BUFFALO CHICKEN LEGS
My husband and I are big Buffalo chicken fans. For years, a really fun family night has involved meeting up with my brother for an evening of frying up diced chicken breasts and tossing them with wing sauce to serve alongside homemade French fries. Rob and I love this simple sauce—just two ingredients!—and we’ve switched from chicken breast to the flavorful, cheap, and pretty underrated chicken leg. SERVES 2
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ghee
5 chicken legs (about 1 pound (454 g))
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Frank’s Red Hot
½ cup grass-fed butter
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the ghee. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, and then brown them in the skillet for 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
- In a small saucepan, heat the hot sauce over low heat. Slowly add in the butter, and stir until it is fully incorporated.
- Ladle about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the Buffalo sauce onto each chicken leg, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve hot with extra Buffalo sauce on the side.
VARIATION 1 ASIAN CHICKEN LEGS: Mix together 4 tablespoons (60 ml) honey, 2 minced garlic cloves, ⅓ cup sesame oil, and ⅓ cup coconut aminos and pour over the chicken before baking. Garnish with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sliced scallions.
VARIATION 2 BBQ CHICKEN LEGS: Use homemade BBQ Sauce (here) instead of Buffalo sauce if you like a tangier taste.
PALEO PAIR: Serve with Kale Salad with Onion and Avocado (here).
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These buffalo chicken legs brown in ghee, bake under a two-ingredient buffalo sauce of Frank's Red Hot and grass-fed butter, and come out glossy, spicy, and deeply savory. Chicken legs are the flavorful, underrated cut this sauce deserves. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Brown the chicken legs 5-7 minutes per side in ghee before saucing. That browning is the flavor foundation of the dish.
- The sauce is just two ingredients: heat the hot sauce gently and stir in the butter until fully incorporated. No emulsion tricks required.
- Ladle about a tablespoon of buffalo sauce over each leg before baking, turning the chicken over halfway through the 10 minutes.
- Serve the legs hot with extra buffalo sauce on the side for dipping.
- Variations: Asian-style with honey, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut aminos, or tangy BBQ chicken legs made with homemade barbecue sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are buffalo chicken legs paleo?
They are - chicken legs, hot sauce, ghee, and grass-fed butter. No breading and no flour in the sauce.
Can I use chicken wings instead of legs?
Yes - the buffalo sauce suits any chicken cut. Adjust the browning and baking time to the size of the pieces.
How spicy are these chicken legs?
The heat comes entirely from the hot sauce. Frank's Red Hot gives a classic buffalo burn that the butter rounds out - keep extra sauce on the side for the brave.
What should I serve with buffalo chicken legs?
A kale salad with onion and avocado cools the heat nicely, as do any crunchy raw vegetables.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the ghee.
- Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper, and then brown them in the skillet for 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
- In a small saucepan, heat the hot sauce over low heat. Slowly add in the butter, and stir until it is fully incorporated.
- Serve hot with extra Buffalo sauce on the side.
