Baked Chicken

My auntie Rose’s baked chicken recipe is seriously a thing of beauty. She rubs the chicken with a homemade spice rub that marinates to really get into the meat. Then she bakes it up with butter, onions, a little maple and more poppin flavors. It bakes up like a dream and gets so juicy and tender, it falls off the bone. She’s given us a ton of bomb recipes like her cornbread dressing and deviled eggs so you know this is a hit.

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A close up of baked chicken legs and wings after coming out of the oven

How to Make Baked Chicken

A close up of fresh raw chicken, sliced onions and butter pats before the chicken goes in the oven to bake

Step 1: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Mix seasoned salt, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Toss the chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2–3 hours or if you can, overnight. When ready to bake, bring to room temp for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange chicken in an 8×11 or 9×13-inch dish, drizzle with maple syrup, top with onions, and dot with butter.

Raw chicken, onion slices, butter pats and maple syrup drizzled over chicken before baking

Step 2: Lastly, drizzle Worcestershire sauce over the chicken. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. After an hour, turn the chicken over and evenly sprinkle the top of the chicken with paprika. Bake for an additional hour.

Southern baked chicken with fresh rosemary fresh out of the oven ready to serve

Step 3: After the 2nd hour, turn the temperature to 350 degrees. Remove foil, sprinkle with more paprika if desired for color. Brown for 20-30 more minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve.

A close up of baked chicken legs and wings after coming out of the oven

Baked Chicken Recipe

Made with a simple homemade spice rub, rich butter, caramelized onions and a hint of maple essence, my Auntie Rose’s Southern Baked Chicken recipe is tender, juicy and chock-full of flavor!
4.40 from 188 votes
Prep Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours
Course: Main Course
Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 lbs fresh chicken wings We use wings most of the time but you can also use legs or even thighs but not breasts
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup butter in pats
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Paprika to taste
  • Fresh rosemary for garnish

Instructions

  • Dry chicken with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk together seasoned salt, dried rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a small bowl until combined.
  • Sprinkle and toss chicken with seasoning mix ensuring all of the chicken is completely covered. Cover and place chicken in the refrigerator and rest for 2-3 hours or even overnight.
  • When ready to bake, remove chicken from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add chicken to a 8×11 or 9×13” baking dish.
  • Use a spoon to drizzle chicken with maple syrup on both sides. Cover with onions then add pats of butter over the chicken. Lastly, drizzle Worcestershire sauce over the chicken. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  • After an hour, turn the chicken over and evenly sprinkle the top of the chicken with paprika. Bake for an additional hour.
  • After the 2nd hour, turn the temperature to 350 degrees. Remove foil, sprinkle with more paprika if desired for color. Brown for 20-30 more minutes. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve.

Notes

Storage

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Wrap individual portions of cooked chicken in aluminum foil and place them in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze the chicken this way for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 729mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 483IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!

Recipe Tips 

  • Dry Them Well! Press firmly on the wings with paper towels to blot away excess moisture. The less moisture on the skin, the more crisp and flavorful your wings will be!
  • Don’t Use Breasts: Because we are baking this chicken for quite a while, these will just dry out.
  • Turn While Baking: Be sure to set a timer and turn the chicken halfway through baking. Flipping the chicken will ensure even cooking and golden-brown skin all over! I also like to rotate the baking dish so it gets evenly cooked.
  • Serving Suggestions: This meal is seriously so perfect with easy sides like honey glazed carrots and green beans with tomatoes. Or you can have a fantastic Sunday supper with slow cooker mashed potatoes, creamed corn and mustard greens.
A spoon drizzling juices over baked chicken

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Filed Under:  Chicken, Dinner, Easter, Main Dishes, Mother's Day, New Year's, Oven

Comments

  1. Looks very Mouth watering. I look forward to making this the first chance I get. Sometimes I wonder Jocelyn if you even have your own restaurant?

    1. Haha, thank you! No restaurant here just lots of love for cooking and sharing family recipes. I’m so glad this one caught your eye, and I hope you enjoy it when you get the chance to try it!

  2. I just made this Southern Baked Chicken recipe, and it was a huge hit with my family! The flavors were incredible, and it was so easy to prepare. Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing this deliciousness!

    1. Hi Stan, most of the “maple syrup” in stores is actually flavored corn syrup. You can still use it if that’s what you have on hand, though.

  3. Ms. Jocelyn, I made this recipe last night and can I tell you….This chicken is sooo goood and still unsure if those words are worth describing this chicken recipe.
    The only thing I done differently was not let it marinate for 2 plus hours. So I can only imagine if I marinated it. Thank you for sharing this recipe

  4. I made this tonight for dinner, I have to say it was delicious the flavor was amazing next time I’ll let it marinate the 24 hours this time I did it for 2 hr so I can only imagine the flavor next time around again thanks for sharing.

4.40 from 188 votes (120 ratings without comment)

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