These baked chicken leg quarters are delicious and simple to make. I finish them under the broiler for a little char. Great for weeknights, packed with flavors everyone will love, this one’s going to become a regular in your dinner rotation.
Chicken leg quarters (aka whole chicken legs, chicken marylands, leg pieces) don’t get nearly enough love. Juicy meat, a budget-friendly cut, skin that holds on to all the seasonings and keeps the meat from drying out. What’s not to like?
This recipe offers a choice of prep as well as practicality.
- Mix up the seasoning paste, rub it on the chicken, and let it sit while your oven heats up. Then bake right away.
- If meal prepping, pop them in the fridge the night before.
- It’s also freezer-friendly. Just let the marinated quarters thaw completely, then bake.
- Oh, and you can grill them too.
The process, as I said, is also simple. Dump the seasoning paste ingredients in a bowl, mix until well combined, rub onto the chicken, bake, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with your favorite sides. No flipping, no basting. In and out of the oven in 50 minutes.
Plenty of baked chicken recipes call for garlic powder. I prefer it fresh. It gives the flavor a very nice boost. A little bit more work, sure, but doesn’t really add much time to the overall prep.
I bake chicken quarters pretty often, so I’ve got more recipes, like my lemon pepper version, and another one that uses store-bought Jamaican jerk seasoning.
Pre-cooking notes and tips
- Avoid store-bought minced garlic, fresh gives the best flavor. I know grating garlic isn’t the usual way to prep it, but super easy if you’ve got a microplane. The goal is to get it into a paste-like consistency so it mixes evenly throughout. If you’ve got a garlic press, that’s the next-best option. If not, mince it as finely as you can.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. You can swap in lime zest and juice if you want, but scale back the quantities just a bit since limes are punchier, more tangy.
- I use a small amount of honey to balance all the other flavors. The overall taste doesn't get sweet, in case you're wondering.
- Dried parsley is my preferred dried herb for this recipe, but I’ve subbed in others like dried oregano, Italian herbs, and dried dill weed with good results.
- If you like a bit of heat, add cayenne or other chili powders like chipotle, ancho, or habanero. I also like to sometimes mix in very finely minced Thai or bird’s eye chilies.
- Feel free to use melted butter instead of oil for a richer taste.
Serving ideas
I love to pair these baked chicken leg quarters with my lemon-dill potatoes, the flavors complement beautifully. Mashed potatoes, roasted or steamed vegetables, crusty bread, buttered basmati rice, or chicken-flavored rice also go well.
And that's a wrap!
This baked chicken leg quarters recipe will surprise you in all the good ways. It's delicious, weeknight-friendly, and it's simple to make. Easily one of the best recipes I've shared so far.
If you give it a go, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Share your review and rating down below.
Happy cooking ~ Nelo
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients
Seasoning Paste
- 2 cloves garlic - grated or pressed (Note A)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - fresh
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt - regular white/table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley - or dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Other Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken leg quarters - skin on, bone in, pat-dried with kitchen paper towel (Note B)
- some chopped parsley and lemon slices - optional, for garnishing
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients listed under "seasoning paste" in a bowl.
- Coat the chicken leg quarters evenly with this paste. Let them sit while your oven heats up, or refrigerate (covered or in resealable bag) for longer, up to overnight.
- Set your oven rack in the center and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Arrange the quarters, skin-side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet or dish. Don't overcrowd.
- Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C) on an instant-read thermometer. No need to flip the quarters.
- For a nice, charred finish, carefully move the baking sheet/dish to a higher rack and turn on your oven’s top broiler for the last 2 to 3 minutes. Watch the skin closely, as it can go from charred to burnt very quickly. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.
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