika Chicken Legs and Wedges

• Potatoes Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and folate. If you want to preserve more of the fibre and nutrients, you can keep the skin on for this recipe, but I can’t resist a good old-fashioned crunchy roasted potato without the skin!
  Read more about the health benefits of potatoes.
• Chicken Legs Even when we have a roast chicken on a Sunday, I always go for the leg. Chicken legs have so much more flavour, and are so succulent. And they are so economical too – you can currently buy chicken legs for between 55p and £1.50 each, depending on where you shop.

Substitutes and Variations

• Skin on chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken legs
• Sunflower or vegetable oil works well, or a flavored oil such as garlic or chilli-infused oil.
• To elevate this dish further, place some sprigs of rosemary under the chicken and potatoes before roasting.
• Substitute some of the potato wedges with chunky wedges of parboiled root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, or sweet potatoes.

What to serve with Roasted Lemon, Garlic Paprika Chicken Legs and Wedges

• Greens Serve with greens such as steamed kale, cabbage, broccoli, or peas.
• Roasted Garlic mayo Put a few unpeeled, oiled garlic gloves into the oven with the chicken. It takes about 10 – 20 minutes until the cloves soften, depending on their size, they will be cooked once they are very squishy. Leave to cool and then snip the ends off the cloves and press down with the flat of a knife to squeeze the roasted garlic out like toothpaste from a tube! Mix that roasted garlic with your favourite mayonnaise, serve straight away or chill.

Ingredients  

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2-3 fat cloves of Garlic
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Chicken Legs
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• 500 g Peeled Potatoes

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Peel and chop the potatoes into wedges, and place them in a pan of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice the lemon in half lengthways, then slice one half into two wedges and the other into two slices. Peel the garlic and slice it into a few chunky slices.
4. Drain the wedges and dry in the pan over a low heat for a minute or so, and then, when dry, shake them a little to fluff up their edges.
5. Add the wedges, garlic, salt and lemon wedges to a large roasting dish and sprinkle over most of the paprika. Give it all a good stir.
6. Rub the chicken legs skin side down into the paprika oil in the dish, and then nestle the chicken legs skin side up into the middle of the dish, surrounded by the potato wedges, with a slice of lemon and a chunk of garlic underneath the chicken. Season the chicken skin with the rest of the paprika and a few grinds of sea salt and black pepper.
7. Make sure the potato wedges are arranged in one layer around the chicken, and try to get the garlic underneath the wedges rather than exposed, as it may burn. Put the roasting dish into the oven.
8. Bake for 30–40 minutes. Test if the chicken legs are cooked with a knife to ensure the juice runs clear.
9. Serve with some greens of your choice.