These easy dry rubbed oven baked chicken leg quarters (chicken thighs and drumsticks) are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Bake this chicken leg quarters recipe uncovered in the oven for 45 minutes at 425F.
This oven baked chicken leg quarters recipe is easy, simple and healthy. Baked chicken legs and thighs will become a regular household favorite.
How To Cook Chicken Leg Quarters In The Oven
This easy baked chicken leg quarters recipe is dry rubbed with a homemade spice mix and cooked in the oven for 45 minutes at 425F.
- Dry off the chicken legs. Chicken legs are the thighs and drumsticks.
- Season with salt and pepper and / or the dry rub ingredients below.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper that's oven safe to 425F.
- Use an optional wire rack on top of the lined baking sheet to promote air circulation OR skip this step for easier clean up.
- Bake legs, thighs, or drumsticks at 425F ~45 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature of chicken is 165F.
The wire rack is optional for cooking chicken leg quarters / thighs / drums. It's nice to have air circulating around the bottom of the chicken but if you don't want to clean it (hey - it happens to us all!), then skip the rack.
Also, throw down a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper that is oven safe to 425F on the sheet pan if you really don't want to clean that sheet pan!
Variations on Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
Don't like dry rubs? Cool, this simple baked chicken legs recipe can be cooked with just salt and pepper and nothing else. Baked chicken drums and thighs are seriously that good that they don't need any other ingredients.
This simple baked chicken leg and thighs recipe works with bone in whole chicken legs or thighs or drumsticks.
What is A Chicken Leg Made Of?
Drumsticks and thighs make up the whole chicken leg. The whole leg is also known as a chicken leg quarter.
Separate the chicken leg if you like into the drumsticks and thighs or just cook the chicken leg whole. The time in the oven does not change.
Troubleshooting Dry Rubbed Oven Baked Chicken Legs
Chicken skin not browning or crisping up? Turn the broiler on low (watching carefully!) for the last ~2-4 minutes of baking if the chicken skin is not crisp and brown.
Chicken dry rub is smoking in the oven? Don't panic, take the chicken out for a minute and turn down the oven 25 degrees and put it back in again.
Look half way through baking at the chicken legs in the oven. If the spice mixture is smoking too much turn the oven down to 400F or 375F. If it's not crisping up or browning at all, turn the oven up to 450F.
Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarter Recipe FAQS
It takes around 45 minutes to bake bone in, skin on medium sized whole chicken legs. It also works for bone in chicken thighs. Chicken drumsticks, if separated from the thigh, may bake for less time, especially if they are smaller.
I bake chicken thighs and drumsticks (chicken legs) at 425F usually. Sometimes, I'll up the temperature to 450F if they are super big chicken legs. If your oven runs hot or the chicken skin is not browning too fast or burning, then lower the oven temperature to 400F.
Bake chicken leg quarters in the oven uncovered. That way the skin will get crispy while also insulating the meat which will stay juicy and tender.
Whole chicken legs are made up of the chicken thigh and the chicken drumsticks (drums). Think of a chicken leg like a humans leg - we have a thigh (upper leg) and also the shin/calf (lower leg). Chicken legs are also known as chicken leg quarters
Things In My Kitchen:
- 13 x 18 "jellyroll" baking sheet pans - Love these for roasting & baking nearly everything.
- 12 x 17 wire cooling rack - cool food or elevate it while cooking.
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Oven Baked Chicken Leg Quarters - Thighs and Drums
EatSimpleFood.com
This easy bone in, skin on chicken leg quarter recipe ( thighs and drumsticks) is crispy and juicy. Chicken legs are dry rubbed with a homemade spice mix and oven baked uncovered at 425F for ~45 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 12 pieces of chicken - 6 whole legs (AKA leg quarters) or 6 thighs and 6 drumsticks - bone in, skin on
- 1 ½ tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper - optional if you like it hot
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Pat chicken legs, thighs, or drumsticks dry.
- Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top of the sheet. This elevates the chicken so it doesn't bake or steam in it's own grease and promotes even cooking. Place the chicken on the rack, trying to keep the pieces from touching each other. This is an optional step.
- Bake chicken legs uncovered ~ 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Rest 5-10 minutes before eating. Add salt to taste. Happy finger lickin' chicken! Beckie
Notes
- Turn the broiler on (watching carefully) for ~2-4 minutes if your chicken skin is not crisp and brown.
- The wire rack is optional. It's nice to have air circulating around the bottom of the chicken but if you don't want to clean it (hey - it happens to us all!), then skip the rack.
- Does your cooked chicken look different than my photos? The difference in the color of the chicken have to do with different ovens cooking at different temperatures. It also has to do with darker and different paprika colors. Point is, watch and get to know your oven (and spices). Look half way through, if the spice mixture is burning turn the oven down to 400F or 375F. If it's not cooking at all, turn it up to 450F.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Drum and Thigh recipe with a salad as an appetizer, a roasted veggie as a side, or with delicious smashed potatoes to round out your meal.
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The two plated photos were taken in my old kitchen/oven. The baking sheet photos were taken when I did the instructional video in my new kitchen/oven. The difference in the color of the chicken have to do with different ovens cooking at different temperatures. It also has to do with darker and different paprika colors.
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