Name: Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 chicken marylands (about 1.4 kg); 85 g salted butter; 1 lemon, juice and zest; 2 tsp parsley, finely chopped; 2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped; 2 tsp thyme, finely chopped; 4 garlic, crushed; 1/4 cup chicken broth

Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland

Updated on October 24, 2026

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Baked lemon herb chicken maryland is juicy, tender, and bursting with flavour. Slathered in a rich herb and lemon butter, it’s baked to golden perfection and served alongside crispy roast potatoes.

I love chicken maryland, it is one of my favourite cuts of meat and better yet it's cheap, which is great for families who are on a budget. So, what is maryland, you might ask? Maryland consists of a drumstick and thigh still connected (often known as a leg quarter in the US). It's prized for its juicy, dark meat and is popular for roasting, barbecuing, or braising.

Baked lemon herb chicken maryland with crispy roast potatoes on a dinner plate with a fork.

Ingredients you'll need for Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland

Chicken marylands: An underutilized, flavourful, and juicy cut that roasts beautifully without the carving mess of a whole bird.
Salted butter: Basted or smeared under the skin, it moistens the meat, crisps the skin, and forms the foundation for rich pan juices.
Lemon (juiced and zested): The zest adds bright aromatic oils, while the juice cuts through the richness of the butter and balances the savory flavours.
Garlic, thyme, and rosemary: The classic herb-butter trio. They infuse the chicken as it cooks, providing an aromatic, earthy depth.
Parsley: Adds a fresh, herbaceous pop of color and flavor right at the end to lift the heavier roasted notes.
Chicken stock: Poured into the roasting pan, it mixes with the dripping butter, herbs, and lemon to create liquid-gold pan sauces while keeping the chicken wonderfully moist.

History of Chicken Maryland

Chicken Maryland started as a pan-fried chicken dish served with cream gravy in the US. Over time, its meaning shifted dramatically across the globe. Today, the US uses it to mean fried chicken with gravy, the UK it is served with bacon, a banana fritter, a pineapple fritter, and chips and in Australia, it refers to a specific meat cut. Marland is popular in Australia because affordable, flavour-packed portion of dark meat that remains juicy and tender during cooking.

How to make Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland

Lemon herb chicken maryland is very easy to make. All you have to do is mix together the butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice and lemon.

Pat the chicken dry, Loosen the skin and smother the herb butter under and over the skin. Place thew chicken in the roasting dish and pour the lemon juice and broth in the dish. Bake for 45 minutes, basting very 15 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

(Full recipe in the recipe card below)

A chicken maryland with lemon herb butter.

Four chicken marylands with lemon herb butter in a baking dish.

Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland in a roasting dish.

What to serve with Lemon Herb Chicken Maryland

You can serve this with your favorite side. It’s one of those dishes that pairs perfectly with a fresh salad or something warmer, like crispy roast potatoes, sauteed green beans with walnuts, easy sauteed broccolini with garlic, or roasted carrots. Whatever you choose to serve alongside baked lemon herb chicken Maryland, it’s sure to be a hit with family or friends.

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