Baked Chicken Leg Quarters with Roasted Vegetables

On those weeks when my grocery budget gets tight but I still crave a satisfying home-cooked meal, this baked chicken leg quarters recipe comes to my rescue. I discovered this dish during a particularly lean month, and it’s become my secret weapon for impressing dinner guests without emptying my wallet. The beauty lies in its simplicity: dark meat chicken quarters roasted over seasonal vegetables until everything caramelizes into savory perfection. My family now requests this “fancy” dinner regularly, never suspecting it’s one of the most economical meals in my rotation. One pan, minimal prep, maximum flavor – this is weeknight cooking at its finest.

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Why This Recipe Works

The genius of this one-pan meal lies in layering flavors. Roasting vegetables first allows them to begin caramelizing and releasing their natural sugars. When the chicken is added on top, its juices and fat baste the vegetables below, creating an automatic sauce. The butter under and over the skin ensures moist meat and crispy skin, while fresh herbs infuse everything with aromatic flavor. This method transforms inexpensive ingredients into a restaurant-quality meal with minimal effort.

Ingredients

• Chicken leg quarters – Provide rich, juicy dark meat that stays tender during roasting
• Red potatoes – Hold their shape while absorbing chicken flavor from above
• Carrots – Add natural sweetness and color to the vegetable base
• Radishes – Become surprisingly sweet and mild when roasted
• Garlic – Infuses the entire dish with aromatic flavor
• Onions or shallots – Caramelize during roasting for sweet depth
• Olive oil – Coats vegetables to promote even roasting
• Lemons – Brighten flavors with acidic balance
• Salt – Enhances all flavors and helps crisp the chicken skin
• Black pepper – Adds gentle spice and complexity
• Butter – Creates juicy meat and helps achieve golden, crispy skin
• Fresh rosemary – Provides aromatic, piney notes that complement chicken
• Fresh parsley – Adds bright, fresh flavor to finish the dish

How to Make Chicken Leg Quarters in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Place cut potatoes, carrots, and radishes into a bowl.
3. Place chopped garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the bowl.
4. Place chopped fresh rosemary and parsley on the vegetables.
5. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and mix to coat the vegetables evenly.
6. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.

7. Transfer vegetables to a 9 X 13-inch pan or rimmed baking sheet and spread them into a single layer.

8. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
9. Pat dry the chicken quarters with a paper towel.
10. Spread softened butter under and over the chicken skin.
11. Season buttered chicken with salt and pepper.
12. Remove the vegetables from the oven, remove the foil, and place the chicken quarters skin side up on top of the vegetables.
13. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes or until done.

One-Pan Baked Chicken Leg Quarters with Roasted Vegetables

A budget-friendly comfort food dinner that tastes like a million bucks.

4.72 from 7 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked Chicken Quarters, Chicken Leg Quarters, Chicken Recipes, Gluten Free, Roasted Chicken Quarters

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 485kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

• 1 pound red potatoes
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup radishes halved
• 4 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large lemon or two small lemons sliced
• 1 small rosemary stem coarsley chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt, to taste divided use
• ground black pepper, to taste divided use
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken leg quarters
• 1/2 cup chopped onions or chopped shallots

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Place the potatoes, carrots, radishes, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, rosemary, and parsley into a bowl.
• Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and mix until they are evenly coated.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the vegetables into a 9×13-inch pan, and spread them out into a single layer.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
• If desired, spread softened butter under the chicken skin. Spread a light layer of butter on the outside of the chicken skin, and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the vegetables from oven, remove the foil, and place the chicken over the vegetables, skin side up.
• Roast the chicken uncovered at 425°F for approximately 30 minutes or until done. The chicken is done when it is pierced and the juices run clear and it has an internal temperature of 165°F.

Video

Notes

For maximum flavor, try bringing the chicken quarters to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking. The secret to exceptionally crispy skin is ensuring the chicken is completely dry before adding butter and seasonings. For even more flavor, try making small slits in the chicken skin and inserting thin slices of garlic or herbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 814mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3750IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Oven-Baked Chicken Quarters Recipe Variations

• Feel free to experiment with your choice of root vegetables. This oven-roasted chicken quarters recipe contains red potatoes, carrots, and radishes, but you don’t have to feel restricted.
• Oven-roasted chicken quarters work equally well with sweet potatoes, parsnips, and fennel. Choose the freshest root vegetables available, and you won’t be disappointed.
• Add spices to the veggies. Some ideas are garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, or your favorite spice mixture.
• If you are calorie-conscious, you can reduce the fat content by removing the skin, although many consider crispy skin the best part.

How Long to Cook Baked Chicken Quarters

Cooking time can vary depending on the oven temperature and size of the chicken quarters. Here is a handy guide for baking chicken quarters uncovered:

• 350 degrees – 45 to 60 minutes
• 375 degrees – 45 to 55 minutes
• 400 degrees – 35 to 40 minutes
• 425 degrees – 25 to 35 minutes
• 450 degrees – 20 to 30 minutes

Undercooking chicken is dangerous, so it is best to use a meat thermometer to ensure it is fully cooked.

How to Ensure Your Chicken Leg Quarters Are Perfectly Done

Chicken is not the most forgiving protein to cook. Many home cooks have problems with undercooking or overcooking. Luckily, dark meat is less likely to dry out from an extra few minutes of cooking time.

After thirty minutes in the oven, check your chicken’s internal temperature. To be safe, wait until the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F. Be sure not to let the probe touch the bone, or you will get a false reading.

Extra Cooking Tips For Oven-Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Increase the cooking time for even crisper chicken and more flavor. Unlike chicken breasts that can turn grainy when cooked too long, baked chicken leg quarters taste better when slightly overcooked.

CopyKat Tip: Try cooking your chicken quarters until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

What to Serve With Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

This chicken leg quarters recipe already has a lot of vegetables in it, so it’s practically a meal all by itself. You could serve it with a fresh green salad, dinner rolls, or crazy bread.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days
• Freezer: Remove chicken from bones, place in freezer bags with vegetables for up to 4 months
• Reheating: For best results, reheat using one of these methods:
  • Oven: Place in a covered dish with 2 tablespoons water or broth at 350°F until heated through (about 15 minutes)
  • Microwave: Cover with a damp paper towel and heat on 70% power in 1-minute intervals
  • Air Fryer: 375°F for 4 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through
  • Stovetop: Remove meat from bone, add to skillet with a small amount of water, and heat gently

Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these!

• BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
• Chicken Dijon
• Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Creamy Butter Chicken Recipe
• Japanese Chicken
• Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe
• Shoyu Chicken
• Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
• Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Favorite Budget-Friendly Recipes

• Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Dry Black Beans Recipe
• How to Cook Cabbage on the Stove
• Spaghetti Casserole

Check out my easy chicken recipes and the best budget recipes here on CopyKat!