This is southern baked chicken just like my grandma used to make, with juicy, well-seasoned chicken and buttery potatoes for an old-school meal made all in one pan! It's surprisingly simple to make, and everybody always cleans their plates.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my honey mustard chicken thighs, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy Everyday Ingredients - This is the best southern baked chicken recipe because it's simple and made with common pantry spices, chicken (of course), potatoes, and a few other elements you probably already have in your kitchen.
Made the Old-Fashioned Way - Southern style oven baked chicken is perfect for Sunday dinners when you want to put extra love and care into the family meal and have time to start marinating the chicken in the morning or the night before. My granny would rise early to do the prep work before church, then pop the pan in the oven a couple of hours before suppertime.
Flavor in Every Bite - We're covering every inch of chicken in smoky, sweet, spicy goodness so that every mouthful is delightful. And the potatoes get infused with flavor from the chicken drippings!
👉🏾 My family loves when I bring Southern classic dishes to the table. Check out our fried cabbage with andouille sausage, butter-basted ribeye steak, chicken & sausage gumbo with okra, and slow-roasted turkey wings and gravy next!
Featured Reader Review
★★★★★
"This chicken reminded me of my Big Mama. Juicy and so much flavor. I didn't have to make a side dish, just threw those potatoes and onions on the plate and voila. Well worth the time and effort."
-Mesha
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Bone-In Chicken is the star here, and this recipe works with leg quarters (pictured), drumsticks, thighs, breast, or wings.
Spices like smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and oregano imbue this dish with a full flavor profile from smoky to herby to spicy, and even sweet. Use the best quality ground versions of the seasonings you can find.
Potatoes get buttery soft cooked underneath the chicken. I recommend Russet potatoes because they are more dense and starchy than other potato varieties, which means they take longer to cook--perfect for this recipe!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Chicken Cut - Use any bone-in cut of chicken that you like. Just note that smaller cuts like wings will cook much more quickly, so adjust your roasting time accordingly.
More Vegetables - You can make this a more fullsome meal by adding other vegetables to your pan. Aim for veggies with similar cook time, such as carrots, beets, turnips, and sweet potatoes.
Make Ahead - This dish keeps well for a few days, so you can prep or even fully bake it in advance.
How to Bake Chicken Southern Style
- Step One: Mix up the brown sugar and spices, then rub all over the chicken, cover, and let marinate in the fridge. (Photo 1)
- Step Two: Cut the onion and potatoes into bite-sized pieces, then place them in a roasting dish. (Photos 2-4)
Pro Tip #1
You can marinate the meat for as little as two hours, but for the best flavor, let it sit overnight!
- Step Three: Lay the chicken on top of the prepped vegetables, then place chunks of butter over top. (Photos 5 and 6)
- Step Four: Bake the chicken until the skin is golden brown and it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Step Five: Baste chicken with pan drippings and serve with potatoes and onions.
Pro Tip #2
I recommend checking your chicken's doneness with a meat thermometer. Don't have one? Another method is to cut the chicken all the way to the bone and make sure the juices run clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to four days. To get leftovers with crispy skin, I recommend reheating uncovered in the oven or air fryer.
Yes, but don't freeze the potatoes and onions. To freeze, cool the chicken to room temperature, then wrap each piece with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container, then transfer to the freezer. Keeps for up to four months.
How to Serve
Serve the chicken warm with the potatoes and onions from the pan. If you want to add extra veg (which I recommend), try my brown butter roasted green beans, garlic skillet spinach, or Soul Food mustard greens. And southern style chicken and yellow rice is a combination my family loves down!
This is a great main dish option for your southern Sunday dinner menu, but you don't need a special occasion to enjoy! Need a chicken dish for the holidays? Try my crispy roasted whole chicken.
More Favorite Sunday Supper Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you enjoy southern oven baked chicken legs soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Southern Baked Chicken Dinner
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken like leg quarters, thighs, drums, etc.
- 1 onion preferably sweet yellow onion
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- ½ cup butter cut into pieces
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Add brown sugar and spices to a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Thoroughly pat each piece of chicken with paper towels then sprinkle the seasoning mixture over top, toss, and rub the chicken until coated. Cover the container with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least two hours up to overnight.¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken
- Remove chicken from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Cut onion and potatoes into bite-sized pieces, then place them into roasting dish.*Letting the chicken come to room temperature is important to ensure even cooking, as sticking cold chicken straight into a hot oven will result in the outer parts cooking far sooner than the innermost parts. This imbalance means your chicken is more likely to dry out and/or burn.1 onion, 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- Bake the Chicken: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add chicken to roasting pan over top of the onion and potato pieces then place pats of butter on each piece of chicken. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven to cook for one hour.½ cup butter
- Remove foil covering from pan and increase heat to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue cooking chicken, allowing the skin to brown and get crispy for about 45 minutes to an hour or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If the skin starts to brown too much or burn, tent it with foil.
- Finish and Serve: Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes, then baste, and serve with pan potatoes and any other side dishes.
Wanda says
The best recipe! Thank you!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Glad you enjoyed, Wanda! Thanks for your note.
Mesha says
Jazz! This chicken reminded me of my Big Mama. Juicy and so much flavor. I didn’t have to make a side dish, just threw those potatoes and onions on the plate and voila. Well worth the time and effort.
Jazzmine Woodard says
Mesha, what an honor. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chicken and its simplicity!