Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

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.

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’s never any complaining 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 anymore!)

Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Truthfully, I usually will only buy chicken leg quarters when I know the hubby will have time to grill them for us. 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.)

Good news is baking leg quarters in the oven is just as tasty as grilling them!

Mmm, so good! 

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 over cooked just a bit, the dark meat of the thigh and drumstick 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. 

and  and way to buand I wasn’t sure how long to cook them in the oven.  I poked around on the internet a little bit and found a few cooking time recommendations for leg quarters, so I decided to go ahead and cook them in the oven rather than freeze them for later.

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 the spices a place to “stick”
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• Gallon Ziploc Bags | I like to use these bags for the “Shake n Bake” method.

How to Bake Chicken Leg Quarters in the Oven

1. Set chicken out about 30 minutes before cooking. (So they will be close to room temp.)
2. 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!)
3. Before starting, Pat your chicken dry and give the quarters a sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Generously coat foil/pan with oil.
5. Mix the flour and all the spices in a large bowl.
6. Dip the leg quarters in the bowl and generously coat 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. (Its a great job for little helpers.)
7. Place leg quarters, skin side down on the foil and bake for 30 minutes.
8. 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 you 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 less likely to turn out dry.  (This is true for chicken breasts as well – If baked from refrigerator temp, the outside will cooker 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 seasoning, 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 time and temps for cooking.

 How Long Will the Baked Leg Quarters Last in the Fridge?

Leftover chicken should be stored in and 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, place in a well sealed freezer for up to 6 months. 

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

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