Creamy Baked Chicken Legs
When I’m looking for fast and easy comfort food, these creamy baked chicken legs are usually the first thing that comes to my mind. Robust flavor, a cream sauce, and just 10 minutes of prep time. Perfect for busy weeknight meals and gatherings!
This easy-to-prepare creamy chicken recipe, boasting tasty herbs, onion, garlic, and cream, requires very little work. Satisfying and delicious for a weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy.
Browning the chicken first gives an extra flavor boost and adds richness to the finished sauce. But most of the preparation takes place in the oven for an easy-peasy main dish. You could even skip the searing part and turn on the broiler for the last few minutes.
Why Chicken Legs Are a Good Choice
Grabbing a package of chicken legs is part of my shopping routine. First of all, they’re one of the most economical parts of the chicken. Second, dark meat is much more forgiving and moist than the white, even if you leave it in the oven a couple of minutes longer than necessary. And third, if you like making your own broth, don’t discard the bones because they make some of the best soup.
How to Bake Chicken Legs in Cream
- Rinse chicken legs, season them with seasoned salt and paprika, and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Brown the chicken in a large Dutch oven or oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Set aside. (Photos 2-3)
- Sauté the onions, followed by the minced garlic, and stir for about 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, cream, broth, along with Italian seasoning and white pepper. Stir well before proceeding. (Photos 4-6)
- Stir in the tomato sauce. (Photo 7)
- Place the chicken back into the pan with the sauce and bake for 30-35 minutes or until fully cooked. (Photo 8)
- Adjust the sauce’s thickness and seasoning with broth and salt according to preference. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Chicken thighs and leg quarters also work well, but they will take longer to bake.
- Make sure to pour the milk and cream into the pot before adding the tomatoes to prevent curdling.
- Searing the chicken first adds more flavor. But if you need to save time, feel free to skip it.
- To crisp up the skin before serving, turn the broiler on for 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because it can go from golden to burnt in seconds.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
This recipe is super easy and fast. The only thing that gets dinner on the table faster is if you bake your chicken the day before. Let it cook, then store it in the fridge (I prefer an airtight glass container, but plastic will work).
Leftovers in a sealed bag or Tupperware container will last 3-4 days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it because the cream may separate. However, it will last 3-4 months frozen, though the sauce may curdle a bit.
What Goes With Baked Chicken Legs
Chicken goes great with roasted broccoli and carrots or green beans and a side of rice or pesto pasta for a lovely dinner! For a hot summer evening, a tossed salad is refreshing.
More Budget-Saving Chicken Recipes to Try
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- One-Pot Cilantro Rice and Chicken
- Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
- Southern Fried Chicken
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”3ZyAjbES” upload-date=”2019-09-07T22:00:59.000Z” name=”Creamy Baked Chicken Legs” description=”Baked Chicken Legs(Creamy and Spicy) — a creamy baked chicken that has robust flavors and a creamy sauce with just 10 minutes prep time. Perfect for busy weeknight meals or gatherings!”]
This blog post was originally published in March 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Creamy Baked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 2½-3 pounds (1.2-1.5kg) chicken legs
- 1½ teaspoons (9g) seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon (5g) smoked paprika
- ¼ cup (60ml) canola oil (or any neutral-flavored cooking oil)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons (5g) minced garlic or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream (or whipping cream)
- ½ cup (120ml) milk
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons (7g) Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon (5g) white pepper
- ½ cup (120ml) tomato sauce
- salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450℉ (230℃).
- Rinse the chicken legs, pat them dry, season them with seasoned salt and paprika, and set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Then add the chicken and brown, turning once or twice to ensure even cooking. Or place oiled and seasoned chicken legs on a rack and bake them in a 450℉ (230℃) oven for about 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Drain excess oil, leaving a couple of tablespoons in the pan. Add the onion, followed by the minced garlic, and stir for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream, milk, and broth, along with the Italian seasonings and white pepper. Stir well.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, and test for seasonings and adjust to taste.
- Put the chicken back into the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Adjust the sauce's thickness and seasoning with broth and salt according to preference. Garnish with parsley, and serve hot with rice or potatoes and your favorite veggies.
Tips & Notes:
- Room-temperature chicken cooks more evenly and crisps up better.
- Chicken legs and thighs are the juiciest when they reach an internal temperature of 180-195℉ (85-90℃) because the higher temperature breaks down the tougher tissues. Just make sure the thermometer isn’t touching the bone.
- Add a touch of cayenne if you’d like this recipe a little spicier.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I made this dish tonight and it was delicious. I will make it again
Awesome ! Glad to hear it worked well for you.
Hi,
i cooked so many dishes already from your blog and it always turned up to die for ! this dish didnt dissapoint as well.. thank you !
Hi Eliska! Glad to hear my recipes are working out well for you. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
I do a very broad range of cooking but this chicken dish is really really tasty. By reading recipe I would not normally make this but sure glad I did thanks to the wonderful reviews: )
So glad to hear it worked out well for you.Thanks for taking the time to let me know
Loved this chicken dish I added mushrooms and used less Italian herbs, it was a success, will definitely make it again next time for friends. Thank you
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
This is amazing I could eat the sauce with a spoon. I used thighs and fresh oregano and parsley. On my goodness.
Awesome! Glad it worked out well for you.
The list of ingredients calls for chicken broth, but it doesn’t say when to add it. I hoping it’s with the milk and cream.
Yes, it is . Recipe updated.
I love your site and my favorite recipe on it is Stew Chicken but I didn’t like this one. 2 tbsp of Italian herbs and 2-3 tbsp of parsley is way too much and it is overpowering. Also, it was bland, not spicy at all. I followed the recipe to a t. Sad, I really wanted to like it.
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy this as much. So happy the stew chicken made up for it. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Hello…i followed your post from SYTYCC page. I just finished making this recipe and it turned out well. I think the only change I would make would be to drastically reduce the Italian herbs. I found 2 Tablespoons was far too much and overpowering. I think 1/4 teaspoon would suit my tastes better or maybe I’d even skip the Italian herbs completely next time. I wasn’t sure when to add the chicken broth, so I just left it out. This was really yummy and I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Fofi! Thanks for the feedback! So happy to hear you are making this again.
I see that there have not been any posts in 2015 but i have to tell you. I very seldom add my comments to recipes but this this one is a must do. I cooked it for my wife & myself & it,s a keeper. I was that impressed i made it again 2 days latter for my office manage who has limited cooking skills. The exception was i had to triple the ingredients to make enough for her family. She told me the next day, that i almost got away from her pay raise with that meal.
Thank you for posting the recipe
Earl, don’t tell me my postings are going to your spam folder- I post frequently at least 3 times a week- you have been missing out! So take some time and check out the recipes.
Thanks for making me the exception- feedback is always appreciated . I am so happy this recipe is a hit with everyone and that you took the time to let me know.
OMG!!! I’ve been looking for a baked spicy chicken recipe and I’ve found it! I absolutely love it!!! Thanks so much for sharing this. I actually didn’t have heavy cream so I just doubled the milk and it worked just as fine.
Hi Cindy, Thank you.I am glad you made and loved these creamy chicken legs. Thanks for sharing your substitution- it is always good to know.
How did you get this recipy idea, I’m making if for my other half who loves his Nigerian food. I tasted the sauce before I poured it on my chicken and was good. I did make the recipy a lot more spicy and I also used evaporated milk instead of cream. I threw in some fresh parsley instead of the Italian blend. I can’t wait to try this tomorrow.
hi there ~
can’t wait to try…do you know how many carbs are in this chicken dish? thanks!
Aileen, sorry I don’t.
So did you bake the chicken in the skillet?
Samantha, I do bake it in the skillet.
Oh wow–this is out-of-this-world delicious! You hit it out of the ballpark with this recipe. I doubled the sauce ingredients because I was using over 5 lbs. of chicken and am I glad! I made your recipe for coconut rice to serve with the chicken. Fantastic. In fact, I made it all last night for supper, and just finished having some again for lunch today. If possible, the sauce is even better today. Oh my, this recipe is a winner for sure! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Karen, thank you so much for the glowing feedback.I so happy you tried all these recipes and loved them all . I am doing a happy dance right now. You should see my moves.
P.S.: Merry Christmas!
This recipe sounds fabulous and I’m getting ready to prepare it. Quick question: What is in the blend of Italian herbs that you use? I don’t buy herb blends but I most likely have the individual herbs that I can use. I just need to know which ones. 🙂 Thank you in advance; I’m looking forward to this.
Karen, the basic ingredients are sage, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, marjoram. Merry Christmas to you too!
#3 browning the chicken. Is it a choice between #3(skillet) and #4 (oven) OR both?? Recipe sounds yummy and can’t wait to make it
Yes, it is a choice – you either brown it in the oven or stovetop. Let me know how it works for you.
Omg!! What a delicious dish. We just finished dinner. Thank you Immaculate
Thanks for trying it out!
Delish!!!!!! Didn’t have cream and used milk…. Was good but I will definitely use cream next time. None the less creamy and quite tasty.
Carolina,thanks for the feedback!
These chicken legs are delicious! I’m making them for the second time tonight! I served them with mashed potatoes and my husband and I loved them!
Lisa, so happy to hear you and your family really enjoyed this -really appreciate the feedback.