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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How to Make Baked Chicken

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.

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.

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.

Baked Chicken Recipe
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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
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.

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I tried this Southern Baked Chicken today & I must say, it was a hit at our house, My husband loved them & once again asking me to make them again. They were so tender, slightly sweet, fall off the bone bone good. I’ve tried several of your recipes in the last couple of weeks & we love them all & they all are keepers. I’m going to try your pork chops, mask potatoes & pineapple cake this weekend, can’t wait, thank you!!!
Looking forward to bake this dish looks amazing delicious thank you for sharing your grandma recipe give her a hug for me
Sounds delicious but is 2 1/2 hours of cooking time correct for pieces? Especially wings?
Yes it truly is correct. I know it sounds weird but it really becomes something special.
Lol
My husband asked me the same thing! I’m cooking them right now- can’t wait to try them
Plot twist! I saw this and wanted to have it right away, but only had boneless skinless chicken breasts. It was a weeknight, and I had limited time. I skipped living it in the fridge and letting it rest, dropped the cooking time to about 25 minutes, flip, 25 minutes, flip/raise temperature, 10 minutes… And it came out fantastic. The whole family loved it. Not I can’t wait to try it the correct way! But at least the “quick weeknight meal” version was a success!
I made this but I didn’t use the maple syrup. However, I think this was the best baked chicken I have ever made. Delicious, thank you for sharing this recipe!
This is the first review I ever left because….this dish is amazing! I couldn’t imagine the flavors coming together, but boy o boy! This is definitely a repeat dish.
This dish is going to be on repeat for our family. So easy, but no one has to know because it’s so delicious. The meat is so tender it falls off the bones, and the sauce/caramelized onion combo is dreamy.
It looks inviting, will most definitely try it in the near days…
I made this scrumptious dish for dinner on last night. Let me just tell you that this is lip smacking good. I’m from Georgia and this reminded me of my Grandmother’s chicken. I highly recommend this recipe!!!!!
This is a mouthwatering recipe and am a big fan of baked food….this baked chicken looks an amazing & sound more delicious as well….i will trying to make it tonight….Thanks for sharing……!