FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOWMy Crispiest, Juiciest Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
I’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?!) I make these baked chicken leg quarters all the time now — here’s why:
- Juicy and tender with crispy skin – Golden and crispy outside, practically fall-off-the-bone juicy inside. It’s the best.
- 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 be juicy, but it can’t beat dark meat in the flavor department.
- Quick and easy – I season the chicken with pantry basics (chances are you have them on hand) and pop them in the oven. The prep takes just minutes!
- Cost effective – This cut of chicken is such a good value. Just like whole chicken wings are cheaper than ones that are cut, chicken quarters cost less than thighs and drumsticks separately.
Serve these chicken leg quarters with a healthy side dish and you’ve got a winner of a chicken dinner. Make them with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
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 – Sometimes I see them called chicken quarters or chicken hindquarters at the grocery store. They are simply whole chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks) that also have a piece of the back attached.
- Olive Oil – Oil adds flavor, helps the seasonings stay on, and most importantly, gets the skin crispy. Any heat-safe oil works — sometimes I use avocado oil instead.
- 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 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. Make sure to get both sides!
- Bake. Arrange the chicken on an oven-safe rack fitted over a baking sheet (I love this thing!), 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.
- Want extra crispy skin? Mix a couple teaspoons of baking powder with the spices, like I do for my other baked chicken recipe.
- 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 sheet sheet pan, 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 meat thermometer for perfect results. Cooking times can vary depending on the size of your chicken quarters. 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, 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 you’ll taste the difference!
- Broil if you need to crisp the skin more. I don’t usually need to, but you can place the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes at the end.
- Can you air fry them? Absolutely! I bake the chicken for this recipe, but if you want an even faster method, you can air fry chicken leg quarters, too.
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters (Crispy & Juicy)
My easy recipe for baked chicken leg quarters in the oven makes juicy, crispy chicken every time. You need just 5 simple ingredients!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe rack on top.
-
Pat the chicken leg quarters dry with paper towels, which will help them get crispy.
-
Brush the chicken quarters with olive oil on both sides. Season both sides with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
-
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).
-
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.
-
Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken leg quarter
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the juiciest chicken leg quarters, ways to crisp up the skin more, how to make cleanup easier, and more.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The skin does soften, so I usually remove the meat from the bones and repurpose it 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 crisp.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cooked chicken in zip lock bags for up to 3 months, or raw chicken quarters for up to 6-12 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© 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.
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
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 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 my Instant Pot sweet potatoes or even Greek lemon potatoes. My family’s go-to is simple, buttery air fryer potatoes — my kids ask for them often.
- Salads – For a lighter meal, try 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:
177 Comments
Jonetta
1Best quarters I’ve had in a long time. Juicy & crispy. Just the way I like them. Have also used your recipe for chicken breasts &/thighs. Love that the ingredients are things usually on hand.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear that, Jonetta! Yes, I try to make my recipes with easily accessible ingredients. Enjoy!
Musa
0I’d like to get more recipe and salad recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Musa, You can find all my recipes here, and my salad recipes here.
Heather Fritsch
1Kids and I all loved it! Have to add to our regular rotation. I used melted butter, instead of olive oil, as we were out.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Heather! I’m happy you and your family liked these chicken quarters.
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!
Vicki
0We will reduce the amount of paprika, or omit. Otherwise, GREAT!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks for the feedback, Vicki! Glad to hear you still enjoyed it, hope it turns out even better next time with your tweak!
Donald Chisley
0They Turned out to be delicious, my House Guest loved the and wanted my Recipe 😀😀😀…
Wholesome Yum D
0That’s wonderful to hear, Donald! I’m so glad they were a hit with your guest. Thanks for sharing that! 😄
Kim
0Delicious. I had extra big leq quarters and added 10 minutes to the total bake time. The seasoning is perfect.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kim! Yes, the time can take longer if you had extra big chicken quarters. I’m happy you liked the seasoning and hope you make these again soon.
Charlie
0I just made this, Maya, and it was amazing. Thank you for the recipe. My dad is 93 and lives with me and he loved it also. I just need to help him get the meat off the bone. Amazing.
Wholesome Yum D
0That’s so sweet, Charlie! I’m really touched your dad enjoyed it too, thank you for sharing that with me.
Charlie
0This recipe sounds amazing and I just bought the chicken to make it tomorrow. The macros seem off a but, I see protein at 62g and fat at 23g for one leg quarter.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hope you loved it, Charlie! Macros will vary depending on the size of your chicken quarters.
Angela
0I made this last night for dinner. It was so good, juicy and crispy. I’m going to add it to regular rotation.
Wholesome Yum D
0Love hearing that, Angela! So glad it’s earned a spot in your dinner rotation!
Cloie
0Crispy and DELICIOUS!
Wholesome Yum D
0Appreciate that, Cloie! So happy you enjoyed it.
Laurie A Derench
0Love this thank you so much!!
Wholesome Yum D
0So happy to hear that you loved this baked chicken, Laurie!
Walter Parsell
0You don’t even mention what to set the oven temperature at. ????
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Walter, Yes, I did. It’s on the recipe card above — please read it to ensure you don’t miss an ingredient or a step.
Micky Crmn
0I followed the instructions, but the chicken parts shrank.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Micky, It’s normal for chicken to shrink when it cooks. It’s not specific to my recipe.
Terri
0Quick, easy and delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Terri!
Lori
0I made these tonight and boy oh boy, they were delicious!! So juicy and moist with wonderful seasoning and so easy to do! This will become a regular for us!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Lori! I’m glad they’re a regular for you now.