Baked chicken quarters are an easy and tasty way to serve up a filling chicken dinner with very little prep time or effort on your part! Season and bake the chicken until done, then serve up with some great sides for a wonderful family meal! And now, you won't have to decide between thighs or drumsticks!
Easy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Chicken can get boring if it’s your go-to meal. Shake things up a little with this easy, mouth-wateringly delicious chicken!
When chicken is perfectly cooked, it practically falls apart. With my recipe, you’ll get juicy, tender meat every time, and you’ll love the combination of savory onion powder, sage, paprika, and pepper.
Jump to:
- Easy Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- 🥘 Baked Chicken Quarters Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
- 🔪 How To Make Baked Chicken Quarters
- 🥗 What To Serve With Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
- 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- 🥡 Storing & Reheating
- ❓ Recipe FAQs
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- There’s little prep work! Just season your chicken and pop it in the oven for a quick weeknight meal that tastes like you spent all day on it!
- It’s family-friendly! The chicken is covered in basic but delicious seasonings that everyone will love.
- It’s versatile! Chicken tastes good with practically any veggie, rice, pasta, or potato side dish, so it's a great meal to pair with whatever's already in the pantry!
🥘 Baked Chicken Quarters Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
The simple seasoning mix is what makes this dish amazing! You don’t need sauces for this chicken to taste fabulous, but it’s worth pulling out the barbecue sauce if you opt for the smoked paprika.
- Chicken Quarters - 3 chicken leg quarters. One of the best pieces of chicken there is. The combined thigh and leg piece has all the tender, tasty dark meat!
- Salt & Pepper - 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. The base of all seasoning. They add flavor and make everything else taste amazing!
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika. If you like more of a smoky taste, try smoked paprika instead. You can also use a paprika substitute.
- Onion Powder - ¼ teaspoon of onion powder. Onion makes savory dishes even better! You can try an onion powder substitute, as well.
- Ground Sage - ¼ teaspoon of ground sage. This subtle herb adds a unique flavor that's perfect with poultry!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Baked Chicken Quarters
It won’t make your kitchen a mess, but be prepared to get your hands dirty! You will need a baking sheet, your measuring utensils, a small mixing bowl, and a meat thermometer to get started.
I typically plan on serving one chicken leg quarter per person (that way, everyone gets a thigh and drumstick)!
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 400℉ (205℃/Gas Mark 6). Cover the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or use a roasting pan with a rack.
- Prepare the chicken. Remove any unwanted fat or skin from 3 chicken quarters (or whatever cut you’ve chosen to use), and trim the tailpiece if desired. Rise and pat the chicken quarters dry with paper towels.
- Mix the seasoning. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of salt, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of pepper, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of paprika (or smoked paprika), ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of onion powder, ¼ teaspoon (0.75 grams) of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon (0.03 grams) of ground sage.
- Season the chicken. Taking a hefty portion of your seasoning at a time, massage it into every part of your chicken pieces. It should evenly cover all of the surfaces. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet or roasting pan for baking.
- Bake. Put the chicken on the center rack of your oven and bake at 400℉ (205℃/Gas Mark 6) for 45-55 minutes. The internal temperature of each piece should reach at least 165℉ (74℃), but I suggest 175℉ (79℃). Test this by using a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of each chicken piece.
- Serve. Take your baked chicken quarters out of the oven and serve immediately.
🥗 What To Serve With Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Garnish your baked chicken quarters with a couple of pieces of fresh sage or chopped parsley. Serve with your favorite vegetable side dishes like garlic green beans or some quick pan-fried asparagus. For a tasty side of bread, try my garlic bread or cheesy rolls! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Try pulling the chicken and putting it on sandwiches or salads. It’s also great on top of almost any rice or pasta dish and makes a great rotel chicken spaghetti! Chicken noodle soup comes to mind for those cold winter days. You could even toss it into my tasty caldo de pollo, chicken pastina soup, or into my hearty green chile chicken stew.
- For the crispiest skin, dry the chicken thoroughly. Any remaining liquid creates steam, which will prevent a SUPER CRISPY end result.
- If you like extra crispy skin on your baked chicken, try broiling it for 4-6 minutes at the end of the cooking period. It will add some extra brown color and give you that crunch when you bite into this tasty bird.
- Change up the spices! Try a different spice blend to create an entirely new flavor profile. Incorporate the taste of France with Herbes de Provence, add some Cajun seasoning for robust flavor, or bring in a bit of India with my garam masala! You have lots of options to make this dish your own.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
If you have leftovers, store them in a plastic storage bag with the air removed or an airtight container. Your chicken will be good for 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator.
Freezing Chicken Leg Quarters
Not ready to eat this dish again for a while? No problem! Wrap it up tightly in foil, put it in a freezer bag or airtight container, and drop it in the freezer for another 4 months! *Note that if you intend to freeze your leftover chicken, it should be frozen once fully cooled. Do not freeze after the chicken has been refrigerated for 1+ days.
Reheating Chicken Leg Quarters
The goal when reheating baked chicken is to heat it up without drying it out. There are a few ways you can do this. The first is in the oven. Leave your leftovers out at room temperature while preheating the oven to 350℉ (175℃).
Put several tablespoons of chicken stock or water in a shallow pan under the chicken and cover it tightly with tin foil. Cook until the baked chicken quarters reach your desired temperature. If you left the skin on and want to crisp it up a bit, put it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.
If you pull your chicken off the bone, you can reheat it on the stove. Cover the bottom of a skillet with water or broth and heat it over medium heat until it simmers. Lower the heat and add the chicken. Stir until heated to your desired temperature.
As always, if reheating your leftovers from a frozen state, let them thaw in the fridge overnight before picking one of the reheating methods above.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
That is entirely up to you! Some people prefer leaving the skin on either because it preserves some of the juices in the meat during cooking or simply because they like to eat the crispy skin. Others want to remove the extra fat. Whatever your preference is, this recipe will make a memorable meal.
The USDA recommends cooking all chicken products to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). That said, I prefer to cook my chicken leg quarters to an internal temperature of 175°F (79°C) for the very best flavor.
Absolutely! Brushing on some of my honey barbecue sauce, honey mustard glaze, or teriyaki sauce in the last 10 minutes of baking can add delicious flavor and a caramelized finish.
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📖 Recipe Card
Baked Chicken Quarters
Ingredients
- 3 chicken quarters (chicken thigh and leg quarters)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a roasting pan with a rack).
- Trim the tail piece and any unwanted fat or excess skin from your chicken quarters (if desired). Rinse the chicken pieces in cool water, then pat dry using paper towels.
- Combine the seasoning in a small bowl: add salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground sage.
- Season the chicken pieces and massage the seasoning into all surfaces of the chicken. Place the seasoned chicken quarters onto the baking sheet or into your roasting pan.
- Bake the chicken in the middle of your oven's center rack for 45-55 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C) or my suggested 175°F (79°C).
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- I like the flavor best when bone-in chicken (especially dark meat) is cooked to 175F-180F. All chicken needs to be cooked to a minimum of 165F for food safety.
- Large chicken quarters will need more time to cook. Use a digital meat thermometer to know when the chicken is completely done. Probe the thickest portion of meat when checking for doneness.
- Chicken juices should run clear, not pink, when ready to serve.
Tess says
Easy to make and very flavorful. I don't have sage so I used italian seasoning instead. Thanks for the recipe. I used 6 chicken quarters and doubled your recipe. I baked them for an hour and add extra 5 minutes under the broil.
Elizabeth says
Easiest recipe, yet very flavorful! My family really enjoyed it!