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Get It NowI’ve been baking chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs for decades, but when I realized a few years ago that chicken leg quarters are a more cost-effective alternative for literally the same thing, I felt like I discovered a secret. (Now I just feel silly… am I the only one that didn’t know?!) And they are just as easy to prepare. I make these baked chicken leg quarters all the time now, and once you try my recipe, I think you will, too.
Why You’ll Love My Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- Juicy and tender with crispy skin – Golden and crispy outside, practically fall-off-the-bone juicy inside. It’s the perfect combo.
- Effortless flavor – Chicken leg quarters are entirely dark meat, which means loads of flavor! Don’t get me wrong, a healthy baked chicken breast can also be juicy, but it just can’t beat dark meat in the flavor department.
- Just a few simple ingredients – I season the chicken with basics from my pantry, and chances are you have these staples on hand.
- Quick prep – Pat dry, season, and pop them in the oven. The prep takes just minutes! I bake them for this recipe, but if you want an even faster method, you can air fry chicken leg quarters, too.
- Cost effective – Aside from the fact that it tastes amazing, this cut of chicken is typically a good value. Just like whole chicken wings are cheaper than ones that are cut, chicken quarters cost less than thighs and drumsticks separately.
- Easy dinner – Serve these with a healthy side dish and you’re good to go. They are definitely a winner of a chicken dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here I explain the best ingredients for my crispy baked chicken leg quarters, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken Leg Quarters – Chicken leg quarters, sometimes just called chicken quarters or hindquarters, are whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks) that also have a piece of the back attached to them. I can usually find them at most grocery stores.
- Olive Oil – Oil adds flavor, helps the seasonings stay on, and most importantly, helps the skin get crispy. You can use any heat-safe oil here. (Sometimes I use avocado oil.)
- Spices – You can season these with any spices you’d normally use for chicken. My go-to blend is paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper. If you like a kick, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper also makes a nice addition. Or if you want some comforting flavor, use my homemade poultry seasoning.
How To Cook Chicken Leg Quarters
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep and dry. Preheat your oven. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This allows the skin to get crispy later!
- Season. Brush the chicken with olive oil. Season with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Season liberally and make sure to get both sides!
- Bake. Arrange the chicken on an oven-safe rack fitted over a baking sheet, skin side down. Bake chicken leg quarters in the oven, flipping halfway through, until crispy and cooked through.
- Rest. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. This helps the juices settle so that the chicken won’t be dry. You can serve the chicken quarters whole, but they are very large, so in my family we usually cut them apart (separate the thighs and drumsticks), and everyone chooses the cut they prefer.
My Recipe Tips
- You can pre-mix the spices. I find that it can save time to mix them in a small bowl and then season the chicken with the mixture all at once. The flip side is it’s one more dish to wash, so it depends on your needs.
- Baking on a rack isn’t a must, but improves results. I have this set and it allows air flow all around the chicken while baking. Translation: even cooking and crispier skin! But if all you have is a regular baking sheet, that’s totally fine as long as it’s not crowded.
- Line the pan with aluminum foil (underneath the rack) if you like. Lining the pan is not required, but makes for easier cleanup.
- Bake skin-side-down first. It’s best to have the chicken leg quarters skin-side-up last, because this keeps the skin crispy. When I cooked them skin side down last, the skin was softer.
- Use a thermometer if you can. The time can vary depending on the size of your chicken quarters, and a meat thermometer ensures perfect results. I like this instant-read thermometer, but actually use this probe thermometer the most because it beeps when ready and I don’t have to keep checking. It’s hard to overcook dark meat and I do have a general cooking time recommendation on the recipe card below, so don’t stress if you don’t have a thermometer. But, having one allows you to take advantage of my next tip…
- Cook to 170 degrees F for the juiciest results. Like all chicken recipes, baked chicken quarters are safe to eat once they reach 165 degrees F. However, because leg dark meat has more connective tissue than white meat, it will be more tender if you cook it to 170-175 degrees F. I always do this for dark meat and it really makes a difference!
- Broil if needed. This is optional, but if you want the skin extra crispy, place the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The skin does soften when you store these, so I usually remove the meat from the bones and repurpose them for soups or salads.
- Reheat: If you want to reheat the chicken leg quarters whole, the best method is the oven at 350 degrees F. You can place them under the broiler in the last few minutes if the skin isn’t as crisp as you want it.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cooked chicken in zip lock bags or containers for up to 3 months. Raw chicken quarters can be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating (or cooking, if raw).
Serving Ideas
Somehow, these baked chicken leg quarters are flavorful and neutral in flavor at the same time. Does that make any sense? The point is they go with anything. Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with them:
- Vegetables – Chicken and veggies is literally the meal I make most often. Particularly with chicken leg quarter recipes, though, vegetables can balance out the heavy main dish. I like to saute eggplant, air fry cauliflower, or whip up some patty pan squash while I have the chicken quarters in the oven. But you can also roast broccoli, broccoli and cauliflower (pictured above), or asparagus first and just cover to keep warm.
- Potatoes – For a more comforting meal, make Instant Pot sweet potatoes, or even Greek lemon potatoes if you want something a little special. My personal go-to is simple, buttery air fryer potatoes — my kids ask for them often.
- Salads – For a lighter meal, pair this dish with my creamy cucumber salad, earthy beet salad, or simple arugula salad.
More Baked Chicken Recipes
If you love chicken as much as I do, check out my other easy baked chicken recipes:
Tools I Use For This Recipe
- Sheet Pan With Rack Set – I love these nonstick pans. I have every size, but the set with rack is particularly useful for crispy foods, such as bacon in the oven or these roasted chicken leg quarters.
- Probe Thermometer – My favorite way to know that my chicken is done just right. It beeps when it’s ready!
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters (Crispy, Juicy, Easy)
Make this easy recipe for baked chicken leg quarters in the oven for juicy, crispy chicken every time. You need just 5 simple ingredients!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe rack on top.
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Pat the chicken leg quarters dry with paper towels, which will help them get crispy.
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Brush the chicken quarters with olive oil on both sides. Season both sides with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
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Arrange the chicken on the rack, skin side down. Bake the chicken leg quarters in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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Optional step: If they are not crispy enough for your liking, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin even more.
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Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Did You Make My Recipe?
Leave a rating to help other readers, tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram (I’d love to see!), or save the recipe to your email.
Try More Of My Recipes
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken leg quarter
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
130 Comments
tracey
1Very easy. Great for beginner cooks.
I sent this recipe to my Granddaughter she and her friends loved it.
Thank you
Dee Em
1Terrific! Chicken quarters are the best priced poultry option – if you live near a Walmart, they may provide 10 pound bags of quarters for just $7.50, not per pound, but TOTAL – check it out! This recipe not only provided me with a fast go-to meal, but gave a lot of more general tips that I will continue to use for other recipes. Thank you, Maya – this is great!
Chris C.
0Totally! I was shopping for quarters late this past week at my local H‑E‑B (big in Texas), found only a big bag…for $5.72!! Regardless, the smoked ones I did were great, and I have some leftover to tackle this recipe with. I love how simple yet tasty it will be!!
Tracey
0I bought 2 of those same bags at Walmart last week, good to know it wasn’t just a one time sale price. But I only paid $5.57 per bag of 8 leg quarters. Currently it’s the only meat I can afford. I’m using this recipe today if I can borrow some olive oil. If not may try regular veg oil.
Sandra
0You won’t notice the difference enough in this recipe to go ‘borrow’ olive oil for. Best save that for a recipe where you really taste the difference! Enjoy!
Kristin Zehnder
0This was a fantastic recipe. The chicken was so moist and tasty. I turned up the broiler for 2 minutes at the end to crisp the skin. We’ll totally do this again. Also did the air fryer cauliflower, so good. Thank you! Will check out your other recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked these, Kristin! Sounds like the perfect meal.
Shelley Constable
0Very tasty and easy to make.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Shelley! Enjoy!
Donna Moss
0I absolutely love this recipe. Easy to make. Easy to follow and sent to my daughter that is kind of a beginner cook! Delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Donna! And thanks for sharing my recipes with your daughter.
Randy Bernard
0So that I could make a pan sauce for the chicken, I didn’t line the pan with foil. While the chicken was resting, I added some vegetable stock to the pan, put it back in the still-hot oven for a couple of minutes, then took it out, scraped up the browned bits from the pan, mixed it all together, and poured the sauce into individual dipping dishes. The sauce captured all the flavors of the seasoning used on the chicken, as well as the flavors of the roast chicken itself.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That sounds delicious, Randy! Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca
0I love this recipe. The leg quarters come out of the oven perfect, every time! A big hit! Thank You!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so happy you love it, Rebecca! Enjoy!
Carol Berg
0It’s scrumptious and so easy! I can make 2 great dinners for under $10 bucks. Thanks for the trick of starting skin side down. I love it!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you love this recipe, Carol! And you’re very welcome. 🙂
Ruth
0Love this recipe. I buy 10 lbs of leg quarters every other week to cook for dog food. I save back two pieces to cook for supper. So easy and delish and can be baking while I’m cleaning up from dog food mess.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Ruth! You have one lucky dog!
Jeff Mccarthy
0Well this looks so good but you never put a cooking temperature. You put a reheat temp of 350. But not the 1st time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jeff, I did, it’s on the recipe card as always, in step 1. Make sure you read the recipe card so you don’t miss the precise amounts and all the steps. 🙂
Theresa
0The whole house smells so yummy. Waiting on cooking 😁 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ on easy prep time. Let you know in about 25-30 minutes
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Theresa! Let me know how they turned out!
Lisa
0So good. I also put poultry seasoning under the skin. Cooked it the air fryer for 40 minutes. Took it out and put Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce on it. Gave it another 20 minutes in the air fryer. Let it cool for 5. Delicious! So juicy! Gonna make again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m happy you liked your chicken leg quarters, Lisa! Thank you for sharing your version. I do love these in the air fryer too, here is my air fryer chicken quarters recipe if anyone needs it.
Veronica
0I’ve made it before with leg quarters, making it again today with thighs. Perfect for cooking a large package of chicken to debone and freeze. Yum!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Veronica! Yes, this method works with other skin-on cuts, the baking times just vary. Baked chicken thighs will be faster.
adrienne_robles
0So easy even I could make it and so delicious even my kids loved it! Definitely will repeat.
K. Palo
0I made this recipe per the instructions and the author is correct; the chicken quarters were plump and juicy! Next time I’ll add some of the seasoning under the chicken skin in addition to the outside skin to give the meat a little more flavor. We will be making this recipe at least bi-monthly! Kudos!
Joe
0I love the blend of spices makes a good rub for smoking too
Jana
0Simple and delicious!
Charlie
0THANK YOU! for the sweet sweet relief from poorly laid out Internet recipe madness! I was actually just here for time and temp but I actually learned a couple things in my hasty scanning 😅
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Awww, that means a lot, thank you Charlie! Enjoy the chicken!
Linda
0Maya—Can this be grilled? Thanks!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, Yes, you can definitely grill them. I haven’t tried this yet (now I want to!), but it would be similar to my grilled chicken thighs recipe. It will probably take longer per side, since the chicken quarters are bigger than thighs alone.
Bonnie
0Hi, you may have mentioned this in your recipe and I keep overlooking it but when baking in the oven, should I place it in the oven closer to lower part of oven or closer to the upper level of oven? Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bonnie, I recommend baking them in the middle part of your oven.
Elsie
0Loved how simple and delicious this recipe is!!
Sandra G
0I tried your recipe- with a few caveats one being I only had a toaster oven to use. I use a premade blend (roasted chicken seasoning). Best darn chicken- ever!!!
Rod
0Great, juicy, tender, amazing flavour.
patricia
0I made these chicken leg quarters last night for dinner. Oh, they were so good! I only made 2 instead of 4 thinking that would be enough for the 2 of us for couple nights. Surprise, they were so good we each ate the whole leg quarter. Might just go for a repeat tonight!
Thanks for your recipe. The added spices really add to the flavor of the meat.
Randy L Halford
0Liked the recipe although I didn’t use onion powder.
Margy
0This was so delicious! My now go-to chicken recipe!
Edward Mietzner
0I made this recipe tonight and it turned out perfect I don’t believe it could be and more juicy it truly was delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Evelyn
0Bake at what temperature?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Evelyn, You can find this info in step #1– Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Enna
0Because my quarters were large, I baked these chicken legs for 45 minutes. Then because they were still “bleeding”, I put them on to broil for 20 minutes or more at different times because they were still bleeding.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Enna, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet expectations. All ovens are different so it sounds like you needed some extra time to get the chicken fully cooked.
Erin Smith
0The only think I changed was using some of the herbs and spices under the skin as well as on the skin. Came out perfect.
baltisraul
0Wanted just a tad more crispy, so did 425 degrees and did both side for 20 min. Extremely juicy quarters!
Marc Joplin
0Definite amateur cook here. The recipe was simple to follow, although at the completion of cook time, much blood and pink meat existed. I ended up cooking on both sides for another 20 minutes per side. In all fairness, these were extremely large chicken leg quarters. Recipe made for delicious moist chicken. Thank you!
Mark Cameron
0This is a good recipe for those who have limited pantry items. Paprika, sea salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder should be in everyone’s spice rack. It’s always easier though to have a pre-mixed container of these ingredients on hand and ready. It’s better to use a shaker than your fingers to measure how much spice is going on to each piece. Nobody likes too much salt.
Beverly crawley
0I’ve been looking for a recipe for awhile that can help me bake chicken. I found this today. I’m baking my chicken now.
Brenda
0I have basically been making my similar version of this baked chicken for decades. It’s my go-to twice a week, especially when I don’t want to think too hard about making a menu for the week or don’t have a grocery list ready. But to those who feel it needs to be broiled, the way my recipe has evolved is to set oven temp to 425 and cook the leg quarters for 40 to 45 min for smaller leg quarters, 50 minutes if they are larger/plumper leg quarters.
Solomon salsberg
0The last 5 min broiler option is what I saw in the comments. I wash an dry and cut off extra fat, rest an dry in refrigerator, pat dry, pre heat oven while bringing chicken to Lil above room temperature, season, I use parchment an no rack(aluminum bad) kin up 20 min down in fat for 10 min. Skin up broil for as long as needed for internal temp you want. But look for crispyness not burn, I make a lot to be reasoned for other types of dishes so I use digital stick thermometer and highest temp gets eaten first..
Aaron
0Do yourself a favor and turn on the broiler for the last 3-5 minutes.
ERIN LANNING
0Loved it and it was very easy. i put the spicy on a little early to let them “soak” in. delicious!
Nick
0Easy recipe great taste and consistency.
charlene martin
0It had a good flavor I added thyme I couldn’t get it crispy.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Charlene, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Did you pat the chicken leg quarters dry with paper towels?
Jan Craddock
0Should I cover them with a lid or foil? Or not at all
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jan, No, don’t cover the chicken.
Marilyn Anderson
0Very delicious
Donna
0Easy-peasy! And super delicious! Just adjust the ingredients as to your taste. For me, little more paprika, sea salt, frequent basting with olive oil.
Diana Anderson
0Was so surprised how good this was! I’m very picky when it comes to chicken!
Cabo Joe (Joachim)
0Being a chef, it is not hard to find something wrong with your recipe. I looked and looked and could not find anything I did not like. Good job. Just use more different spices. Greetings from Cabo.