Fans have come to expect strong displays from the Whites under the Elland Road lights and there was a continuation of the trend.
Jayden Bogle gave Daniel Farke’s men the lead, latching on to an Ilia Gruev pass before slotting past Stefan Ortega.
Noah Okafor doubled the advantage, firing home from close range after being teed up by James Justin. Forest’s misery was compounded by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who got a chest to a Gruev shot that wrong-footed Ortega.
Lorenzo Lucca pulled a goal back for Forest to make the dying embers less comfortable for the hosts, but it did not spark a dramatic comeback.
The win clinched three crucial points for Leeds in their battle to avoid the drop, giving them a nine-point lead over 18th-placed West Ham United. Forest, meanwhile, have been left to precariously hover over the drop zone in 17th.
Here are The Yorkshire Post’s ratings from Elland Road.
9. Brenden Aaronson - 6
It did not always click for the American but he was influential in the build-up for the second and left it all out on the pitch. | Richard Sellers/PA Wire
10. Gabriel Gudmundsson - 8
A real bright spark down the left flank - Forest struggled to get him under lock and key. | Stu Forster/Getty Images
11. Noah Okafor - 8
Made amends for an earlier miss by displaying conviction to double the Leeds lead. Persistent in his attacking endeavours and showed defensive grit not commonly associated with him. | Danny Lawson/PA Wire
12. Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 7
A quieter night than fans have come to expect from the Leeds number nine - but he still displayed his trademark instinct to get on the scoresheet. | Nigel French/PA Wire