Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Baked Chicken Leg Quarters is a dish that is economical to make, and it tastes like you spent hours preparing. This dish is perfect for when you are running out of a paycheck or even went you want something that will remind you of comfort food.

overhead view of baked chicken leg quarters and vegetables on a white platter.


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Roasted Chicken Quarters

Few dishes are as delicious and versatile as those made with chicken. This bird can be prepared in a multitude of different ways and served with just about any side dish to make a perfect family meal.

Chicken leg quarters are inexpensive, filling, and a great way to stretch the budget when you are drawing down your paycheck. However, with this dish, you don’t sacrifice any flavor because chicken leg quarters are dark meat, meaning they are much more flavorful than breast meat.

In fact, baked chicken leg quarters is a comfort food dish that tastes like you spent hours preparing.

You could use chicken legs or thighs if you want or just buy what’s on special. You can often spend less on chicken leg quarters than buying separate thighs and drumsticks or even whole chickens! This makes this poultry cut a real money-saver for anyone with a large family.

What Are Chicken Leg Quarters

Chicken leg quarters are a great chicken cut worth learning how to cook well. One chicken quarter makes an ideal portion for a hungry adult as it contains the drumstick, the thigh, and part of the back of the chicken.

You can often spend less on chicken leg quarters than buying separate chicken thighs and drumsticks or even whole chickens! This makes this poultry cut a real money-saver for anyone with a large family.

As an additional bonus, chicken leg quarters are dark meat meaning they are much more flavorful and tender than breast meat. On the downside, they do contain a higher amount of fat.

Why This Is the Oven-Baked Chicken Quarters Recipe You Must Try

Baking leg quarters in the oven is easy and takes just minutes to prepare. This oven-roasted chicken quarters recipe uses inexpensive ingredients and only requires one pan for the entire meal, making clean-up a breeze.

This baked chicken recipe will please even the pickiest eaters in your family and definitely earn a place in your weekly menu rotation!

Baked Chicken Quarters Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Chicken leg quarters
  • Red potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Garlic
  • Onions or shallots
  • Olive oil
  • Lemons
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Butter
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Fresh parsley
baked chicken leg quarters ingredients on a tray.

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.
chopped vegetables, sliced lemons, and herbs in a bowl.
  1. Transfer vegetables to a 9 X 13-inch pan or rimmed baking sheet and spread them into a single layer.
chopped vegetables, lemon slices, and herbs in a baking dish.
  1. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
  2. Pat dry the chicken quarters with a paper towel.
  3. Spread softened butter under and over the chicken skin.
  4. Season buttered chicken with salt and pepper.
  5. Remove the vegetables from the oven, remove the foil, and place the chicken quarters skin side up on top of the vegetables.
  6. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes or until done.
two baked chicken leg quarters and vegetables on a platter.

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 people consider the crispy skin to be 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 ensure the chicken is fully cooked by using a meat thermometer.

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, start checking your chicken’s internal temperature. To be safe, you need to 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 for 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 and some dinner rolls or crazy bread.

How to Store Chicken Leftovers

After chicken is cooked, it should not sit out at room temperature for more than two hours before being placed in the fridge in an airtight container. It will be good for 3 to 4 days.

You can also freeze leftover chicken for up to 4 months. Use a plastic ziptop freezer bag for storage. Remember to press out as much air as possible before sealing.

How to Reheat Chicken Without It Becoming Dry

There are several ways for reheating chicken and keep it moist. You can use your oven, stovetop, microwave, or air fryer.

  • Air Fryer – Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and air fry for 4 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through air frying.
  • Oven – Place the chicken in an oven-safe dish with a few tablespoons of chicken stock or water. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F until the internal temperature is 165°F.
  • Microwave – Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and cover it with wax or parchment paper. Microwave for 2 minutes and check if it is warmed. If not, microwave in 30-second intervals until it is heated.
  • Stove – Remove the chicken from the bone. Cover the bottom of a skillet with water and add the chicken meat. Simmer until the chicken is warmed through.
two baked chicken leg quarters with vegetables on a platter.

Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these!

Favorite Budget-Friendly Recipes

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

overhead view of baked chicken leg quarters and vegetables on a white platter.

Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters with vegetables is an inexpensive dinner to make.
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked Chicken Quarters, Chicken Leg Quarters, Chicken Recipes, Gluten Free, Roasted Chicken Quarters
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 485kcal

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

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

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Baltisraul

    5 stars
    Made 5 yesterday for the family Started @ 400 degrees and after 25 minutes went to 500 degrees. Wish I had taken a picture! It seems I can always count on you to steer me in the right direction.

  2. baltisraul

    Steph, I know this is way off topic but can you direct me to a copykat recipe for sugar free bar-b-que sauce. We have been on the Atkins diet for 3 weeks and want to go back to using the smoker again and all grilling that goes with it.
    Thanks.

  3. Tinithia

    Can i just use my red potatoes And season and ok oil because that’s all i have on hand right now? Because this sounds great!!!!

4.72 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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