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Home Chicken

Herb & Garlic Chicken Marylands

By:Nagi
Published:28 Jun '23Updated:29 Jun '23
64 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Chicken marylands: such an under-utilised cut of chicken! Cheap, juicy, flavourful, hard to stuff up. It’s like roast chicken, without the mess of carving. Slather in herb & garlic butter, bake until golden, then serve with potato gratin or creamy mash with garlic sautéed green beans for the perfect meal!

Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands fresh out of the oven

Chicken marylands (aka chicken leg quarters)

Chicken maryland is a massively underrated economical cut of chicken. I tell people it’s like roasting up a whole chicken – without dealing with the mess of bones and juices from carving up a whole chicken! A substantial piece of meat with plenty of golden skin, juicier* than drumsticks and thighs, and super flavourful.

It’s nearly impossible to mess up since you don’t have to worry about precise roasting time to prevent dry, bland breast. Because this cut doesn’t include chicken breast! Why aren’t we cooking chicken marylands all the time??!!

* Why it’s juicier – because it’s a larger single piece of bone-in meat. Which means less juice-escaping-crevices by meat weight = juicier meat.

Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands on a plate with roast veg and fresh salad
Close up of fork picking up a piece of Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands

What is a chicken maryland – to you?

As it turns out, chicken marylands means different things in different countries. Here in Australia, it refers to a cut which is a chicken leg with the thigh attached, pictured below. It’s called whole chicken leg quarters in the States and just chicken legs in the UK. I know it’s confusing, but at least the cut is easily identifiable!

In the States, “Chicken Maryland” or “Maryland Chicken” refers to a dish originating from the state of Maryland comprised of fried chicken with creamy gravy. This immediately got added to my ever-growing List of Things To Make.

In the UK, “Chicken Maryland” refers to a retro Chinese fried chicken dish served with a banana fritter, corn fritter and bacon.

This did not get added to my List of Things To Make! 😂

Raw chicken marylands

PS I put this little table together just to clear up the confusion in my head. Though it might be useful to you too. 🙂

Chicken cut namesAustraliaUSUK
Chicken maryland
(leg + thigh attached – today’s recipe)
Chicken marylandChicken leg quartersChicken legs
Chicken drumsticks
(ie no thigh attached)
Chicken leg or drumsticksChicken leg or drumsticksChicken drumsticks

Ingredients you need

Today, we’re roasting this chicken slathered in a herb and garlic butter. Here’s what you need for the butter – see above for the photo and talk about the chicken marylands!

Herb & garlic butter

Ingredients in Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands
  • Thyme and rosemary – Fresh is best, for maximum flavour impact. However, dried will work as a substitute.

  • Garlic – Fresh and only fresh! Jarred stuff just doesn’t compare – it’s sour and doesn’t have real garlic flavour.

  • Unsalted butter – I prefer using unsalted so I can control the amount of salt. However, if you only have salted it will work too, just halve the salt.

  • White wine – Serves a triple purpose: keeps the underside of the chicken moist as it roasts, infuses flavour into the flesh, and makes the juices in the roasting pan so tasty it’s like liquid gold. All that flavour from the herb & garlic butter mingling with the chicken juices plus the white wine = sauce perfection!

    Substitute with chicken stock/broth, low sodium or just a splash of water (you’ll end up with less sauce but don’t worry, there’s plenty of flavour in the chicken itself!).


How to make Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands

This recipe calls for the herb & garlic butter to be slathered under the skin. Don’t worry, it’s not hard – access is easy with this cut of chicken! Also, while I’ve used marylands here, this recipe would be terrific made with bone-in thighs (use 8).

How to make Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands
  1. Mix softened butter with garlic, herbs and salt. Use a garlic press or microplane to finely grate the garlic and make it “juicy” so it mixes through the butter, for better garlic flavour. (If you don’t have one, very finely chop it).

  2. Loosen the skin using a tablespoon. The spoon hugs the curves of the chicken flesh so it won’t pierce the skin. Access the skin from the straight edge of the thigh, as pictured above, and move the spoon around to create butter pockets (including on the drumstick).

  3. Slather butter under the skin. It’s easy, I promise – lift skin, stuff butter under then spread by pressing/pushing on the skin. No need to be exact here, the butter melts and runs everywhere anyway. Even if you spread a wad in the middle that’ll do the trick.

    How much butter where – Put about 75% of the butter under the skin. Then only a small amount (~5% ) on the flesh (underside), then the remainder on the skin. Why? Because the flesh side is going to get tons of flavour from roasting in the wine and the butter/chicken juices run-off. It doesn’t need extra butter help!

  4. Roast for 50 minutes – Put the chicken in a baking dish skin side up. Pour the wine around then roast for 50 minutes.

    Start off high at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan) for 10 minutes to get the skin browning, then on a slightly lower 200°C /400°F (180°C fan) for 40 minutes or until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked.

  5. Baste twice at the 30 minute and 40 minute mark (ie spoon pan juices over the chicken skin).

  6. Rest for 5 minutes before serving, using the juices in the roasting pan as the sauce. That stuff is pure gold!!

Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands fresh out of the oven

Close up of said golden roasting juices:

Herb & Garlic Butter for Chicken Marylands
Spooning butter of Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands

What to serve on the side

I served this with roasted vegetables and a rocket/arugula tossed with my Everyday Dressing. If I was making for company, I would opt for a potato gratin (make it in advance then reheat it while the chicken is roasting – allow an extra 10 minutes for the chicken roasting time) or Lemon Potato Salad (served warm) for something a little fresher.

I can also see a pile of Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic with Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato on the side. Or for a simple option, just steam vegetables of choice (peas, carrots, broccoli) then toss with French Dressing and serve with a hunk of bread on the side (for plate mopping).

Love to know what you’d serve this with for company. I’m having a dinner party this weekend – I was going to do a Mexican Fiesta but I’m expecting some not-so-subtle requests for today’s dish instead! – Nagi x

Suggested sides

Potatoes au gratin (Dauphinoise Potatoes) fresh out of the oven
Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
Close up of tray of Roasted Vegetables fresh out of the oven
Roasted Vegetables
Garlic Sautéed Green Beans on a plate ready to be served
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
Close up of spoon scooping up Mashed Potato
Creamy Buttery Mashed Potato
Close up of crispy crust of world's easiest yeast bread
World’s Easiest Yeast Bread recipe – Artisan, NO KNEAD crusty bread
Close up of a fork picking up a no mayo Lemon Potato Salad.
Lemon Potato Salad
French Salad Dressing (French Vinaigrette) - Made with olive oil, mustard, white wine vinegar and eschalot/shallot. Keeps for up to 2 weeks. www.recipetineats.com
French Salad Dressing (French Vinaigrette)
Pouring salad dressing over leafy salad
Everyday Salad Dressing
Hot Mashed Potato in a bowl, ready to be served
Potato Recipes
Crudités Vegetables Platter with Hummus recipetineats.com
All Vegetable & Salad Sides

Watch how to make it

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Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands fresh out of the oven

Herb & Garlic Butter Chicken Marylands (chicken leg quarters)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 50 minutes mins
Mains
Western
5 from 16 votes
Servings4 marylands
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Chicken marylands – such an under utilised cut of chicken! Cheap, juicy, flavourful, hard to stuff up. I tell people it's like roast chicken: without the mess of carving up a whole chicken. Slather in herb & garlic butter then bake until golden. Don't waste a drop of the pan juices – it's liquid gold!
Serve with potato gratin or creamy mash with garlic sautéed green beans for the perfect meal!

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces (~1.5 kg/3 lb) chicken marylands (US: leg quarters) or 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (sub low-sodium chicken stock/broth)

Herb & garlic butter:

  • 100g/7 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced using a garlic press (Note 2)
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves , finely chopped (Note 3 for dried)
  • 2 tsp thyme leaves , finely chopped (Note 3 for dried)
  • 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan).
  • Mix Herb & Garlic Butter ingredients until combined.
  • Butter chicken – Use an upside down tablespoon to loosen the chicken skin from the flesh on the thigh and most of the leg (Note 4). Smear 80% of the butter under the skin, just a small amount (~5%) on the underside (flesh side) then the remainder on top of the skin. (The flesh side gets lots of flavour from the pan juices).
  • Put chicken in roasting pan, skin side up. Sprinkle skin with the 1/2 tsp salt. Pour wine around chicken.
  • Roast 50 minutes – Roast 10 minutes to get the skin going. Then reduce the heat to 200°C /400°F (180°C fan) and roast for a further 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes from the 20 minute mark onwards.
  • Rest & serve – Remove from oven. Rest 10 minutes then serve with the garlic-herb-butter pan juices as the sauce!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken marylands are called chicken leg quarters in the US and chicken legs in the UK. Whole chicken leg with thigh attached. Great value, overlooked cut of chicken!
Alternative – 8 x skin on, bone in thighs.
2. Garlic – Or finely grated using microplane or very finely minced using knife. We want the juicy minced garlic to mix seamlessly into the butter for maximum garlic flavour.
3. Fresh herbs really deliver in the flavour department but both can be substituted with 1 1/2 tsp dried herbs (each). Still chop them, to release flavour.
4. Spoon is ideal for this job as the shape of the spoon hugs the curves of the chicken so the spoon won’t pierce the skin. See video and step photos of help to do this step.
Leftovers will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per Maryland. 1 Maryland is a generous serving for someone with a hearty appetite. 

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 659cal (33%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 35g (70%)Fat: 54g (83%)Saturated Fat: 22g (138%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 253mg (84%)Sodium: 911mg (40%)Potassium: 474mg (14%)Fiber: 0.2g (1%)Sugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 871IU (17%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 38mg (4%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: chicken marylands, chicken quarters, whole chicken legs
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Passed out from exhaustion after snuffling around unsuccessfully in someone’s backpack for treats. (Or….perhaps not unsuccessful!)

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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64 Comments

  1. Jenna says

    December 10, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    This was SO GOOD! I’ve never cooked this cut before but picked some up for half price at Coles. DELISH! Served w roasted veg and some feta 😋

    Reply
  2. Sabrina says

    October 2, 2023 at 7:42 am

    Good morning Nagi San. I made this dish for our Sunday inner last night with creamy buttery mash and the dish was amazing and so delicious. Thank you again Nagi San – you are an absolute star.

    Reply
  3. Pat Rolt says

    August 15, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this several times now – it is so delicious and so easy to make. Thanks, Nagi.

    Reply
  4. Su says

    August 10, 2023 at 5:53 am

    5 stars
    What can I say? At first I wasn’t going to make this dish, because I’d made so many other dishes from Nagi, but boy oh boy was I glad I did. Even my ears were moving when I was eating this dish and the fam just loved it. Nagi you rock!

    Reply
  5. Vika says

    August 2, 2023 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    Yummo! All 3 kids under 10 loved it and us parents! Took me 10min at 200C and 30min at 180C

    Reply
  6. Shirley says

    July 15, 2023 at 3:14 am

    5 stars
    Should I still roast it for further 40min if I’m using thighs? Thanks.

    Reply
  7. Kim says

    July 14, 2023 at 4:41 am

    Crispy skin, juicy meat, delicious sauce. And it was so easy to make it. It was a really nice dinner and this would be another regular at our table. Thank you for another great recipe

    Reply
  8. James Farmer says

    July 12, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi you’ve done it yet again this is amazing I’ve cooked it 3 times the last time I add the juice of a lemon to the butter, herb and garlic and that just put it over the top clean plates with demands to cook again. Your recipes are so easy and so delicious.

    THE LEGEND THAT IS NAGI

    Reply
  9. Jenny says

    July 8, 2023 at 5:09 pm

    Making this tonight as a tribute to the Tour de France. Have made this several times and it is superb- tasty, easy and very low stress. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Marjory says

    July 8, 2023 at 7:29 am

    This was very good. I have never cooked chicken legs before but I saw a package of organic ones after I had read your recipe. The only concern was my pan sauces were far too greasy to serve alongside the chicken. I didn’t have time to deglaze etc. we all enjoyed it, son had the leftovers to today for lunch. I was lazy and used ikea frozen mashed potatoes alongside. A handy package in the freezer. I think I’ll prep a batch and have them in the freezer with my mashed potatoes😂🇨🇦

    Reply
  11. Jane says

    July 7, 2023 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    We made this 2 nights ago. It was so so sooooo tasty & very easy to make too. The chicken remained moist and juicy, the dish blew us away. We will definitely be making it again and again. Thanks Nagi for another amazing recipe. (P.S. to all those peeps out there who are not confident cooks, you can make this hands down, please give it a go. Take a look at Nagi’s video first then the step by step recipe) Cheers, Jane xx

    Reply
  12. Jane H says

    July 5, 2023 at 9:25 pm

    Omgeee to the gee gee gee. We (I) cooked this tonight, hubby on veg duty 🙂 . Oh my goodness, absolutely bloody amazeballs!!! The dish was super easy to prepare, the chicken sooooo juicy & tender. Extra points that this is hubby’s favourite part of the chicken always!!! Could swear that we ate out at a restaurant. We served with mash and broccolini. We have been following you and cooking your fabulous recipes since before covid so….3 – 3.5 years and never had a fail. Thanks a million. Love The Healey’s from Engadine Sydney 2233

    Reply
  13. Pat Rolt says

    July 5, 2023 at 1:24 pm

    I got 4 chicken Maryland from Woolworths for $7.85 total – bargain! Made the garlic and herb butter for 4 (leftovers in the fridge). Froze 3 of the chicken Maryland and cooked the other one last night. Delicious, served with mash, steamed beans and steamed carrots. Fully sated.

    Reply
  14. Jennifer L says

    July 4, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Couldn’t be easier and everyone loved it- kids and adults (& pup!)! Added a little extra of the butter (I just used a whole stick instead of 7 Tbsp) to my mashed potatoes and it was perfection. Really great recipe (I’ve never made anything on your site that my family and I have not all loved!!).

    Reply
  15. Michael Meinersmann says

    July 3, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    5 stars
    Another hit from Nagi – very easy and super delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
  16. Cindy Waters says

    July 3, 2023 at 4:34 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night and it was a winner. Chicken was juicy and the flavours were spot on. Used fresh rosemary and dried thyme. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  17. Janelle Knight says

    July 3, 2023 at 9:54 am

    5 stars
    Made this with 8 marylands for visitors other night, with mashed potato and greens. Cooked in trays on Weber and was amazing. Crispy skin and succulent inside.
    Made also Nagi’s easy crusty bread to help soak up all the delish sauce…. It was a massive hit 🙂

    Reply
  18. Tiwa says

    July 3, 2023 at 6:40 am

    About to pop these in the oven can’t wait to taste them! Can we also get the recipe for the potatoes

    Reply
    • Pat Rolt says

      July 5, 2023 at 1:27 pm

      Side dish suggestions are all recipes on Nagi’s website. Search for the side dishes you want and you’ll find the recipes.

      Reply
  19. Steven Julians says

    July 3, 2023 at 4:21 am

    I got a couple of chicken legs out of the freezer this morning and said to my wife ‘How do you want your chicken this evening?’
    Her reply : ‘Do it like Dozer’s mum does it’
    So I did – absolutely fantastic. I’ll do it bext time with tarragon rather than thyme & rosemary.
    And thanks for the spoon under the skin idea – how much easier dies that make it…..

    Reply
  20. Pascale says

    July 2, 2023 at 6:54 pm

    Hi Nagi, I just tried the Maryland Chicken with herbs, butter and white wine although not chardonnay ! I agree with U that cooking time requires at least 50 mins. I’m suggesting if I may also include cherry tomatoes…..
    Thanks for all. Wish U on-going Success !

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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