Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
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Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are one of our favorite family meals! You just can’t beat the crispy, juicy, and oh-so delicious tender, flavorful chicken.
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are the Best!
Chicken quarters are often on sale and are one of our favorite chicken cuts to grill. Today I’m sharing how to bake your Chicken Leg Quarters in the oven, for those days when it is too hot or too rainy to grill out!
Chicken on the Menu
Last week, I asked my hubby to stop by the store on his way home to pick up a few groceries. I texted him a list that included several on-sale items.
One of the sale items I wanted was a family pack of chicken drumsticks. (There are never any complaints when I make shake-n-bake style drumsticks- they are so good!)
He ended up bringing home chicken leg quarters. (Actually, he didn’t go to the right store on the day I texted him my list, so most of those sale items? Nope, not on sale!)
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Truthfully, I only buy the chicken leg quarters when I know hubby will have time to grill them.
I don’t particularly like cooking outside on the grill. It’s usually too hot and too humid and I don’t like to sweat when cooking my dinner, (Luckily, hubby doesn’t mind, lol.)
The good news is baking leg quarters in the oven is just as tasty as grilling them!
Why You Should Add Baked Chicken Leg Quarters to Your Menu Plan ASAP!
- Chicken Leg Quarters are a very affordable cut of poultry and are often on sale.
- Dark meat is easy to cook and very forgiving. Even if overcooked just a bit, the dark meat stays deliciously tasty, juicy, and tender.
- The recipe is just so simple!
- With about an hour of cook time, once you pop the chicken quarters into the oven, you have time to complete other tasks.
Ingredients
Want to give Baked Leg Quarters a try? Add these ingredients to your shopping list:
- Chicken leg quarters | I love buying the leg quarters in the huge family pack. They are just as good the next day as leftovers. (Sometimes, I’ll even buy the pre-seasoned BBQ leg quarters. Cook time is the same, but all the work is done for me!)
- Oil | Olive, vegetable, avocado, even melted butter – whatever oil you prefer.
- Flour | Flour helps the chicken attain that brown crispy skin and also gives the spices a place to “stick”.
- Spices | Paprika, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Salt and pepper
- Gallon Ziploc Bags | I like to use these bags for the “Shake n Bake” method. But you can also just sprinkle the seasoning blend over your chicken.
How to Bake Chicken Leg Quarters in the Oven
- Set chicken out about 30 minutes before cooking. (So they will be close to room temp.)
- Preheat the oven to 425. (For easy clean-up, I like to line a 9 x 13 dish with foil. You can also use a sheet pan, but I will not mention how many times I have spilled the chicken juices in my oven and on the floor!)
- Before starting, Pat your chicken dry and give the quarters a sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides.
- Generously coat foil/pan with oil.
- Mix the flour and all the spices in a large bowl.
- Dip the leg quarters in the bowl and generously coat the chicken with the flour/spice mixture. (If using the Ziploc bag shake and bake method, add your spices to the bag, coat your chicken with oil, drop the chicken in the bag and shake til completely coated. (It’s a great job for little helpers.)
- Place leg quarters, skin side down on the foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn chicken and reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 35-45 minutes longer or until chicken is done. (If you have a digital thermometer, go ahead and place it in the chicken at this point and bake the chicken quarters until they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees.)
Tips for Baking Chicken Leg Quarters
You need a digital thermometer.
If you are anything like me and have a fear of serving undercooked chicken, a digital thermometer is your new best friend! I use the kind that you hang through the oven door and sounds an alarm when the chicken reaches 165 degrees. (Best invention ever!)
The thermometer in the above pic was my pampered chef digital thermometer- It lasted almost 20 years! I have this one now. (It’s a good price and works great.)
Let the leg quarters come to room temperature.
Letting your chicken thighs come close to room temperature before baking allows for more even cooking and is less likely to turn out dry. (This is true for chicken breasts as well – If baked from refrigerator temp, the outside will cook at a faster rate.) Letting the chicken quarters sit on the counter for about 30 minutes should do the trick.
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
Before adding any of the seasonings, be sure to pat off any moisture from the chicken skin with a paper towel. This helps the seasonings stick to the skin.
Easy clean-up.
For easy clean-up, I like to line a 9 x 13 dish with foil. You can also use a sheet pan, but I will not mention how many times I have spilled the chicken juices in my oven and on the floor!
Other cuts of chicken.
The coating recipe is just as great using chicken thighs or drumsticks. Bone-in thighs, boneless thighs, and drumsticks all need different times and temps for cooking.
FAQ’s
Leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container and should last 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
If you want to freeze your chicken, I recommend removing the meat from the bones and place in a well-sealed freezer for up to 6 months.
Bake the chicken leg quarters at 425 F for 30 minutes. Turn chicken and reduce heat to 325 F and bake 35 – 45 minutes until chicken is done OR until the internal temperature reaches 165 F on your meat thermometer.
I ALWAYS recommend a thermometer, but if you don’t have one, you can check for doneness by piercing the chicken with a knife. When the juices run clear it is most likely done.
Need Side Dish Inspiration?
- Easy Baked Beans
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bake
- Zesty Parmesan Ranch Potato Wedges
- Corn on the Cob in the Microwave
- Cheesy Baked Potato Mac and Cheese
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 leg quarters 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven
Description
Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are crispy, juicy and oh-so deliciously tender.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- olive/canola oil
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Set chicken out about 30 minutes before cooking. (So they will be close to room temp.)
- Preheat oven to 425. (For easy clean-up, I like to line a 9 x 13 dish with foil. You can also use a sheet pan, but I will not mention how many times I have spilled the chicken juices in my oven and on the floor!)
- Before starting, give your a sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Generously coat foil/pan with oil.
- Mix the flour and all the spices in a large bowl.
- Dip the leg quarters in the bowl and generously coat chicken with the flour/spice mixture.
- Place leg quarters, skin side down on the foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn chicken and reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 35-45 minutes longer or until chicken is done. (If you have a digital thermometer, go ahead and place it in the chicken at this point and bake the chicken quarters until they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7 oz of dark meat
- Calories: 406
- Fat: 20
- Protein: 54
Keywords: chicken, chicken leg quarters, oven baked chicken
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My husband loves to grill but with triple digit heat today we wanted to stay in with the air conditioner! This recipe was PERFECT, easy & delicious! 1 change was we used “smoked paprika” instead of regular for a little zip. 5 stars!
★★★★★
Thanks, Judy!
I slow baked a whole chicken, on 425° for 8 hrs?
Was the best bone-in “bbq•Chicky*Jerky”
On this side if thee U-S- of A ??
?????
This sounds exactly like the delicious baked chicken I get at the K and W Cafateria here in Charlotte N C. I have begged them for the recipe but cannot get it right to save my life.Also I like white meat that has the wing still attached to the breast. The only difference I can see is they said to add chicken base and butter and some water. The chicken cooks chrispy on the top and fall apart tender throughout the rest of it. The buttery juice that the chicken sets in out of this world tasty good. I always ask for extra juice poured over my chicken.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe because when the manager TRYS to tell me how to make the K and W baked chicken I am missing something important for sure.
Oh Peggy… your comment filled my heart. The baked chicken @ K&W in Rocky Mount, NC was my mom’s favorite dish there, and boy, did she love to go there. Same here, I begged them for the recipe because I wanted to make it for my mom when we weren’t able to be in Rocky Mount, no luck, they wouldn’t budge on the recipe. I thought this recipe looked similar, but was missing the “saucy” part that K&W has. Your comments make sense for the sauce. Although my mom is no longer with us, I’m going to try using your method to remind me of her and this dish. Thank you so much ♥️
It’s all good I had thing when u turn for your chicken for the final turn do u cover it foil the last 35min ?
★★★★★
I usually don’t, but if it looks like your chicken needs it go ahead.
Foodrecipe. But all these blog sharing the background is out of control. I really just want a recipe without reading nonsense..
Maybe you should stop visiting blogs then and just purchase cookbooks. Some of my favorites are found here: America’s Test Kitchen Cookbooks
do I cover it at any point to keep juicy?
I did not, but just keep an eye on it, if it looks like it’s getting too brown feel free to cover it. Just make sure you’re cooking the leg quarters to be appropriate internal temperature. I am abnormally afraid of under cooking my chicken and always use a thermometer.
These were simple to prepare and totally delicious. Moist on the inside and crispy on the outside with the perfect seasoning. This will be a favorite.
Thank you for sharing this quick, easy and delicious recipe.
Made this tonight !! Absolutely delicious and simple !! ?
I made this just now for dinner (8/25/14). This one is a keeper, and very budget-minded as well. I am going to share this with my friends!
I'm glad it worked for you!
~Jamie
Thanks for posting this recipe! I made these tonight (+ a little salt-free Italian seasoning blend) and they were a definite hit.
Thank you! I am glad the recipe turned out well for you!
~Jamie
That looks really good and sounds simple enough to make. Think I'll have to pin it. 🙂
They look delicious!
These look amazing! ill have to try this definitely.
These look so moist and delicious!
Perfect! I was just telling the hubs that I wanted to find a couple new chicken recipes.
Yum they look great.