Skip to Content

Herbs de Provence Roasted Chicken

To know me is to know my love for herbs de provence. I adore this incredibly flavorful and richly fragrant herb blend so much, I put it on almost everything. Nothing sings to me louder than herbs de provence roasted chicken. It’s a song in the key of life. Now, I’ve roasted a lot of chicken in my life, many ways, many flavor combinations. But nothing comforts me more than biting into a juicy piece of crispy-skinned roasted chicken flavored with flaky kosher salt and heavenly herbs studded with lavender. My gawd! It’s so simple, and so good. I’m getting emotional, not even joking. This stuff tastes like a hug to your soul with a pinky in the air.

Apparently, I’ve put a lot of people on to herbs de provence via social media. Wonderful people from all over tag me in their photos and IG stories with their HDP purchases, telling me how wonderful it has elevated their food. That honestly warms my heart. I love being able to spread my love of food with people who are either novice or seasoned cooks. Food is the one thing that brings everyone together aside from music.

So let’s talk about this chicken. If you’re curious about trying this with a whole bird, thighs, breasts, or even wings — you can make this recipe. Of course, cooking times will have to be adjusted. Always make sure the skin of your chicken is as dry as possible when high-roasting. We don’t want the surface moisture to steam and give us flabby, dull skin. My fiancé always jokes that he wishes I could just make him a bowl of crispy chicken skin to snack on. To me, there’s nothing more delicious than biting into juicy meat with a crisp, crackling salty piece of chicken skin. Whewwwww!!!

Warning

Some of the following photos are admittedly gross, but hey — I’m not gonna sugar-coat the raw meat process. Sometimes it gets gross, and you gotta have a backbone to deal with it. I’m used to it, but a novice cook or vegan/vegetarian may want to cry looking at this. So, here’s your warning now…do not proceed (or just scroll really fast) if you’re squeamish.

patting chicken skin dry

Pat the skin of your chicken dry with paper towels. Taking away surface moisture allows the skin to crisp up perfectly!

taking fat off chicken leg quarters

Ok, now we have to do a few things to this chicken before we cook it. Flip it over, and look for any obvious pieces of fat. Take them off, we don’t need it.

fat pulled from chicken

Here’s what the fat looks like. Looks a lot like human fat, tbh.

chicken guts

This is where it gets gross. Scrape off any extra bone guts, if you feel like it. You could leave it on there, it won’t hurt you. It cooks away into tiny little brown chunks.

Also yank off any residual kidney’s if you see them. Again, they’re harmless if you wanna leave them on.

kosher salt on chicken leg quarters

We’re going to really season the meat side of this chicken, so sprinkle some flaky kosher salt all over the flesh side. If you’re using a finer salt, use discretion.

black pepper on chicken leg quarters

Next, layer these bad boys with some freshly ground black pepper.

granulated garlic on chicken leg quarters

Grab some granulated garlic, and generously layer that on.

herbs de provence on chicken leg quarters

Finally, give them a good sprinkle of that super fragrant herbs de provence. Ah! This stuff is heavenly AF!

olive oil drizzled over raw seasoned chicken leg quarters

Drizzle just a little olive oil over the seasonings.

seasoned raw chicken

The oil helps the seasonings penetrate the meat easily, so rub it in good. All in the nooks and crannies.

It should look like this. The reason we’re seasoning the flesh side is because if we put this on the outside of the bird, it’ll burn. The only thing that can withstand a high roast without totally burning is salt. Black pepper can burn, but we’re gonna add that later anyway.

olive oil drizzled on raw chicken

Flip the chicken back over, and drizzle just a little olive oil on the surface of the skin. There’s enough fat in the skin for it to “self-fry” in our super hot oven, but the olive oil gives it a better color, and it allows the kosher salt to stick a little better. You can skip this step if you want.

excess chicken skin and back bones removed

Ok, so the way I cook is totally out of order. Sometimes I do things I should have done 10 steps ago, 10 steps later. Case in point: I forgot to remove the extra backbone pieces, and the excess skin between the leg and thigh. See the pic before this one, and the one after this one, to see the difference. But here’s all that excess stuff I chopped off.

kosher salt and black pepper on raw chicken

Nice and cleaned up. Seasoned with kosher salt and a little black pepper.

raw chicken leg quarters on sheet pan

Arrange your leg quarters on your sheet pan, making sure the tips of the legs are facing inside. Why? because most ovens are hotter around the corners, and we don’t want to overcook those because they have the least amount of meat.

shallots chopped in half

Chop 3 shallots down the middle, lengthwise.

thinly sliced shallots

Peel the papery skins back and thinly slice the shallots.

thinly sliced garlic

Thinly slice 4 to 5 cloves of garlic.

zest of one lemon

Zest a lemon.

freshly picked thyme

Pluck the leaves of 3 thyme stems.

butter melting with crushed red pepper and herbs de provence

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in some herbs de provence, and crushed red pepper.

blooming crushed red pepper flakes and herbs de provence in hot butter

We want to bloom the crushed red pepper and herbs de provence, so help bring out their heat and flavors. This will take about a minute or two. Don’t let it go too long.

sprinkling kosher salt on shallots

Add the shallots, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

drizzling olive oil on shallots

Stir all that around, adding a little more olive oil if you need some extra lubrication.

sautéed shallots

Make sure you stir all that around, getting every piece of everything coated. If it’s lookin a little dry, add a few drops of olive oil.

sliced garlic cooking

Add the garlic.

adding butter to shallots and garlic

I opted to add a touch more butter. This is just how I cook. I don’t follow a guide, I just analyze the subject and determine what it needs lol.

shallots and garlic sautéed in butter

You want it to sizzle like this. If your shallots and garlic are browning too quickly, simply reduce the heat.

shallots and garlic sautéed in butter

A closeup. It’s so pretty. I wish you could smell this, but if you’re cooking along, you already are. This step takes about 5 minutes.

adding fresh thyme to shallots and garlic

Add the fresh thyme.

Fresh thyme added to garlic and shallots

Ok, be very careful at this point! Whenever fresh herbs hit hot fat, they release a ton of water in a very violent way. Expect things to pop like crazy, but luckily, you only have to stir this for about 10 seconds.

pouring wine in sautéed shallots and garlic

Pour in the wine, slowly.

scraping up bits on bottom of pan

Stir the wine around, scraping up any bits if you have any. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

reducing wine over heat

Let the wine reduce just slightly.

reducing wine over heat

Just a closeup. Let this reduce for about 2 to 3 minutes, it’ll happen quick.

pouring heavy cream into reduce wine sauce

Pour in the heavy cream.

combining heavy cream with wine sauce

Stir the heavy cream until everything is combined. Reduce heat to low, and let this simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, tasting along the way.

adding lemon zest to white wine cream sauce

Add the lemon zest, and stir it in.

adding lemon juice to white wine cream sauce

Add a squirt of fresh lemon juice, about a tablespoon. This will add a nice bit of freshness.

finished lemony white wine cream sauce

Taste it! Does it need more salt? Now’s the time to add it. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a sec.

high roasted chicken leg quarters with crispy skin

Chicken’s done! Because we removed all excess fat pockets, we dont have a pool of grease…just a puddle lol. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes.

Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce

Arrange the chicken on top of the cream sauce and serve. When you plate it, you’ll of course pour some of that luscious sauce all over your chicken and close your eyes in bliss. Serve this with your favorite side, or some garlicky crusty bread for sopping!

Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce

This dish is best served with your favorite sides, and a few slices of crusty garlicky bread for sopping. It comes together very quickly, in under an hour, and I cannot stress how simple and crazy delicious it is. I think this one will become one of your favorites, for sure.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to pin!

Herbs de Provence Roasted Chicken Pin

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Herbs de Provence Chicken Leg Quarters with Lemony White Wine Cream Sauce

Herbs de Provence Roasted Chicken


Description

High-roast herbs de provence chicken leg quarters over a creamy lemon white wine sauce with shallots and fresh garlic.


Ingredients

Units

For the chicken

  • 4 large chicken leg quarters, trimmed of excess fat and skin
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon herbs de provence
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Lemon White Wine Cream Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 shallots, sliced thin
  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Juice from half a lemon, about 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Allow chicken to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before proceeding, it will help it cook more evenly.

Gently rinse off chicken with cold water, removing any surface gunk. Pat skin of chicken dry with paper towels, and remove any excess skin and fat pockets. Also remove any leftover guts and/or kidney’s if needed. Place chicken skin-side down, with the flesh facing up.

Sprinkle an even amount of kosher salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and herbs de provence all over the chicken. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the herbs and spices, and massage it into the meat thoroughly. Flip chicken over, skin-side up, and drizzle a little olive oil over the skin, about a teaspoon. Rub it over the skin thoroughly. Sprinkle a good amount of kosher salt and black pepper over the oiled side. Place chicken, flesh-side down on a baking sheet. Arrange the leg quarters so that the ends of the legs are in the center, which will prevent them from over-cooking in the oven.

Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature chicken reads 170 degrees, and the skin is crispy and golden. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with the lemon and white wine cream sauce.

For the cream sauce

In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-heat. Add the herbs de provence and crushed red pepper flakes. Let the mixture sizzle and infuse for about a minute or two. Add the shallots, a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, and saute until softened — about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes, or until the garlic is a very light toasty brown around the edges. You may have to add additional olive oil or butter during this process to keep the aromatics well-lubricated. If your shallots and/or garlic is browning too quickly, simply reduce the heat. Toss in the fresh thyme, and stir around for about 10 seconds. Be careful with this step, fresh herbs react to hot oil/butter and splattering can happen.

Pour in the white wine, scraping up any bits that may be on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the wine to reduce just slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Again, if your wine is reducing too quickly, lower the heat. Add the heavy cream, and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Add the lemon zest, and season with kosher salt and black pepper. When the mixture is smooth and creamy, add the lemon juice. Stir to combine, taste and adjust seasoning. When it’s perfect, turn off the heat and serve with the chicken.

Notes

About 15 minutes before the chicken is done roasting, start working on the cream sauce.

Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

 

Disclosure: This site uses various affiliate links. If a purchase is made using one of our affiliate links, we receive a small commission which helps support our efforts. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating

  1. Sharon says:

    Absolutely amazing! That sauce!

    I used lactose free heavy cream and half and half for the liquids and omitted the wine altogether, and also used leeks instead of shallots. I paired the chicken with a side portion of fettuccine and drizzled the sauce over it all. Added broccoli and a bit of fresh parsley sprinkled over the chicken and pasta and it looked amazing as well.

    Can’t wait to impress my guests with this dish!

  2. dorina says:

    This is a family favorite. It’s relatively quick, and soooooo damn good. When my kids see me preparing this, they get very excited: “Is that the chicken with the lemon sauce??” Like Shannon says below, I keep the sauce separate so we can drizzle over leftovers. This is a recipe I know my kids will be making when they’re on their own. Chef Resha really doesn’t miss.at.all.

  3. Sandy says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    I see everyone else seemed to like this. Maybe it’s like pineapple on pizza, love it or hate it (pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza). This was the worst tasting sauce I made in my five decades of cooking. Followed the directions, didn’t overcook anything, I know how to cook garlic. Sounded delicious, except the pepper flakes didn’t seem to belong. May try it again minus the shallots and pepper flakes. Like shallots, just not in this dish. The chicken was good though. ★★
  4. Patricia H says:

    I have never left a comment before but WHEW CHILE!!! This is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. The sauce is soooo rich but perfectly balanced with the lemon. 12 out of 10 recommend this dish to EVERYONE!!

  5. Tylia says:

    This was AMAZINGGGG. My husband was very impressed and devoured the entire meal.

  6. Shannon Everett says:

    Make this NEOWWWWWW! Made this recipe twice so far and it never gets old! The chicken is so damn flavorful and the sauce just melts in your mouth. Perfect for a date night in or special dinner.
    I keep the sauce separate so I can use the extra on just about anything because I’m NOT letting it go to waste.
    Love Chef Resha’s recipes!

  7. SVY says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    Absolutely Delicious! I made this dinner for my family of three but had some unexpected company so I added orzo pasta and shredded the chicken and broccoli. It was perfect! Everyone loved it! ★★★★★
  8. Rachel says:

    I never ever leave recipe comments but I just have to say that this is the most delicious and impressive thing I have ever cooked by FAR. My boyfriend and I both agreed we would have paid $$$ for this at a five-star restaurant. Will save this as our special occasion/impressing guests dish. Damn.

  9. Alysia says:

    So delicious! I will double sauce ingredients next time because I loved it and needed more.

  10. Chesney says:

    I made this tonight and it was OUTSTANDING!!

  11. d4v1d says:

    Oh wow. With a minor substitution for something I have on hand, this was an insanely good meal.

  12. Heather says:

    This was easy to make and super delicious! My husband and friends loved it!

  13. Chad says:

    I pit this on Broiled Salmon and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!

  14. Jacmelly says:

    I made this recipe last night for a quick dinner and WHAT?!?!?! IT WAS SLAMMING!!! I followed everything and the chicken was seasoned so well. The crispy skin was my husbands favorite right along with the sauce. He practically drank it off the plate with some crusty bread. Thanks for sharing the bomb recipe Chef Resha. If you’re looking for a quick yet sophisticated chicken recipe here it is!

  15. Tiffany M says:

    Ok, I’m late AF to trying this recipe out but lemme tell you somethin’ it’s right on time now that I’m eating keto this month. I used skinless boneless thighs and the meat came out juicy and plump! (I roasted them for a few minutes first.) Putting this in my low carb recipe arsenal, thanks Resha!

  16. Ashley says:

    GIRL. I never leave comments and Im not even finished eating this plate BUT GIRLLL. This chicken is so damn good and has NO business being this good!!! I used chicken thighs and I just..wow Resha.

  17. Corean says:

    This looks so good! I’m hoping to cook this dish for Ramadan. I was wondering if there is anything i can sub the wine for? Or is it going to completely mess it up if I go without wine?

  18. Sharde says:

    Babaaaayyy. Let me tell you! This here is a dish and I am now apart of cult Herbs De Province. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I paired this with a homemade Mac & Cheese and asparagus. Thank you for this blessing. I feel like a Chef! I shouted you out on pinterest and plan to shout you out on my blog!

  19. Jessica Adams says:

    Thank you thank you thank you for this goodness. Made it tonight for dinner was done in about an hour with a delicious dinner for the week night for the family! Yaaaas hunty! You da real mvp!

  20. D Williams says:

    Bomb! Great job chef! Absolutely delicious!

  21. Michelle says:

    Made this dish again, because it’s just so good. This time, I scooped up the minimal drippings from the chicken pan (minimal b/c removing the fat really reduces the grease) and added the drippings into the cream sauce. I left out the salt; I have blood pressure issues, so I stay away from adding salt when cooking. It was still divine nonetheless.

  22. Mrs. Manning says:

    Made this recipe tonight and it was truly delicious. The ingredients and steps to follow weren’t overwhelming; shopping for the items were fairly easy as well.

    Today was one of those days I wasn’t feel well but I was determined that I didn’t want to eat garbage for dinner and I wanted my meal to taste amazing; my husband loved it. My daughter “5” didn’t eat it but she said she wasn’t hungry (lol). I paired it with seasoned white rice and roasted broccoli.

  23. Michelle says:

    This is a great dish. It’s full of flavor, and so simple to make. I forgot how fantastic Herbs de Provence seasoning really is. I added a bit more wine and heavy cream. Can’t wait to have leftovers for dinner tonight. ⭐️⭐️???

  24. Isha says:

    Sis! This is a blessing in the belly! I made this for the first time tonight it was so simple to follow along and it came out great! I just loved the sauce I feel like it can be used on a variety of things. I am definitely keeping this one in my receipe box.

  25. Nikol says:

    Hunty. Lemme tell you! I made this dish tonight and it was EVERYTHING! Because I am vegan, I subbed with Earth Balance butter, coconut milk and gardein chick’n breasts / filets – and it was just amazing. Even my picky fiance asked me to pack him some for lunch tomorrow (and he never packs lunches, let alone never eats leftovers)! You the real MVP boo!

  26. Christina says:
    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.
    Im lactose intolerant is their an alternative to the heavy cream portion in this recipe.