Made with a delicious blend of pantry-staple herbs and spices, these Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters are so tender and juicy on the inside with perfectly crispy skin!
Chicken leg quarters are a great affordable cut of meat that roasts up beautifully; plus, they are really hard to overcook! Simply rub the chicken in a balanced spice blend and neutral oil, then roast until fall-off-the-bone tender.
Serve these on Soul Food Sunday, for Christmas dinner, or with your Thanksgiving spread.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $1.00
- Total Cost (about 4 leg quarters): $4.02
- Those Other Guys: $12.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Chicken Leg Quarters - You can find this in the poultry section of your grocery store or meat market. These usually come with the skin on.
- Neutral Oil - Roasting in a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or avocado oil helps get the skin nice and crispy in the oven without adding any additional flavors.
- Spice Blend - A nice blend of seasonings is what gives our leg quarters the perfect flavor. There's salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and even a bit of ground mustard (as well as other spices) in this blend.
Variations and Substitutions
You can change up the flavor profile of these chicken leg quarters by switching up the spice blend!
Greek Chicken Leg Quarters: Use ground rosemary and oregano, as well as staples like salt, garlic, and onion powder.
Cajun Leg Quarters: Grab your favorite Cajun seasoning! I'd serve this with some Easy Homemade Dirty Rice on the side.
Lemon Thyme Roasted Chicken Quarters: Place slices of fresh lemon on the bottom of the pan, then top with chicken quarters seasoned with light and bright herbs like thyme and sage.
How to Make Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Step 1: To begin, mix together all of the dried spices to create a seasoning blend.
Step 2: Clean and dry your chicken leg quarters with paper towels.
Set them on top of a foil-wrapped pan with a baking rack on top.
Step 3: Rub both sides of the chicken with avocado oil, then season liberally. Be sure you get the seasonings underneath the skin!
Step 4: Bake on the bottom rack at 425℉/220℃ for about 55 minutes.
Once the internal temperature reaches 185℉ - 190℉ (or about 85℃), let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before serving. That's it!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Get the perfect internal temperature. Roasting the chicken to 185℉/85℃ is crucial to getting that tender, moist inside. Because chicken leg quarters are dark meat, they can handle high heat much better than white meat (like breasts or wings.) This temperature range is where the collagen breaks down, resulting in flavorful, juicy chicken.
- Use a baking rack. I like to roast these on top of a baking rack so the juices don't accumulate on the chicken and steam the skin. For easy clean up, place the rack on top of a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.
What to Serve Alongside Chicken Leg Quarters?
These chicken quarters go well with almost any type of side, from vegetables to pasta! Here's a few suggestions for side dishes:
Recipe FAQs
Sure thing - just make sure your pan is big enough to fit them all! Your cooking time may also increase by a few minutes; continue to use the instant-read thermometer to get perfectly roasted chicken.
I've kept these, sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 6 days.
You can reheat in the microwave or the air fryer.
Using an instant-read oven thermometer is the easiest way to tell. You want the quarters to read an internal temperature of 185°F, or 85°C.
Other Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Crispy Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Equipment
- Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
- Aluminum Foil
- Chef's Knife
- Paper Towels
- Small Bowl for seasoning rub
- Pastry Brush
- Instant-Read Thermometer
Ingredients
Seasoning Blend
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Roasted Chicken Quarters
- 4 count chicken leg quarters about 4.5 pounds
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- To begin, mix together all of the dry seasonings in a bowl to create a rub. Set aside.1 ½ tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, ½ teaspoon ground thyme, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place a wire rack on top of the pan.Preheat the oven to 425℉ or 220℃.
- Trim the leg quarters of any excess fat. Pat them completely dry with paper towels.4 count chicken leg quarters
- Brush both sides of the quarters with the avocado oil, then press and rub the seasoning blend into both sides.Be sure to peel back the skin and get underneath!2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Roast on the bottom rack of your oven for 45 - 55 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 185℉ - 190℉ (or about 85℃).If your chicken skin is starting to burn more than you would prefer: After 45 minutes, turn the heat down to 400℉/200℃ and cook for another 10 minutes until the internal temperature is reached.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and let them rest for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Allison says
This was some of the best chicken I’ve ever had. Made your dirty rice recipe to go with it, and it was also amazing. I love how you include the measurements in the steps so I don’t have keep scrolling up and down.
Shani H. says
Thank you so much for your comment Allison! I never liked having to scroll on recipes, so wanted to (hopefully) make the user experience a little better on my site! Also - my husband would agree with you on the best chicken comment LOL. Thank you again!
joshua says
super juicy. i used a poultry blend from my local store. it kept great for prep during the week.
Shani H. says
So good to hear! Thank you for leaving a review Joshua!