Chicken and Leeks Recipe

This is my chicken and leeks recipe. Brillat-Savarin once said, “ Poultry is for the cook what canvas is for the painter.”

Imagine a perfectly crisp baked chicken with leeks, sitting on a bed of lemon and white wine. I genuinely believe I have made more chicken recipes than I have recipes with other meats. Chicken is such a staple in French cooking, and I never tire of finding new ways to prepare it. If you enjoy bright lemon flavors, my Chicken Francese is another easy favorite, while my Creamy Chicken Piccata brings together chicken, lemon, wine, and a silky sauce.

In this Article

A Note From Giangi

Simple ingredients: Chicken, leeks, lemon, garlic, and white wine come together beautifully without much effort.

One-dish dinner: Everything cooks together in the oven, making both preparation and cleanup easy.

Fresh and flavorful: The lemon and wine brighten the dish while the leeks become soft, sweet, and almost buttery.

Perfect for entertaining: It feels elegant enough for guests yet is easy enough to make on a weeknight.

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How to Clean and Cut Leeks

Leeks are one of my favorite vegetables to cook with, but they do need a good cleaning, as dirt and sand can hide between their layers.

Step 1: Remove the tough outer layer, trim the root end, and cut away the dark green leaves. Keep the tender white and pale green portion.

Step 2: Slice the leek into thin rounds, or cut it lengthwise first and then slice. Thin slices are perfect when you want the leeks to cook quickly in sauces, omelets, or sautés.

Step 3: Place the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and gently swirl them around with your hands. The dirt and sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 4: Lift the leeks out of the water rather than pouring everything through a colander, then rinse once more if needed.

Step 5: Drain and pat dry. Your leeks are now ready to cook.

Key Ingredients

Leg quarters: The drumstick and the thigh together are a perfect combination, and one leg quarter can ideally feed an adult. Chicken thighs and leg quarters are wonderful for oven recipes because they stay moist and flavorful. If you enjoy cooking with dark meat, my Saffron Lemon Chicken is another flavorful chicken thigh recipe

Leeks: Long slender, and primarily light green.

Lemons: I leave this up to you. Please make sure they are soft to the touch.

Garlic cloves: leave them whole as they roast; they will give the wine a wonderful flavor.

White wine: Use a good Chardonnay or any reasonably priced white wine you enjoy drinking. If you enjoy cooking chicken with white wine, my Coq au Vin Blanc is another French chicken dinner worth trying.

Substitutions

Chicken: Chicken thighs or drumsticks work beautifully if you do not have leg quarters. If using chicken breasts, watch them closely to prevent them from drying out.

Leeks: Shallots or a mild yellow onion can be used if leeks are unavailable, though the flavor will be slightly stronger. Or you can replace them with:

• Sweet or Vidalia onions: Use less than the recipe calls for, as they pack more flavor than leeks.

• Shallots: Like leeks, shallots are mild in flavor.

• Green onions: Not quite the same, but they will do if you are in a pinch.

White wine: Replace it with chicken broth if you prefer not to cook with wine. Add a little extra lemon juice at the end to keep the sauce bright. One caution is not to oversalt the chicken, as both stocks contain more sodium than the wine itself.

Fresh lemon: Fresh lemon is best, but bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch. I would still add a little fresh zest if you have a lemon on hand.

Herbs: Thyme is lovely with this dish, but rosemary or parsley also work very well.

For a richer sauce: Add a small splash of heavy cream during the last few minutes of cooking for a softer, richer finish.

How to Make Chicken and Leeks

This recipe is relatively easy to make with so few ingredients, and it takes no time to prepare.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2: Arrange the thinly sliced lemons over the bottom of a large roasting pan,

Step 3: Then spread the sliced leeks evenly over the lemons.

Step 4: Pat the chicken leg quarters dry and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

Step 5: Place the chicken over the leeks. Add the whole garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice, and white wine around the chicken.

Step 6: Place the roasting pan in the oven, then reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Step 7: Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, basting the chicken with the pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes. Add a little more wine if the leeks begin to dry out.

Step 8: When the chicken is beautifully golden and cooked through, remove it from the oven and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Step 9: Serve the chicken with the tender leeks, roasted lemons, and plenty of the flavorful pan juices spooned over the top.

VIDEO: COOK ALONG WITH ME

Chicken with Leeks Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Giangi Townsend

Imagine a perfectly crisp baked chicken with leeks sitting on a lemon and white wine bed. As the lemon and leeks cook with the wine, the intense flavor and caramelization of the two infuse the chicken with flavor while keeping it moist and juicy.

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Ingredients 

USMetric

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 2 leeks, white part only thinly sliced
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon , juice
• 3 garlic, peeled and hard end removed
• 1 cup white wine

Instructions

• Preheat oven at 375°.
• Cover the bottom of the roasting pan with the thinly sliced lemons and add the thinly sliced leeks over it.
• Pat the chicken dry, salt and pepper all over, Place the chicken on top of the leeks. Salt and pepper generously. Add the garlic cloves, juice from 1 lemon and the white wine around the chicken.
• Place in the warm oven and lower the heat to 350°.
• Check while cooking to make sure that the lemons and leeks do not burn and baste the chicken with juices every 15-20 minutes. Add more wine if needed.
• Once the chicken is nice and golden, 45 to 50 minutes and no more juices are running when pierced, remove from the oven and let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve with the leeks and lemons relish.

Equipment

• Large roasting pan, The kitchen's best friend and one pan that gets a lot of use. High side and, my favorite, enamel cast iron as it distributes the heat evenly

Notes

Clean the leeks well: Dirt loves to hide between the layers, so give them a thorough rinse before cooking.

Pat the chicken dry, as this helps the skin become beautifully golden in the oven.

Use a wine you enjoy drinking: A dry white wine such as Chardonnay works beautifully and gives the sauce much better flavor.

Do not skip the lemon slices: As they roast under the chicken, they perfume the leeks and pan juices with a wonderful brightness.

Baste as it cooks. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken a few times during roasting to keep it moist and flavorful.

Let it rest: Give the chicken 5 minutes before serving so the juices settle back into the meat.

Save those pan juices, which are one of the best parts of the dish, so spoon plenty over the chicken and whatever side you serve with it.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 867IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.

• Course: Dinners, Poultry, Sunday Night Dinner
• Cuisine: French
• Type: Affordable Gourmet, Videos