Baked Smoked Paprika Chicken

 

Ingredients:

2 chicken whole legs

1 tbsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbsp. cooking oil

Juice of half lemon

Methods:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Clean the chicken, trim off excess fat, and I use a small sharp knife to pierce through the chicken legs.  This is to enable the marinade to seep through the meat.
3. To marinate, place the chicken into a zip log bag.  Drizzle the chicken with oil and lemon juice, and give it a rub.  Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken and give it a rub to ensure it is evenly coated on all sides.  Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.  In between marination, I will turn over the chicken, give a few squeezes to ensure even marination.
4. I will take out the chicken and leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
5. To bake, place the chicken on a rack, skin side up, and bake in a convection  oven of 200 degree Celsius for about 20 minutes, turn the chicken over and continue to bake for another 15 minutes; will turn it over again, skin side up, and bake until fully cooked, and is golden brown.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
7. Serve the chicken with your favorite sides.

I adapted this recipe from 'Recipe Yumm' with a slight adjustment to suit my preference.