About the Recipe
Ingredients
4 chicken leg quarters, bone-in and skin on
Optional: Substitute for any bone-in and skin on meat of your choice, chicken thighs would work well here too
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes:
Rosemary sprigs
Thyme sprigs
Lemon slices
Glaze
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
3 garlic cloves
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
3 cinnamon sticks
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp black peppercorns (whole), or substitute for a sprinkle of crushed black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter (half of a stick), room temperature
Instructions
Step 0
Allow chicken to completely thaw and come to room temperature. For bone-in meats, this takes a VERY long time, and if you skip this step your food will come out raw. And you will need to cook it for an excessively long time to completely cook the meat, which will dry it out. Do not do that, do not skip this step. Take it out of your fridge before you go to work or at least 3-5 hours in advance (depending on how large or heavy your pieces are).
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400° F. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and black pepper on both sides. Begin to warm a medium to large cast iron pan over medium heat. You can use any oven-safe pan that you prefer, but cast irons will produce a beautifully golden, crisp skin on your chicken without needing to copious amounts of butter.
Step 2
Once pan is warmed, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and place chicken breasts skin side down. I had to do this in 2 different batches because the chicken quarters were too big for my pan. You don't want to overcrowd your pan, otherwise the chicken will not cook properly. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until skin is golden brown. For me, the longer the better to allow the skin to really crisp up.
Step 3
Once skin is golden, flip chicken and place the meat and cast iron skillet in the oven. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°. Allow chicken to rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes, where it will then reach 165° internal temperature. If you cut into the chicken too soon, the juice will run out and become dry.
Step 4
While chicken is cooking, begin to prepare the glaze. In a medium sauce pan, add brown sugar, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and whisk until brown sugar dissolves. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Step 5
Once sauce thickens, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add butter in slices, and whisk until butter is completely dissolved. Taste test and add additional salt, sugar, or lemon juice as needed.
Step 6
After allowing chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes, serve whole or sliced, drizzle with glaze, and pair with your favorite savory sides like mashed potatoes and green beans to compliment the sweetness of the dish.