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Garlic Chicken Marylands

Garlic Chicken Marylands

These Garlic Chicken Marylands are a comforting, flavour-packed dinner that’s simple to make yet impressive to serve. Juicy chicken legs roast in a garlic-herb butter until golden and crisp, creating their own rich pan sauce. Perfect for family dinners or entertaining, this one-pan recipe combines ease, elegance, and irresistible flavour in every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Australian", Western
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 4 pieces chicken marylands (leg quarters) or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 1.5 kg total
  • 0.5 tsp kosher or cooking salt for seasoning
  • 80 ml low-sodium chicken stock used instead of wine
For the Herb & Garlic Butter
  • 100 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt for the butter
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Preheat the Oven — Preheat your oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan). The high heat helps crisp up the chicken skin beautifully at the start.
  2. Step 2: Prepare the Herb & Garlic Butter — In a small bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and fragrant.
  3. Step 3: Butter the Chicken — Gently loosen the skin over the thighs and legs using a spoon or your fingers. Spread most of the garlic butter under the skin, a little on the underside, and the rest on top.
  4. Step 4: Arrange and Season — Place the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Pour the chicken stock around (not over) the chicken to create pan juices.
  5. Step 5: Roast to Golden Perfection — Roast for 10 minutes at 220°C / 425°F, then reduce the temperature to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan) and roast for another 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes from the 20-minute mark until golden and cooked through.
  6. Step 6: Rest and Serve — Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon the buttery pan juices over the chicken and serve with your favorite sides.

Notes

Use chicken stock instead of wine for a delicious alcohol-free version. Prepare the garlic butter ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to cook. For an extra burst of flavour, add lemon zest or a pinch of chili flakes to the butter. Serve with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or rice to soak up the sauce.