Welcome to one of the easiest ways to make one of the most underrated cuts of meat out there: the humble but delicious chicken leg quarter. Often overlooked for the thigh or breast, the quarter has a hearty amount of meat and when baked has deliciously crispy skin, with a super tender and moist interior.
How to bake chicken quarters
Okay - so what's the key to getting that crispy skin and super juicy, flavorful meat?
- Higher heat than you expected (425F to be precise)
- A chicken rub that's packed full of flavor
- Don't over bake (sayonara 1+ hour cook times)
How long does it take for leg quarters to bake in the oven?
Most recipes have you bake quarters at 375F or even lower for over an hour, but for crispy chicken leg quarters, cook them at a higher temperature and shorter time! 425F for about 45 minutes will give you crispy skin and tender meat.
Some side dishes that go great with chicken quarters:
Baked Chicken Quarters
Chicken quarters baked in the oven are easy, economical, oh-so-tender and juicy, and nearly hands-off! Recipe from basilandbubbly.com
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Thyme Leaves
- 4 chicken leg quarters
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Pat the chicken quarters dry and trim off any excess fat pieces, leaving the skin intact. Combine all of the spices in a small bowl and rub them all over (top, bottom, sides) of the chicken. Place the chicken on a sheet pan and spray with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!
Erika says
I made this tonight (thankfully I prepped and seasoned the chicken before I went to work) and the chicken was fantastic! I did use Kinders Buttery Steakhouse seasoning on the chicken and served it with steamed veggies and air fried baby potatoes. 🤤🤤🤤
Anissa says
So crispy and delicious! I the convection + bake setting and it came out SO crispy and juicy!
Sue S. says
I love tender juicy chicken that’s crispy crunchy outside so tried this recipe for myself last week and loved it so much I made it again last night for company. It was a huge hit, receiving many raves! I did cut the salt in 1/2 & used Smoked Paprika for added flavor depth. Great recipe, thank you!
Marcie says
I just made this for my kids and it was a huge hit! I think the balance of savory and sweet was perfect and my kids thought they were getting away with something by having brown sugar as seasoning. Thanks so much!
Rashod says
Trying tonight
Cassandra Cruz says
this was so good, my fiancée doesn't usually care for baked chicken, and I made him tenders and I had a leg quarter! He sure did eat it all! all I did extra was add cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.
I have this paged save for later!!!
Sue says
I’m going to add cayenne pepper too. Sounds like a good recipe for dinner tonight.