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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Baked these wings and OMG! They were wonderful! Thank you for this recipe.
These wings were the best, so good.
I am only making 2lbs of chicken drumsticks would that change the amount of cooking time?
I would still keep the cooking time pretty consistent.
This recipe is AMAZING! I absolutely love the flavor combinations. Like another reviewer stated, the sweet/savory combo makes me excited just thinking about it! I usually hate leftovers, but I am eating this every day this week. Highly recommend this recipe.
Wow! I agree! Wonderful recipe! So glad I came across Grandbaby Cakes! Definitely going to make more of her recipes! Thank-you!
I used all legs and WOW! This was an automatic FAVORITE for my family! Tender , juicy and the sweet with the savory, all thumbs up I served with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
-Tia M.
I’ve made this thrice! It’s the best chicken I’ve ever made & ever tasted! My family’s favorite chicken dish, so delicious! Thank you so much!
Regrettably I’ve not been immersed in the love fest with your beloved Auntie Rose….but now I make her (and yours) Chicken Wings. I scaled down the recipe and prepared as a meal for 2. Talk about a comforting meal! Besides imagining what it must be like to be part of a family such as yours, we really had no words while eating. It was mostly silence while meditating on these incredibly moist and flavor filled wings. Thank you for putting a little bit of Auntie Rose in our lives. Her Chicken will be made many times to come. Sensational recipe!
Used thighs and the dish was full of flavor, tender and juicy. Will certainly make this again. Thank you for such a flavorful dish.
Give your Auntie Rose a hug because that chicken is divine:) Definitely a keeper recipe. It is a classic with a twist. Can’t wait to try it again:) Easy Peasy- but needs just a little planning ahead.
I used bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and didn’t have time to marinate. I baked them right away as per recipe and after an hour added a bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy. This is a delicious supper and will definitely make again. We all loved it.