Pan-Fried Chicken Legs with Onions

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list, and then let's see how to pan-fry chicken legs — nothing could be simpler!

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the chicken legs and pat them dry with a paper towel, then rub them all over with coarse salt and ground black pepper on both sides.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour vegetable oil into a hot skillet and lay in the legs. Fry over medium heat. It sizzles and spatters a lot, of course, but to keep from cleaning up the whole stovetop, just cover the pan with a lid. I like my chicken legs well browned, so I fry them to a crisp golden crust on one side first.

4. Step 4:

   

   Flip the browned legs and scatter the onion over them — feel free to use more than one. Peel it ahead of time and cut it into large rings or half-rings. The key is to cut it big: I personally love sweet, tender onion, but if you chop it too fine it'll just burn. Fry for a few minutes over moderate heat so the onion softens nicely and the other side of the legs browns too.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add hot water to the pan — boiling water is best — and cover with the lid. When you add the water, feel free to stir in any seasonings or herbs you like. What I love about this dish is that you get the taste of pure chicken without any added aromas. Now just wait 30–40 minutes until the meat is done. Keep an eye on the water level so the onion and chicken legs don't scorch.

6. Step 6:

   

   To serve, lay the meat on a bed of fresh greens — it looks pretty and appetizing!