From the archives. This recipe was originally published three years ago, but has managed to be in the top ten most visited recipes here for the entire time. I thought it deserved an update and a quick polish. Hope Y’All still enjoy!
I don’t know if your local market carries them, but around here they occasionally put 10 lb bags of frozen chicken leg quarters on sale. When they do, I jump at the chance to snap some up, knowing that for just my wife and I, this six dollar purchase (sometimes I can find them for as little as three dollars!) will fuel about 5 meals.
The rub is, that’s just a whole lot of chicken. The great part is that chicken is versatile, and legs and thighs are especially so. To be honest though, sometimes I just want my chicken to taste like chicken, and that’s the reason I tossed this together for lunch yesterday.
This is so simple that a recipe really isn’t needed, but I’ll post it in standard format anyway. Adjust the amounts (which I’ve not given) to suit. This particular dish can be a main course or a simple lunch, and can serve from one to as many people as you’d like to feed.
I just love chicken.
Herb Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients:
Chicken Leg Quarters
Rosemary
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Chardonnay or other white wine
Method:
Rinse chicken leg quarters and pat dry. Coat liberally with salt and pepper. Place skin side up in a roasting pan or other oven safe pan deep enough to collect the drippings. Sprinkle rosemary, thyme and pepper on skin side. (Pat in a bit if you like)
Pour enough wine into the dish to just cover the bottom (This will cook off, but adds a nice flavor). Roast in a 350°F oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes or until juices run clear if pricked.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
What I would done differently had I thought about it at the time:
I would have drained the legs on a rack or paper towel before I served them. Leg Quarters have a lot of fat under the skin, and much of it will render out in cooking. I call that a good thing since the chicken is basically braising on the bottom, but it can be a bit greasy if you are in a hurry to get to it as I was.
Other then that, it was great. In fact, I think I’m going to go make up the rest of it in a few minutes. It’ll make a great quick lunch for both my wife and I tomorrow.
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Well, depending on the size of the thighs, 40 minutes may not be nearly enough. I used an air-chilled, no solution added brand, and each quarter weighed almost exactly a pound. For this type and size of chicken, you’ll need about an hour. If you want crispy skin, you could melt a little butter or margarine, or you could even use olive oil, and brush on the skin before adding seasoning and herbs. You want just enough to cover the skin, not so much that it runs all over the pan.
I liked this a lot, it’s really just a simpler version of a couple of other things I make, but my 6 year old son loved it. He ate an entire leg quarter by himself (a lot more than he normally eats).
Even firefighters that normally can’t stand healthy food enjoyed this one. Thanks!
Thank you! I bought a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters for .39/lb. at the grocery store and I was looking for a quick and easy way to prepare them. This looks perfect!
As a variation, put some herb butter under the skin to get the herb flavor into the meat and not just on the skin. Slice 2 large or 4 small potatoes into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. Spread them in the bottom of the pan adding a bit of salt, pepper, and a little oil on each layer. Place the chicken on top and let the fat drip into the potaoes. Depending on the thickness of the layers of potatoes you may need to either give them a head start or put them back in when the chicken is done and resting.
Now you have a main and side all in one pan and nothing tastes better than potatoes in chicken fat. Yummy!
i had my wife cooked this recipe with native chicken bought from the rural areas of the Philippines. It was superb.! Best chicken I ever tasted.
Thanks! I came home expecting to cook chicken breast and was perplexed when I read chicken quarters. Quick, simple and yummy.
I lucked into the 10-lb bag for $3 today. Now, with my family of nine that’s just two dinners. But I’m always looking for new ideas…
I also like to make chicken and dumplings out of them…
What a delicious and simple chicken preparation. I agree with you about just wanting to taste the chicken sometimes.
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Nice recipe that impressed me a lot and can’t wait to taste it..happy valentines day and thanks for the complement..
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Lean and delicious. once lent is over i will try this one.
Looks marvelous! I am a huge chicken fan :)
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