Tender and juicy with the kind of sticky that makes licking your fingers a fun, shameless act, my brand gluten free Creole BBQ baked chicken legs are frugality at its finest. Marinated chicken legs slow-bake in the oven up to temperature. Then, an easy sauce featuring south Louisiana pantry all-stars transforms GF ketchup into a championship base that sticks to all the right crispy places. Yep and yay...
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Oh, Gluten Free Creole BBQ Sauce, You're the Reason the Chicken Legs Crossed The Road into My Kitchen
I've been a chicken breast snob all of my life, y'all. Yep. I love chicken breasts in my gumbo, jambalaya and chicken stew.
But, when I married Mark, he informed me that he is all about those thighs. So, I got into them, too. And I created a whole lot of recipes that feature the boneless, skinless chicken thigh. And I'm happy to report that I've accepted the thigh just as much as the breast.
However, here lately I've been eyeing the bone-in chicken pieces at the grocery store. They're way cheaper than we're used to buying, and they go a long, long way. And truth be told, bone-in chicken makes the best homemade chicken broth in the world.
Recently, 10 pound bags of leg quarters went on sale. So, I bought three bags just to try out new recipes that've been floating around my head. I knew that I would use some to make my homemade stock. But, I also knew that I wanted some cooked and properly sauced to hold in my hand. And just go to town on until I ate all the way down to the bone.
So then I (had Mark) separate the thighs from the legs the other day. And as I was watching him, the thought of transforming my favorite condiment, ketchup, into a south Louisiana-inspired sauce really got my creative juices flowing.
I wanted rich, I wanted thick, and I wanted the kind of kick that got equally appreciative nods from both adults and kids. So, I used a few of my favorite south Louisiana pantry items to turn GF ketchup into the perfect coating for these brand new gluten free Creole BBQ baked chicken legs.
And now I'm like chicken breast who???? Boneless skinless chicken thigh what??? Gimme, gimme, gimme those legs with dat sauce...
How to Make Gluten Free Creole BBQ Baked Chicken Legs for Your Delectable Dining Enjoyment
To start the gluten free Creole BBQ baked chicken legs, submerge the chicken in the marinade for a few hours. Then, preheat the oven. And line the bottom of a roasting pan with aluminum foil. (Only do this if your roasting pan is NOT non-stick). Then, spray or grease the top of the roasting pan. And arrange the marinated chicken legs along the top of the pan. I used Mark's grandmother's old school pan that I absolutely love:
Now, make the simple Creole BBQ out of Zatarain's Creole Mustard, Steen's Pure Louisiana Cane Vinegar, liquid smoke, fresh herbs and gluten free ketchup.
Then, stir to incorporate:
And start basting the chicken legs with it when they look like this:
And once they turn into this below, it's time to get busy enjoying these gluten free Creole BBQ baked chicken legs before they're all gone:
When you bite into one of these baked chicken legs, the first thing you notice is the falling-off-of-the-bone juicy tenderness. Then, your taste buds come alive as the sauce hits the front, middle, and back of your tongue.
This initial flavor explosion is bold enough to stand up to its Creole name, but mild enough to serve to your kids, too. Once you've gotten into your third or fourth bites, the sauce deepens a bit. And holds on strong to the crispy chicken skin like a champ all the way to the very last bone-bite.
These baked chicken legs are a party ace-in-the-hole win when you just don't know what to bring to please everyone. They're also an at-home menu rotation change-up plan to inject some true south Louisiana spice into your same-old, same-old meals.
Anyway you have them, you'll appreciate the low hands-on time. And how you get to eat such BIG flavors by simply mixing seven ingredients into a bowl. This is a year-round win, win recipe that you really can't mess up. Since you marinate the chicken legs, you'd have to really, really overcook them to lose their tender, juicy delicious quality. So, this is definitely the recipe to bookmark for those days when you have to feed a lot of people, but you don't want to spend much time in the kitchen.
Share these gluten free Creole BBQ baked chicken legs with those who are just as sweet as they are uniquely spicy. And see y'all on the yum side...
Gluten Free Creole BBQ Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 9 to 10 chicken legs
For the Chicken Legs Marinade
- 5 cups gluten free chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
For the Creole BBQ sauce
- 1 ½ cups gluten free ketchup
- 1 ½ teaspoons Zatarain's Creole mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Colgin liquid smoke
- 1 ½ teaspoons Steen's Cane Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh celery leaves
Instructions
- Stir all of the chicken leg marinade ingredients together in a large rectangular plastic bowl with fitted lid.
- Submerge the chicken legs into the marinade.
- Cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours, or up to overnight.
- Drain chicken legs, and discard marinade.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line the bottom of a vented roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the top of the roasting pan on the bottom piece. Then, spray the top of the pan with cooking spray, or use a paper towel to grease the top with butter or oil.
- Stir all of the Creole BBQ sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Bake the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a digital thermometer located in the thickest part of the leg reads 165 degrees F.
- Use a basting brush to coat one side of the legs.
- Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Then, flip the chicken legs over and baste.
- Bake for 5 additional minutes.
- Baste again, if desired, before removing from oven and serving.
Notes
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