Spanish Baked Chicken Legs with Peppers and White Wine Recipe
This dish is reminiscent of home-style lunches from Spanish regions, where roast chicken with vegetables appears on the Sunday table when the whole family gathers for a meal. The chicken legs bake together with peppers, onion, and garlic, while white wine creates an aromatic sauce. The flavors are similar to French coq au vin, but with a distinct accent of sweet paprika and olive oil.
This recipe captures the essence of rustic Spanish cooking: simple ingredients, minimal effort, and maximum flavor. The combination of sweet and smoked paprika with white wine and olive oil creates a deeply aromatic sauce that practically makes itself in the oven.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality olive oil and a dry white wine that you would enjoy drinking—both significantly influence the final flavor. If the chicken skin browns too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil and remove it for the last 10 minutes to crisp the skin again.
How to serve
Serve directly from the baking dish placed in the center of the table so everyone can help themselves to chicken, vegetables, and plenty of sauce. Add a simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette to balance the richness.
Ingredients
- chicken legs with bone and skin, about 1.2 kg - 8 pieces
- red bell pepper large - 2 pieces
- onion medium - 2 pieces
- garlic - 5 cloves
- dry white wine - 150 ml
- chicken stock - 150 ml
- sweet paprika powder - 2 teaspoons
- smoked paprika powder optional but highly recommended - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- thyme dried leaves or a few sprigs of fresh - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a large baking dish with olive oil.
- Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, and half of the smoked paprika if using. Rub the spices into the meat.
- Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut them into thick strips. Peel the onions and slice into thin wedges. Peel the garlic; slice 3 cloves and leave 2 whole, lightly crushing them with a knife.
- Spread the peppers, onion, and garlic over the bottom of the baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining sweet paprika, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Mix with your hands.
- Place the chicken legs skin-side up on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
- Pour the white wine and stock into the dish, trying not to pour directly over the chicken skin so it can brown nicely. Add the bay leaves.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 45–55 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the meat releases clear juices when pierced.
- Halfway through baking, gently baste the legs with the sauce from the bottom of the dish, taking care not to wash all the seasoning off the skin.
- After baking, remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5–10 minutes so the meat can relax. Serve the legs with the vegetables and the sauce from the bottom of the dish.
Storage
Mięso i warzywa przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku, najlepiej razem z sosem, aby nie wyschły. Do mrożenia oddziel mięso od kości, a po rozmrożeniu podgrzewaj pod przykryciem w piekarniku lub na patelni z odrobiną wody.
