It’s an easy, hands-off recipe that practically bakes itself. The leftovers are good, too, especially when eaten cold, picnic-style. These oven-baked chicken leg quarters have become a family favorite. They have deeply browned, delicious skin and succulent meat. Who says chicken can’t be a delicacy? It all depends on how you cook it. When well-seasoned and baked until the skin achieves a gorgeous, golden brown hue and delightful crispiness, chicken is very enjoyable!
Recipe Card
Olive oil spray: I use extra-virgin olive oil. Chicken leg quarters: These are bone-in and skin-on thigh and drumstick, attached. I get them at my local supermarket or at Whole Foods. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme.
Your first step is to arrange the chicken on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet or a greased 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Generously spray it with olive oil and sprinkle it with spices. Serve immediately. Look at that gorgeous, crispy skin! You can see in the photo below that after 30 minutes, the chicken is quite browned on the top: However, at this point, it’s still undercooked on the inside. So I loosely cover it with foil and place it back in the oven until it’s cooked through:
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In the photo below, you can see that I baked the chicken and Brussels sprouts together: Here they are served together for dinner: Leftover chicken is delicious when eaten cold! I like to make a lunch plate with cold leftover chicken, quick pickles, fresh-cut veggies, and homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing. If you’d like to reheat the leftovers, I suggest you do so in the microwave at 50% power and cover them while you reheat them. Alternatively, reheat them, uncovered, in a 350°F oven. This will help crisp up the skin, which tends to become soggy when refrigerated.
