Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

Easy recipe for baked chicken leg quarters (aka chicken legs and thighs). Juicy, tender meat with crispy skin.

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 55

Servings:

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Milena Perrine

Ingredients

2 chicken leg quarters
2 tablespoon olive oil + a bit more to grease a baking dish
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup balanced beer or white wine*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350-375 F, depending on how strong your oven tends to be.
Pat dry the chicken leg quarters, if needed and desired remove attached back bone parts using sturdy kitchen scissors**
Mix the olive oil and spices. Brush a baking dish with olive oil. Place the chicken legs inside skin side up and brush the skin with the spice mixture.
Add the flavorful liquids of your choice (chicken stock + beer or wine). Cover with a lid or a seal combination of food wrap and aluminum foil*** to prevent moisture from escaping. Bake for 30 mins.
Remove the lid/seal cover and bake for about 20 more minutes until the internal chicken temperature when measured closest to the center, near the bone reaches 165 F and the skin becomes crispy enough to your liking.****
For extra crispy skin broil for a couple of minutes at the very end and be sure to closely watch the chicken legs to prevent them from burning.

Notes

*You can also double the chicken stock instead of using beer or white wine.

** See body of post for step by step pictures.

***According to food safety standards direct contact between aluminum foil and the spices on the chicken is not encouraged.

****If you do not want to deal with covering the chicken quarters simply bake uncovered for about 50 minutes until done. This method is likely to give you a bit dryer meat, so brining the chicken before cooking it would be useful. Here is a recipe for a basic chicken brine.

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