Tangy Baked Chicken Quarters
Inside: How to bake chicken quarters in a single skillet for quick and easy family dinners – and the secret ingredient for an irresistibly rich, tangy sauce.
Baked chicken quarters are my secret weapon for the weeknight dinner quandary. They’re quick and easy to make: Sear the poultry for a crispy golden skin and then bake the chicken quarters in a hot oven to render the fat. Sweet peppers, onions and pickled peppers round out the dish and make a luxuriously tangy sauce.
Let’s be real. Food is expensive–so I’ve started looking for cheaper options for weeknight dinners and chicken leg quarter recipes fit the bill.
Because they aren’t processed as much (i.e., they still have the skin and bones attached), you can generally get them for less than boneless skinless breasts or thighs, and buying in bulk further reduces the cost.
When I created this recipe, it wasn’t meant for the blog–just a mid-week dinner for my family. However, I was blown away by the flavors, the tenderness of the meat and the tangy, silky “sauce.” My husband couldn’t stop talking about it and kept asking me to make it again.
I knew if we loved it for its simplicity and irresistible flavors, you would, too. So, if you’ve been hunting for chicken leg quarter recipes, stop the search. You’ve found the best.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Oven-baked chicken quarters are easy to make and have tons of flavor.
- It’s an inexpensive meal that feeds 4-6 people (depending on appetites).
- Roasted chicken quarters are a one-pan dinner that starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven.
- The recipe has a short ingredient list of everyday items.
- It can be scaled for more or fewer diners.
- Kids and adults will love the flavor.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Quarters – essentially whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick portion) of the bird with skin and bones attached.
- Onion–I used a plain yellow onion, but you can use white, red or sweet onions.
- Sweet Bell Pepper–Use red, yellow or orange bell peppers, or a combination. Avoid green peppers as they have a stronger vegetal quality.
- Olive Oil—You don’t need a fancy extra virgin olive oil, as you’ll be using it to sear the skin on the chicken quarters and quick-saute the vegetables.
- Kosher Salt–I use Diamond Crystal, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you have Morton’s, use ½ teaspoon instead of a full teaspoon.
- Black Pepper– freshly ground will give you the best flavor.
- Dried Oregano–don’t substitute fresh, as it can be too strong.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes–to add a spicy heat to the roasted chicken quarters.
- Jarred Pepperoncini Peppers—you need the peppers and some of their brining liquid. The pepperoncini juice is responsible for the tangy sauce—trust me, it’s SO GOOD.
- Parsley–I used flat-leaf parsley, but curly parsley is fine too.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Assemble the oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl and blend well.
- Pat dry the chicken quarters with a paper towel and season on all sides with the spice blend.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and place the leg quarters skin side down to sear. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes without disturbing it, then flip and cook 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer to another dish.
4. Saute the onions and bell peppers in the skillet until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes.
5. Top the sauteed vegetables with the legs and transfer to a 425° oven. Bake the leg quarters for 20 minutes.
6. Use a pair of kitchen mitts to remove the skillet from the oven.
7. Scatter the chopped pepperoncini over the leg quarters and add the juice from the jar. Return the skillet to the oven to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Remove the skillet from the oven and baste the oven baked chicken quarters with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Pro-Tips:
- Trim away some of the excess fat or skin, but not all. The skin protects the meat from drying out, and as it bakes, the fat renders and becomes part of the tangy sauce.
- Don’t substitute boneless, skinless thighs–they won’t render enough drippings to create the silky sauce.
- You could use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, but the dark meat will have more juiciness and flavor.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure your chicken drumsticks and thighs are cooked. The food-safe internal temperature for poultry is 165° F.
Variations:
- Add ½ cup of pitted kalamata or Castelvetrano olives for more briny pops of flavor.
- Add a seeded, diced tomato to the skillet after sauteing the peppers.
- To enhance the flavor of the seasoning, add ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme or onion powder to the spice mixture.
- Swap the sweet peppers for mini Dutch potatoes or diced sweet potatoes to roast on the bottom of the skillet as the baked chicken leg quarters cook.
Storage:
- The baked chicken quarters will last up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheating:
- I prefer to reheat this recipe in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes with the chicken resting on the vegetables. This method allows the skin to crisp up.
- You can also reheat a serving in the microwave in 45-second to one-minute bursts until the flesh is heated.
Freezing:
- You can freeze leftovers in freezer-safe containers for 2-3 months—Defrost before reheating.
FAQs
When cooking at a high heat (400°-450°), chicken leg quarters usually take 25-40 minutes to cook through. However, this recipe sears the legs in a skillet for 6-10 minutes before transferring the skillet to the hot oven. Therefore, they will cook through faster because they’ve had a head start.
It’s best to cook bone-in, skin-on chicken uncovered in the oven when baking. This will allow the skin to crisp and turn a golden brown.
For this recipe, you shouldn’t turn the chicken quarters. Both sides have already been seared on the stovetop, and so long as the chicken quarters sit atop the vegetables, you’ll get a crispy skin on the legs.
This easy weeknight dinner will feed the whole family, but we like to serve it with a starchy side dish like this cooked jasmine rice recipe or buttered egg noodles to soak up the sauce. Even a chunk of hot French bread or roll is good.
What vegetables to serve with roasted chicken quarters:
- Ottolenghi’s Grilled Broccoli with Chile and Garlic
- Tomatoes Provencal
- Mixed Vegetable Medley
- Garlic Green Beans Recipe
- Creamy Dijon Asparagus
More easy chicken recipes:
Tangy Baked Chicken Quarters
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 12" skillet with lid oven safe
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 1 medium onion peeled and sliced into ¼" strips
- 1 sweet bell pepper red, yellow or orange, seeded and sliced into ¼" strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- ⅓ cup juice from pepperoncini jar
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Dry the 4 chicken leg quarters well with paper towels and season all over with the spice blend.
- Heat the skillet on your stovetop and over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom. Place the leg quarters skin-side down in the pan and sear for 3-5 minutes.
- Flip the legs and sear for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer the quarters to a rimmed sheet pan (to catch juices).
- Add 1 medium onion, 1 sweet bell pepper to the skillet and stir until the vegetables are fragrant and start to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Place the leg quarters, skin side up, on the vegetables and transfer to the oven.
- Bake the leg quarters for 20 minutes then add ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers and ⅓ cup juice from pepperoncini jar into the spaces between the legs. Shake the roasting pan to arrange the ingredients into a single layer and continue to bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove the quarters from the oven and check doneness with a meat thermometer – it should read 160°-165°F. Sprinkle the legs with ¼ cup parsley and serve.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
Pin it for later!
Delicious. Sweet, tangy and love the touch of briny flavor. Will make again!