Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

These Baked Chicken Leg Quarters are super easy to prepare! Not only are they savoury with a little spiciness, they’re also flavoured with some common Asian ingredients. Deeply scoring the chicken creates opportunity for the seasoning to sink into the chicken, making the often overlooked chicken leg deliciously enjoyable!

I think every home cook looks for new and exciting ways to jazz up chicken for dinner. In our home, I will usually prepare chicken legs when McKenna is visiting because loves them baked with just salt, pepper, and onion. She likes the skin to be browned and crispy and she requests that I serve them with mashed potatoes and corn. I like something more flavourful, so I prepared these for myself. Baked Chicken Leg Quarters require very little effort, but the results are phenomenal!

I’m not one to shy away from a delicious and simple recipe.  I know I have many readers who are moms or dads of little ones. Those same parents get home from work and have to head out to practice, recital, or rehearsal. It makes for a long day and a hectic night.

This recipe is for people like you.  I also know that I have readers who don’t have kids to worry about, but like to prepare a home-cooked meal every night for their significant other or spouse.  This recipe is for people like you too.

There are also those of you who are single and like it that way, but love to experiment in the kitchen.  There’s those of you who are on a budget and trying to save money on groceries.  There’s also those of you who, like me, would much rather dark chicken meat over white meat any day!  This recipe is for all of you!

CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS

I grew up in a home where chicken leg quarters were a main that was served at least once per week.  My mom used to pile a bunch of the chicken quarters into one of those old-fashioned enamel roasting pans. She’d roughly chop up an onion, add a little bit of salt and pepper and roast the chicken until ready to serve.  It was simple, but it was always so good with her homemade chicken gravy, mashed potatoes, and peas.

My favourite recipe was her homemade barbecue sauce recipe.  She would prepare the chicken leg quarters in the same fashion, but she would whisk together a sauce that consisted of ketchup, onion, Worcestershire, soy sauce, seasonings, etc.   I think there was mustard in there too.  She would pour this mixture over the chicken – in that same roasting pan – and toss it in the oven.  The chicken was falling of the bone and it was so flavourful!  It was my favourite way to eat chicken.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Chicken – I’m using chicken leg quarters. You can use legs and thighs too if you wish.
• Olive Oil
• Seasonings – You will need sweet paprika, onion powder, chili flakes, salt and ground black pepper.
• Dark Soy Sauce – This adds flavour and colour. Regular soy sauce will work if you do not have dark soy sauce.
• Oyster Sauce – This sweet and salty sauce is popular in Asian dishes.
• Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for maximum flavour. Finely mince the garlic.
• Ginger – Fresh ginger is best. You will need two teaspoons of grated ginger.
• Parsley – Fresh, chopped, for garnish.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients with the exception of the chicken and the parsley. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to score the chicken leg quarters. Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board and slice across the chicken cutting down to the bone. I usually aim for 3 slices on the thigh and 3 more slices on the drumstick portion of the chicken leg quarter. Position the chicken quarters onto the baking sheet, making sure that none of pieces overlap. Spoon half of the sauce mixture over the chicken, massaging it into the skin and the cuts you made in the meat earlier. Place the chicken in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon over the remaining sauce. Bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven, garnish, and serve immediately.

ALL YOU NEED IS A SHEET PAN!

The flavour of this chicken is absolutely delicious!  I love the salty, savoury flavours of the soy sauce and the oyster sauce. The fresh garlic and ginger add warmth and depth, while the lemon juice adds a burst of freshness and acid to balance out the saltiness. I prefer to use sweet paprika, but you can certainly use smoked paprika. For that matter, if you want a smokey flavour, you could use a dash of liquid smoke. 

Despite the amount of chili flakes in this recipe, I didn’t think the spice or heat level was too much.  You will know your personal tastes and your personal threshold for heat and spice, so you can adjust those amounts accordingly.  This recipe is extremely forgiving when it comes to adjustments.

LET’S MAKE IT A MEAL!

Despite what you might see here in the photographs, I would not recommend serving these Baked Chicken Leg Quarters all by themselves. Although truth be told, I have been known to sit down to a meal consisting of only a really good, sticky sweet, saucy baked chicken! The flavours of this chicken are not subtle at all, so I’d pair it with sides that might be a little subdued. For example, this Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad would be a great pairing; it would also provide a cooling aspect to those who might find the chicken to be a little too spicy.

Since your oven is already on, you could throw in this Baked Cheese Corn. It’s a very popular Korean dish, but it would go very well with this savoury chicken! Garlic Sesame Lo Mein would also be a hit! And, when in doubt, you cannot go wrong with a big bowl of steamed rice!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!