This simple recipe for Baked Chicken Leg Quarters is bound to become a new favorite. You need just a few ingredients to cook perfectly juicy chicken with crispy skin in 45 minutes. This cut of chicken is hearty, tender, and so delicious when roasted!
Baked chicken leg quarters are such a simple and affordable way to a healthy meal in under an hour. The meat is roasted until moist and tender while the skin gets an irresistible crisp to it.
The best part about this recipe is that it takes just 45 minutes to cook and you only need a few pantry staple ingredients. I also like to use these for meal prep sometimes since they store well in the fridge.
The chicken is also super versatile and you can use whatever seasoning blend you'd like. Be sure to also check out these air fryer leg quarters if you're short on time!
What Are Chicken Leg Quarters?
Chicken leg quarters are often overlooked in place of chicken breast or regular chicken thighs, but they're actually quite yummy! They consist of the entire leg, made from a thigh AND a drumstick.
This cut of chicken is also one of the cheapest you can buy and yields quite a bit of meat. They're also low-carb, naturally gluten free, and packed with protein with each one usually having upwards of 35g of protein.
I think that chicken leg quarters are a fantastic cut of meat and I hope you'll understand and agree with me after cooking this delicious recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's made with just a few, simple ingredients
- Each leg quarter is packed with over 30 grams of protein
- They take less than 1 hour to cook
- The chicken is so juicy, yet has delicious, crispy skin
- This is a great weeknight dinner, but also good for meal prep
Ingredients For Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
*full ingredients list and measurements can be found in recipe card below*
- Leg quarters: The leg quarters I buy are usually fairly large, but they do vary in size. Cooking time will depend on the size of the legs you buy
- Olive oil: The oil helps the skin to get nice and brown and crispy. You can also use avocado oil or melted butter
- Seasoning: I use simple seasoning blend of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. This is the blend I use on both my air fryer drumsticks and boneless chicken thighs!
*Note* Feel free to substitute these spices with an equal amount of your favorite seasoning blend!
How To Make Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. In a small bowl, stir olive oil together with the spices
3. Place the leg quarters into a 9x13 inch baking dish and pat them dry with a paper towel. Use a pastry brush to liberally brush the seasoning all over the outside of the legs
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F
5. Take the chicken out of the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Pat the chicken dry: Use a paper towel to pat the outside of the leg quarters dry before seasoning. That will ensure you end up with the crispiest skin
- Don't skimp on the oil: Using enough oil is what's going to give you that beautiful golden brown, crispy skin
- Overbake?: Hear me out, the dark meat can handle the extra heat and by baking the leg quarters until 180 degrees F, the connective tissue breaks down and leaves you with more tender meat.
- Meal prep: This cut of meat is packed with protein and stays good for up to 5 days, making it an excellent choice for meal prepping.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
STORING: You can store leftover baked chicken leg quarters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the cooked legs in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Just be sure to let them cool before packing up!
REHEATING: To reheat, set the chicken legs on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 8-11 minutes, or until fully heated through.
How To Serve Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
These baked leg quarters are easy, delicious, and great for a healthy weeknight protein! Pair with your favorite sides for a wonderfully balanced meal. Here's some side ideas:
- Air fryer brussels sprouts
- Mashed potatoes without milk
- Mac and cheese
- Air fryer beets
- Potato salad
- Bacon wrapped asparagus
- Kale salad
- Air fryer carrot fries
Frequently Asked Questions
I bake my chicken leg quarters at 400 degrees F. It cooks the chicken all the way through AND delivers on that beautiful, crisp, golden skin.
It takes about 40-45 minutes for large leg quarters and 35-40 minutes for medium sized ones.
The internal temperature of chicken needs to reach 165 degrees F, however with leg quarters I like to let them cook to 180F.
The dark meat of the legs can handle the extra cooking time, and by cooking to 180F the connective tissue has time to break down in the meat resulting in more tender chicken.
No, you don't want to cover the baking dish with foil because then you won't get that beautiful golden brown on the skin.
No, there's no need to flip the chicken. The oven air circulates around it enough to cook both the bottom and top.
More Chicken Recipes
Did you make this recipe? If so, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Also, follow me on Instagram and tag me or use #incoleskitchen so I can see what you make and share it!
PrintBaked Chicken Leg Quarters
This simple recipe for Baked Chicken Leg Quarters is bound to become a new favorite. You need just a few ingredients to cook perfectly juicy chicken with crispy skin in 45 minutes. This cut of chicken is hearty, tender, and so delicious when roasted!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken leg quarters
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
- In a small mixing bowl stir together olive oil with the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Place the chicken leg quarters into a 9x13 inch baking dish and pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Use a pastry brush to generously brush the seasoned olive oil over the entire outside of the chicken
- Once fully coated in oil, place the chicken into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F
- Take the baking dish out of the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry: Use a paper towel to pat the outside of the leg quarters dry before seasoning. That will ensure you end up with the crispiest skin
- Don't skimp on the oil: Using enough oil is what's going to give you that beautiful golden brown, crispy skin
- Overbake?: Hear me out, the dark meat can handle the extra heat and by baking the leg quarters until 180 degrees F, the connective tissue breaks down and leaves you with more tender meat.
- Meal prep: This cut of meat is packed with protein and stays good for up to 5 days, making it an excellent choice for meal prepping.
- Storing: You can keep leftover leg quarters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Keywords: chicken leg quarters in oven, oven baked chicken leg quarters, baked leg quarters
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