Baked Chicken Leg Quarters

If you´re looking for the best baked chicken leg quarters recipe, look no further! These chicken legs are finger-licking good! Thanks to this baking method, the meat falls off the bone easily, it´s well-spiced, tender, flavorful and the skin is super crispy! Additionally, from the same baking pan, you will get baked potatoes, carrots, and delicious gravy! This set-and-forget recipe is super easy to make for a crowd!

📝 Ingredients

• 6 chicken leg quarters (about 2 1/2 pounds (1130g))
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 3/4 tablespoon basil
• 3/4 tablespoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 3 pounds (1.35 kg) waxy potatoes (eg Yukon Gold)
• 1 onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 3 carrots
• a couple twigs fresh herbs (I had rosemary, but thyme also works well)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• black pepper (to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. 2Prepare the vegetables (if using): peel the potatoes and cut into 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm) chunks. Peel carrots and cut into 1/4 inch (6mm) slices. Peel onion and cut into quarters. Cut the celery into a couple large chunks.
3. 3Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic cloves (unpeeled), herbs, and water to a very large and deep baking dish.
4. 4Prepare the chicken legs: in a small bowl, combine olive oil with the spices.
5. 5Pat dry chicken legs with paper towels and remove excess fat. Gently loosen the skin without completely removing it, creating enough space for seasoning under the skin. You can use a tablespoon to help with this. Thoroughly season the legs with salt and pepper, ensuring to distribute the seasoning both under the skin and over the skin. Thoroughly rub the seasoned olive oil all over the chicken, including the exterior and underneath the skin.
6. 6Now you can place the chicken legs on a wire rack on top of the vegetables or if you don´t have such a baking dish with wire rack, just put the chicken legs directly on the vegetables.
7. 7Place the baking dish one shelf below the center of the oven.
8. 8Bake for 1 1/2 hours (No need for checking the chicken with a food thermometer, it will be definitely above the ´safe-to-eat temperature´. It will be "overcooked" (in terms of temperature) but this is what makes the best bone-in chicken legs with meat that falls off the bone - just trust me! Please note this method works only for bone-in and skin-on chicken legs, do not use it for breasts or boneless chicken legs).
9. 9Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken legs to a plate. Take out the potatoes and carrots to a plate. Strain the liquid that will gather at the bottom of the baking dish. You can discard the onion, garlic, celery, and herbs.
10. 10Make the gravy:
11. 11Slightly tip the bowl/pot with the strained drippings and using a tablespoon, try to collect the excess fat that will gather on the surface (it will be more translucent than the drippings), discard it (about 8 tablespoons).
12. 12In a medium pot, melt the butter. When hot and bubbling, whisk in the flour and corn starch and cook for a minute, stirring.
13. 13Add the reserved liquid and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, then cook for a couple of minutes, whisking from time to time, until the sauce is thickened. Try the sauce to check if it needs more seasoning (it won´t probably need salt but it may need a touch of black pepper).
14. 14Serve the chicken legs with the gravy, potatoes, and carrots.
15. 15Enjoy!