Cranberry Chicken Leg Quarters

A quick and easy homemade dry rub seasons this chicken beautifully, while the homemade cranberry glaze adds sweetness, tartness, and stickiness. Cranberry Chicken Leg Quarters are a deliciously inexpensive holiday substitute to a whole roasted turkey!

I think every home cook looks for new and exciting ways to jazz up chicken. 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 – especailly around the holidays! – so I prepared these for myself. Cranberry 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.

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my second holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Cranberry Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

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, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper.

For the Cranberry Sauce Glaze:

• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• All-Purpose Flour
• Allspice
• Salt
• White Vinegar
• Cranberries
• Water
• Orange Zest

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY 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 seasoning ingredients. 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 the seasoning 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 45 minutes. In the meantime, in a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, ground allspice, and salt. Set aside. Once the chicken has 15 minutes of cooking time left, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the brown sugar mixture along with the vinegar until fully combined. Add the cranberries and one tablespoon of water to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Once cooked and thickened, turn off the heat and set the glaze aside.

Remove the fully cooked chickent from the oven and plate for presentation. Spoon over the glaze. Garnish with chopped parsley, sprigs of rosemary, and orange slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

CRANBERRIES AND ORANGES ARE A PERFECT PAIRING

I’m not sure what it is, but the tartness of fresh cranberries always pairs so well with the sweet tanginess of fresh citrus. In the case of these Cranberry Chicken Leg Quarters, I choose to use fresh orange zest you can also use lemon zest here too!

There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on fresh cranberries!

I’m much prefer to use fresh cranberries, but if you absolutely must use frozen cranberries, thaw them first in a single layer and pat them dry with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. They must be fully thawed! Your butter mixture will be more loose. I have not tested this recipe with frozen cranberries and I don’t recommend you use them. Just be aware that the recipe may not work well with thawed previously frozen berries!

O CRANBERRY, CRANBERRY, WHEREFORE ART THOU CRANBERRY?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September! In fact, I finished the recipe you’re reading here and the photographs you’re seeing in November 2025!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipe needs to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 400+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! I do hope that you try this recipe and that it is easy for you to find fresh cranberries where you live!

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 below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!