14 Chicken Leg Recipes I Rely on for Crispy, Juicy Dinners

Juicy and forgiving, poultry legs are simple to cook and yield the juiciest results.

By

Anna Thomas Bates

and

The Serious Eats Team

Published October 13, 2025

20210324-SouthernFriedChicken-Andrew-Janjigian-21 — Andrew Janjigian

Chicken legs are the most forgiving part of a chicken to cook. They'll never threaten to dry out on you like a chicken breast. This arguably makes them the tastiest part of a chicken. Flavorful and juicy, chicken legs are perfect for braising, grilling, frying, and more. A bonus? Thighs and drumsticks are the least expensive chicken parts you can buy.

Here are 14 chicken leg recipes from around the globe, well-suited for any night of the week.

Chicken Cacciatore With Mushrooms, Tomato, and Onion

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

An earthy, hearty version of the classic Italian dish, this recipe stars juicy, tender pieces of chicken leg, braised in white wine with mushrooms, onion, and tomato. It tastes like it's been cooking for hours, but it only takes about an hour.

Chicken Cacciatore With Mushrooms, Tomato, and Onion
The Best Buttermilk-Brined Southern Fried Chicken

Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian

An intensely flavored brine keeps the meat moist underneath all that golden brown crispness.

The Best Buttermilk-Brined Southern Fried Chicken
Chicken Yassa (Senegalese Braised Chicken With Caramelized Onions)

Serious Eats / Jillian Atkinson

A citrus-forward version of your favorite stewed and smothered chicken-and-onion dish.

Chicken Yassa (Senegalese Braised Chicken With Caramelized Onions)
Homemade Pollo Campero (Central American–Style Fried Chicken)

Serious Eats / Karla Vasquez

Pollo Campero is a restaurant chain that originated in Guatemala and is now famous throughout much of Central America and beyond—in particular for the juicy, flavorful, and richly spiced fried chicken recreated by this recipe.

Pollo Campero-Style Spicy Fried Chicken

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Crispy Braised Chicken With White Beans and Chile Verde

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This recipe takes the intensely rich, smoky, and hot chile sauce from chile verde and the comforting bean stew aspect of white chicken chili and adds a perfectly braised piece of chicken; deep flavors, crisp skin, and all.

Crispy Braised Chicken With White Beans and Chile Verde
The Best Chicken Paprikash

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This version of chicken paprikash takes a few extra steps to ensure the best possible flavor. Searing the chicken produces a more complex sauce while adding gelatin to chicken broth gives it a richer mouthfeel. The recipe is a little more complicated than your average chicken paprikash, but the results are well worth the effort.

The Best Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Adobo (Filipino-Style Braised Chicken)

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Chicken adobo is a classic Filipino dish that's as savory as it is bright with acid, and it goes perfectly with a large platter of garlic fried rice.

Chicken Adobo (Filipino-Style Braised Chicken)
Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Masala

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

This one-pot meal of tender chicken, chickpeas, and spinach tastes like it's been simmering all day in a creamy sauce flavored with ginger, garlic, and cumin.

Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Masala

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Ghanaian Chicken and Peanut Stew (Groundnut Soup)

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Peanut butter and tomatoes lend a rich and creamy backdrop to this simple, hearty Ghanaian chicken stew.

Ghanaian Chicken and Peanut Stew (Groundnut Soup)
Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken)

Serious Eats / Julia Hartbeck

A street food in the Philippines typically served with white or garlic rice and sawsawan, a vinegary dipping sauce.

Chicken Inasal (Filipino Grilled Chicken)
Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

You won't see a lot of strict rules in Taiwanese recipes. But this dish, one of the island's most famous, is an exception. It calls upon equal parts soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil to create a viscous, dark sauce for braising chopped pieces of bone-in chicken.

Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) Recipe
Jamaican Curry Chicken

Serious Eats / Karina Matalon

Marinated with an assortment of spices and coated in a rich, creamy gravy, this flavorful curry chicken is a simple and delicious Jamaican staple.

Jamaican Curry Chicken

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Grilled Tamarind Chicken Thighs

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Grilled chicken thighs marinated in a bold mixture inspired by Filipino sinigang.

Grilled Chicken Tamarind Thighs
Traditional French Cassoulet

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

A meaty stew of poultry, sausage, pork, and beans, all under a rich, dark brown crust.

Traditional French Cassoulet

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