Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, made with chicken quarters rubbed with olive oil and seasoning, then roasted in the oven, ready in under an hour!
Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are tender and juicy on the inside, while having an amazingly crispy skin on the outside. They’re perfect for a weeknight meal because they’re budget-friendly, and the whole recipe only takes about 50 minutes to make, with most of that being the cooking time. Serve these with mashed potatoes, rice, over salad greens, or with my Roasted Vegetables or Sautéed Green Beans.
If you loved this recipe, you’ll also love my Oven Baked Chicken Legs, and my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Budget-Friendly – This is one of the most affordable cuts of chicken that you can get, making it the perfect choice if you’re on a budget. Plus the entire cooking process is really easy!
Incredibly Juicy – This is all dark meat, and oven roasting chicken makes it naturally more juicy while the skin gets crispy and delicious.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chicken Leg Quarters. This is a really budget-friendly cut of chicken, and in my opinion, one of the best. It’s basically a chicken thigh and chicken drumstick in one, but you don’t have to roast the whole chicken to get to the dark meat!
I prep chicken quarters by trimming off any excess skin that’s hanging off the chicken, along with the tail piece if there is one. Also, I take a spoon and scoop out any red pieces along the backbone and discard.
You can also make this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs, but you may have to reduce the cook time.
Olive Oil. This adds flavor, helps the seasoning stick to the chicken, and helps the chicken skin crisp in the oven.
You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
Worcestershire Sauce. This adds a really nice savory note to the seasoning. You can also use gluten free soy sauce, but omit the salt if you do that. Check to see if your Worcestershire sauce is gluten free, this can vary by brand.
Spices. I’m using a classic seasoning mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and kosher salt (or sea salt).
Kitchen Tools
For this roasted chicken leg quarters recipe, you’ll need a medium sized rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, and a large mixing bowl.
How to Make Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning and whisk together until combined. Add the chicken leg quarters and toss until the chicken is completely coated in the seasoning. Use your hands to make sure the seasoning is also under the skin.
Place the leg quarters on the sheet pan, leaving room between each one. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature between 175°F-190°F.
Rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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Recipe Variations
- Use any seasoning blend you’d like when baking chicken quarters. For ideas, try my Homemade Italian Seasoning, or Ranch Seasoning.
- Give these some heat with a little cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder, or hot sauce added directly to the spice mixture.
- Add some chili powder and lime juice for a chili lime flavor, or extra garlic and a sprinkle of parmesan for a garlic parm version.
- Try adding some dijon mustard and a small amount of brown sugar (sort of like a bbq spice rub), then topping with my homemade barbecue sauce at the end.
Recipe Tip! For the best flavor, try to get some of the seasoning mixture under the chicken skin as well as on top of it, and season generously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken is technically safe to eat at 165°F, but you’ll get the really tender and juicy meat when you bring it to 175°F-190°F, giving it a chance to break down. This applies to any dark meat cut from the chicken, but not the chicken breast.
Recipe Tip! You can also make this in a baking dish, but the chicken will sit in the juices it releases and won’t get as crispy from the steam. If you want to make gravy, this is the way to go! I would also throw some quartered potatoes on the bottom while it’s cooking to absorb some flavor.
More Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
- Greek Chicken Bowls
- Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
Storage
Refrigerate leftover chicken quarters for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Cooking Tips
- For really crispy skin, you can use a wire rack to help with air circulation around the chicken. Personally, I don’t use this because it’s one more thing to clean up.
- Don’t worry about covering the chicken, let it roast uncovered. You can also check it at the end and if it’s not browned enough turn the broiler on for a few minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn!)
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken leg quarters have come to at least 175°F. This is where the meat starts to get really tender.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan because the chicken leg quarters will release some juices while it cooks, which is why I’m not using parchment paper. You can line it with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
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Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters – Crispy Skin and Tender, Juicy Meat!
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 roasting pan
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken leg quarters, cleaned and trimmed (about 3 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, gluten free
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning and whisk together until combined. Add the chicken leg quarters and toss until the chicken is completely coated in the seasoning. Use your hands to make sure the seasoning is also under the skin.
- Place the leg quarters on the sheet pan, leaving room between each one. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature between 175°F-190°F.
- Rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Prep chicken quarters by trimming off any excess skin that’s hanging off the chicken, along with the tail piece if there is one. Take a spoon and scoop out any red pieces along the backbone and discard.
- If you want really crispy skin, you can use a wire rack to help with air circulation around the chicken.
- Let the chicken roast uncovered. If it’s not browned enough at the end, turn the broiler on for a few minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn!)
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken leg quarters have come to at least 175°F-190°F. This is where the dark meat starts to get really tender.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet because the chicken will release juices while cooking.
Nutrition
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