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    Bless This Mess > Recipes > Easy Dinners > Chicken

    The Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

    Published: Dec 14, 2022 · Modified: Dec 14, 2022 by Melissa · 163 Comments

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    The Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters | Easy Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

    These are the best oven baked chicken leg quarters -- tender, crispy, and juicy on the inside, you simply brush with butter and simple seasonings before cooking them in the oven at a low temperature for an hour, with a final spike in the temp to crisp the skin up real nice at the end.

    The Best Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

    Why You’ll Love this Recipe

    I love a budget-friendly and patience-friendly meal, and these oven baked chicken quarters cover all those bases and more. Chicken legs are fairly simple and inexpensive, but when you butter them up, season them well, and bake them low and slow in the oven, they become tender and juicy and perfect dinnertime contenders. I turn up the oven’s heat at the very end to get the skin nice and crispy, and it’s seriously delicious.

    Plus, it takes about zero time for you to prep it all. Getting the chicken ready might cost you 5 minutes, and then you put them in the oven for an hour, freeing you up to get sides ready (or just chill for a bit!) while they bake. Chicken legs are no fuss as long as you know how to do them, and if you ask me, this recipe is the perfect place to start.

    Ingredients

    • Chicken leg quarters: I love this cut of chicken. It's inexpensive and so full of flavor.
    • Butter: this adds some fat, flavor, and something for the seasoning to stick too. Plus it helps the chicken crisp up.
    • Seasonings of your choice: I like to use a custom season salt made by combining ¼ cup kosher salt, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

    How to Make Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

    1. Pat your chicken dry.
    2. Brush it with butter and then sprinkle with your seasoning.
    3. Cover with foil and bake a low temperature.
    4. After a longer cooking time remove the foil and crank up the heat to finish the cooking process.
    5. Serve right away.
    pan with raw chicken in it before being cooked

    Baking Tips for Chicken Leg Quarters

    Slow and low is why I love this recipe. By starting out at a low temperature, you give the meat time to cook and become tender. Finishing it off at a higher temperature makes the skin delicious and crispy. It might take a little while in the oven but you only have 5 minutes of hands-on time.

    Seasoning Tips

    When it comes to seasoning, you can go as simple as salt and pepper, you can use your favorite seasoning blend (like Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe's, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Lemon Garlic, or anything else), or you can make your own magic season salt by combining ¼ cup kosher salt, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional. I just toss everything in a little mason jar, add the lid, and shake to combine. This is a great basic season salt recipe. It's great on french fries and all kinds of meat.

    pan with 4 cooked chicken leg quarters in it

    Should I remove chicken skin before cooking?

    No! Please don’t. Chicken skin adds so much flavor (as do the bones) and gives the outside such an incredible crispy texture. It’s higher in fat, so this wouldn’t be a meal you eat every day, but it certainly won’t do any harm every once in a while! You’ve got to live a little, right?

    What to do with the juice at the bottom of the pan when baking chicken legs:

    The juice that is at the bottom of the pan is super good, just FYI. If you are serving some kind of vegetable with this dish, I'd spoon some of the chicken drippings over the top or even make gravy for potatoes with them.

    cooked chicken in a white dish with crispy skin

    Round out this meal with:

    • My Favorite Cornbread Recipe
    • Deli-Style Broccoli Salad
    • Crispy Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
    • Classic Scalloped Potatoes
    • Sauteed Asparagus
    • Red Velvet Cake

    Other baked chicken recipes you’ll love:

    • The Best Baked Chicken Legs (5 ingredients and so good)
    • Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Crispy Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Taco Meat

    If you’ve tried this chicken leg quarters recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.

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    The Best Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters


    ★★★★★

    4.6 from 53 reviews

    • Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
    • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    The Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters made by simply roasting chicken leg quarters brushed with butter and seasoned at a low temperature for an hour and then raising the temperature at the end to crisp the skin.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 chicken leg quarters (about 3 pounds)
    • 4 tablespoons of butter
    • Seasoning to taste, see notes

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
    2. Place the chicken leg quarters in the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet or a baking dish.
    3. Melt the butter and brush it over each chicken leg quarter.
    4. Sprinkle generously with seasoning of choice.
    5. Cover the pan with foil and bake for one hour.
    6. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes until the skin is crisped to your liking and the chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
    7. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • When it comes to seasoning, you can go as simple as salt and pepper, you can use your favorite seasoning blend (like Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe's, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Lemon Garlic, or anything else), or you can make your own magic season salt by combining ¼ cup kosher salt, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional. I just toss everything in a little mason jar, add the lid, and shake to combine. This is a great basic season salt recipe. It's great on french fries and all kinds of meat.
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: chicken legs, chicken leg quarters recipe, how to bake chicken legs, chicken drumsticks recipe, easy chicken dinner

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @blessthismessblog on Instagram and hashtag it #blessthismess

    Are chicken legs healthy?

    Chicken, no matter the cut, is a great source of lean protein (yes, even the dark meat!). I know chicken breast is all the rage because it’s a bit lower in fat and calories, but I’m on a mission to spread the gospel of chicken legs and all their flavor-filled, easy-to-make glory.

    How long will baked chicken legs keep for?

    You can store these in your fridge in a sealable bag or airtight container (whichever you choose, line the bottom with a paper towel to catch excess liquid and keep the legs from getting soggy) for up to 3 or 4 days. I recommend reheating them in the oven so the skin has a chance to re-crisp.

    You must try making these fabulous chicken leg quarters recipe sometime soon because they’re crispy, juicy, and perfectly seasoned!

    The Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters made by simply roasting chicken leg quarters brushed with butter and seasoned at a low temperature for an hour and then raising the temperature at the end to crisp the skin.

    You'll love how great this simple baked chicken leg quarters recipe is! It's easy to make, you'll love how flavorful the chicken is, and it's one you'll make over and over again!

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    About Melissa

    Melissa is dedicated to helping parents figure out the nightly questions, "What's for Dinner?!" with her no-fuss approach to cooking. Read more...

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    Comments

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Brooke

      July 15, 2020 at 10:49 am

      It turned out really juicy! Will change up our seasoning next time (used salt, pepper, garlic, adobo, and paprika) and added bbq sauce in the last 20 minutes when I upped the temperature. It was yummy just need to experiment with my seasonings. My first time cooking left quarters.

      Reply
      • Elliot

        September 15, 2021 at 7:35 pm

        The rights are just as good

    2. William Hicks

      June 27, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Had some good success with this one. For seasoning, I skip the butter and mix olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and paprika, and spoon it/smear it on the chicken before baking. Baked at 310 degrees for the first hour (my oven runs cool) and then upped it to 425 for 20 minutes. Delicious - I will use this method again.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Lisa Tirrell

      June 07, 2020 at 5:42 pm

      Do I need to up the cooking time if I put potato and carrots under chicken to roast?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        June 08, 2020 at 1:55 pm

        No, if you cube the potatoes in about 2 inch squares they should be just about right when the chicken is done.

    4. Randy

      May 26, 2020 at 6:30 pm

      I did what the instructions said and after 1 hour the chicken was no where near cooked at all. I had to put it back in the oven, uncovered, on 380 degrees for nearly fourth minutes to cook the chicken.

      ★

      Reply
      • Md

        July 09, 2020 at 5:49 pm

        After 1 hour you need to up the temp to 425 for 10-20 minutes....

    5. Gloria Z

      May 04, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      Total weight of my four leg quarters was 4.5 Lbs, so unsurprisingly I had to cook longer. I did the 1 hr at 300 then a total 40 mins at 425. Delicious! Fabulous crispy skin,. What time and temp do you recommend for reheating?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        May 04, 2020 at 6:36 pm

        Those were HUGE chicken leg quarters, I'm so glad you got them cooked well! I'd wrap them in foil and reheat at 350 for 20 minute or until hot!

    6. Suzie

      April 17, 2020 at 11:40 pm

      Followed the instructions precisely and ended up with bloody chicken in the middle.

      ★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        April 18, 2020 at 11:48 am

        Were they frozen? Where they super huge?

      • Second Thoughts

        May 19, 2021 at 11:54 am

        Did you not Temp them?

    7. @caseyalexis

      April 13, 2020 at 9:00 pm

      Made this tonight bc we had thawed thicken legs but I’d never cooked them before (only thing available in quarantine) and they turned out EPICALLY AWESOME! I added a chopped up bite size pieces of carrot, onion, and mini red potato and turned on the broiler at the end to really get everything browned nicely. The sauces from the chicken and veggies was beyond amazing-I ended up saving for a Greek chicken soup I’ll be making tomorrow.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. Judy

      April 10, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      I usually do not like baked chicken because it is too dry. This however, was moist, juicy and flavorful. I put some of the juice on top of our cooked vegetable and they were better than usual. My whole family thought this was a winner!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Rachel

      April 07, 2020 at 11:04 am

      I've used this recipe a gazillion times now and keep forgetting to leave a comment. This is BY FAR the best preparation for chicken quarters I have found. We're Americans living in Spain and I spent a good long time trying to sort the method for cooking a quartered chicken the way our favorite restaurant does. This is the winner. The chicken is super juicy and the skin is perfect. I cook the chicken over a bed of rough cut French fry shaped potatoes. Salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Simple, easy, and delicious. Thank you so much!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Laurel

      March 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      Thank you! Delicious recipe. I usually never buy leg quarters but it is the midst of the COVID 19 hysteria and leg quarters was absolutely the only chicken I could find at two groceries stores. I just had no idea how to cook them. This recipe was simple and came out great. For spices I used a prepackaged poultry rub.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        March 26, 2020 at 3:40 pm

        So glad that it worked well for you and you're making the best of what you have. Thinking of you during this time!

      • Michelle McK

        April 27, 2020 at 10:56 am

        This is why I have leg quarters, too - because it was all I could find. Can't wait to try this

    11. Natalie

      March 22, 2020 at 4:49 pm

      Thank you, this a great recipe , and in times like now, it’s a good go to recipe

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Helena

      March 18, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      This is now my go-to recipe for chicken legs. So good. WAY tastier than Shake 'n Bake, easier really, and no plastic bags to waste. I make a batch of seasoning and put it in an old spice jar to sprinkle on. Too easy.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        March 18, 2020 at 5:14 pm

        Yay! So glad you liked it as much as we do!

    13. sandramhirsch@gmail.com

      January 24, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      These are fantastic! I made the seasoned salt that you shared and seasoned the chicken leg quarters generously, baked them in my largest baking dish, then when I uncovered them and baked them at 425, I added halved brussel sprouts and cubed potatoes that I had seasoned and tossed in a little bit of olive oil. I had to cook the chicken longer at 425 - not sure if that's because the leg quarters were HUGE or because I added the veggies. While the chicken rested, I continued to cook the veggies in the liquid from the chicken. It was DELICIOUS! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        January 24, 2020 at 8:40 pm

        Ohhh I love the addition of veggies, that's a great idea! Isn't the drippings on the pan so good with the veggies? I love it like that too.

      • Larry Benjamin

        June 07, 2020 at 12:10 pm

        Also- sliced onions, mini carrots and sliced celery !!

    14. Janine K Johnson

      December 29, 2019 at 10:55 pm

      This is a perfect low carb recipe for anyone eating a ketogenic diet.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    15. Janine K Johnson

      December 29, 2019 at 10:53 pm

      This is a perfect recipe for those of us eating a low carb keto diet, because the fat is not an issue!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    16. Becky

      December 11, 2019 at 4:11 pm

      Is it the same baking time for 2 leg quartesr? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Melissa

        December 12, 2019 at 10:19 am

        Yep, it'll be the same!

    17. Aimee

      November 22, 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Hopefully you'll see this son, haha! How long would you cook this if it was doubled? I'm making 10 for a crowd of 13 (including 5 younger kids). I'm so excited for my husband's birthday party tomorrow!

      Reply
      • Melissa

        November 23, 2019 at 1:57 pm

        I had surgery yesterday or I would have gotten back to you sooner! I bet it'll be really close to the same time, maybe 10 minutes longer to account for the full oven. Did you try it? I'd love to hear how it works out.

    18. Terri Earle

      November 22, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      Would roasting time need to be adjusted for bone in skin on thighs?

      Reply
      • Melissa

        November 23, 2019 at 1:57 pm

        Yes, it'll be slightly shorter since it's a small piece of meat. I'd do the first bake 15 minutes less (at the low temperature) and then adjust the temp and bake as directed.

    19. Michelle

      October 18, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      Love this recipe I use it every single time I make chicken quarters. Seasoning salt garlic and onion powders and Italian seasoning and its always delicious. Please let me know how you would do this to a whole chicken (3 or so pounds) thanks a lot.

      Reply
      • Melissa

        October 18, 2019 at 5:00 pm

        I'm so glad you like it! You can do the same thing with a whole chicken, just cook it longer! I bet it'll take 1 hour on 300 and another 30 minutes on the higher temperature to cook through, I'm not positive though so just play around with the cooking times and use a thermometer to make sure the chicken get cooked all the way through.

    20. Deb

      October 08, 2019 at 5:30 pm

      Tonight is the second time making this recipe. What I did was, separate the skin from the chicken, squirted fresh lemon in there along with spices...spread butter on top and sprinkled the rest of the spices. Other than that, I followed your directions exactly and the chicken was juicy and a crispy skin...DELICIOUS!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Melissa

        October 09, 2019 at 11:39 am

        Ohhhh great tips and tricks, thank you for sharing!

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