My baked chicken leg quarters recipe is one of the tastiest chicken recipes you’ll ever make. It’s also one of the easiest! Juicy, tender, and flavorful dark meat with that crispy skin we all love. My chicken quarter recipe is the perfect choice for an easy weeknight dinner your whole family will enjoy!
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Often overlooked the Chicken Leg Quarter is one of the most economical cuts of chicken and also one of the most flavorful.
There are no extra steps involved in making my Baked Chicken Leg Quarters recipe. No pan searing and no frying. Just rub the chicken quarters down with the seasoning mixture and place them in the preheated oven. It’s really that easy!
Made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s one of my favorite chicken recipes!
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Baked Chicken Leg Quarters. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
The ingredient list is short:
- Chicken Leg Quarters
- Olive Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Paprika
- Thyme
Can I leave out the brown sugar?
You sure can. And actually, the sugar is what causes a good deal of the caramelization of the chicken so that the end product will be lighter in color.
You can also use your favorite blend of seasonings with this recipe. Tailor the seasoning mix to your tastes and your family’s. It can be a different seasoning blend every time you make Chicken Leg Quarters.
Can I use whole chicken with this recipe?
You sure can. You can cut the chicken up in quarters, creating two chicken leg quarters and two chicken breast quarters. You can also just roast the whole chicken using the seasoning paste, but I would reduce the heat to 350 after 25 minutes and continue cooking the whole chicken for an additional 60-90 minutes depending upon the size of the chicken.
You can also use this recipe with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, wings, legs or a mixture of chicken pieces. My baked chicken leg recipe is another favorite.
How to make Seasoning Paste for Baked Chicken
- Add the seasonings to a small bowl
- Combine all of the spices using a fork, making sure to break up as many of the clumps of brown sugar as you can.
- Add the olive oil to the seasoning mix to make a paste.
*The seasoning mix can be made up in larger batches or ahead of time. Just keep it in an airtight container until it is used.
How to make Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- Rinse the chicken leg quarters in cold water. After rinsing pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Make sure to dry the skin as much as possible.
- Trim off any excess fat or skin from the quarters without breaking the skin. This is usually on the bottom side of the chicken quarters.
- Rub the chicken quarters on both sides with the seasoning paste, making sure to get the entire quarter covered with the seasonings.
- Place the seasoned chicken quarters, skin side up in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken leg quarters at 400°F for 40- 45 minutes (cooking time can vary), or until the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F. Use a meat thermometer (instant-read thermometer) to check the temp!
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the baked chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
*I like to let the chicken get closer to 180 degrees, the dark meat can take the extra heat and it makes it even more tender while remaining moist and juicy.
Wouldn’t your family love to sit down to these OMG delicious Baked Chicken Leg Quarters? I know they would! Just make sure to make extra, they’re going to be coming back for seconds!
Recipe FAQ’s
At 400 degrees F. it takes between 35 -40 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. For a more tender chicken leg quarter, I like to cook the quarters for up 45 minutes. Because it’s dark meat the leg quarters can take extra time in the oven, which not only makes it more tender but crisps up the skin nicely.
I prefer cooking chicken without foil. It makes for crisper skin and adds color to the chicken. If the chicken begins getting too dark, it’s okay to cover it with foil at that point to prevent it from getting darker
No, you don’t. In the oven, it’s not necessary to turn the chicken over, during the process.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sea salt use one teaspoon iff you're cutting back on salt.
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 chicken leg quarters
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Rinse the chicken leg quarters in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to dry the skin as much as possible.
- Trim off any excess fat from the quarters without breaking the skin.
- Combine all of the spices in a small bowl.
- Add the oil to the seasonings making a paste.
- Rub the chicken quarters with the paste, making sure to get the entire quarter covered with the seasonings.
- Place the chicken on a foiled lined sheet pan.
- Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
Crystelle Dunn says
I made this recipe my grandkids, their papa and I loved it!!! Thank you for your delicious recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re very welcome!
Anyaeleh says
Thank you for this recipe, Chef Dennis! I can’t wait to try it, the seasoning combo looks delicious. For health reasons, I’m unable to cook my meals in added oils (aside from what naturally occurs from the chicken/protein). Would the chicken still turn out well if I just coat it in the seasoning mix (no olive oil), or are there modifications I can make so it won’t turn out dry? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’ll be okay without the oil, the seasonings will act like a dry rub. Pat the quarters dry with paper towels, then apply the seasoning blend. If you have time to let them sit for a few hours (or overnight) the flavor will really penetrate the skin. There is plenty of fat in the skin and leg quarter, you should have no problem with them drying out. Just keep an eye on them.
Larry says
There are 18 of us total who live on our homestead in Texas. It’s multigenerational and we always eat dinner together. So getting this recipe fixed up for a total of 24 servings, because some of us like seconds took a bit of doing.
But do it I did and all of us, even down to my youngest grandbaby age 6 loved it. Fortunately, I have multiple ovens, so everything was ready at the same time, and I didn’t change it one bit. Served it with Mac and cheese and homemade cornbread and EVERYONE raved about it
Thanks Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re very welcome and I’m really happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the chicken. It must have been a feast with the mac and cheese and cornbread.
Jeff Jank says
Can I use a packet marinade instead of the one in the recipe
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can use whatever seasonings you prefer. It’s all about cooking things you enjoy eating.
Tonya Fredette says
This is my go-to bone-in chicken recipe. It’s very easy to make and the flavor is amazing!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you’ve been enjoying my chicken leg quarters!
Jen Huey says
Love these! So easy! Thanks for this new kitchen staple!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Lena says
Hands down my new favourite recipe for baked chicken legs! My teens said they only want chicken legs like this from now on. I doubled the recipe and baked 8 legs for 55 minutes. The skin was perfectly crisp and the meat was so tender and juicy! Absolutely fabulous!
Chef Dennis Littley says
That is high praise coming from teens! Thanks for letting me know that everyone enjoyed the chicken legs!
Jenn says
Made this last night to the tee… My man and I loved it! Simple and delicious! Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you both enjoyed my chicken quarter recipe!
Mary Ellen Berthold says
Delicious but a bit greasy. Next time I will reduce the live oil by half. Wouldn’t change
Anything else.
Chef Dennis Littley says
The grease should have all cooked off onto the pan, but that is an easy fix. You can reduce the oil if you like.
Chris says
Would it be best to put the chicken directly on the sheet pan or to use a rack?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Using a rack will help them to get crisper.