Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- kosher salt
- spray canola oil
- 3/4 - 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
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Line a sheet pan with foil. Set a rack in the pan. Set aside while you sear the chicken. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
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Pat dry chicken, coat with salt
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Set a nonstick pan on the stove over high heat and spray with a little canola oil. Let it heat up for a minute or two.
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When the pan is hot, drop in a few of the chicken leg quarters, skin-side down. You don’t want to crowd the pan (or your chicken will steam, not sear), so do this in a few batches.
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Cook them on high like this for a few minutes, until the skin is nice and brown
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When the skin is browned, transfer the chicken to your prepared pan. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. (I only brown the skin side. I find that intense high heat on the skinless underside can dry the meat out a little.)
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Using a brush, paint each piece of chicken on all sides with barbecue sauce.
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When each piece of chicken is coated, pop the pan into your preheated 375 degree oven. Bake like this for 15 minutes.
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After about 15 minutes, yank the pan out of the oven. Brush with the remaining barbecue sauce, covering each piece on all sides again.
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When the chicken is coated again, pop the pan back into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes more, until they’re cooked through completely. (Your chicken should be in the oven for a total of 45-50 minutes.)
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After 30-35 minutes, they should have a nice crust. If you’re a meat thermometer type, you want a reading of 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken (without touching a bone).
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Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.