Simple Oven Baked Chicken Quarters
A few sprinkling of herbs makes these simple oven baked chicken quarters a delicious and family friendly meal.
I love an easy chicken recipe as evidenced by this Easy Roast Chicken And Veggies and this Simple Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken recipe. They are easy to make, use clean ingredients and are a healthy dinner option. However, when don’t want to make a whole chicken, this recipe is easily adaptable to whichever chicken pieces you have on hand.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make
- Uses pantry staples
- Family friendly
Ingredients
Chicken Quarters – You will need four chicken quarters
Rosemary – Dried rosemary is a pantry staple and works well in this recipe
Thyme – Dried thyme, another pantry item most people have on hand
Salt – Regular table salt or sea salt works fine
Black Pepper – Freshly ground is best if you have a peppermill on hand
Olive Oil – Light olive oil
Water – Water is used to help make the broth you can use when serving the chicken
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- Sprinkle 1/2 tsp each of the dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper all over the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan.
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan, then place each chicken quarter down into the herbs and olive oil, moving each leg quarter so the bottom gets coated with herbs and olive oil.
- Once all the chicken is in the pan, sprinkle the remaining dried herbs, salt, and black pepper all over the top of each chicken quarter.
- Liberally drizzle the top of the chicken with olive oil.
- Add 3/4 – 1 cup of water (make sure the bottom of the pan is covered in water) to the pan.
- Bake the chicken uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until the juices run clear and a temperature reading is 165°F.
- Once cooked let the chicken rest for 5 minutes then serve with the pan juices.
Serving Suggestions
- With mashed potatoes
- A simple salad
- These Maple Roasted Carrots
- Buttered rice
What Temperature Should The Chicken Quarters Be Cooked To
According to the USDA 165°F is the recommended temperature chicken should be cooked to. You can check this by inserting a thermometer close to the innermost part of the chicken.
Recipe Substitutions
You can substitute chicken legs or thighs for the quarters if desired.
Unsalted chicken stock or broth can be used in place of water.
Storage Tips
Store the chicken with any remaining pan juices covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Gently rewarm in the microwave or stovetop. If there are no juices remaining just add a bit of water when warming.
Easy Oven Baked Chicken Quarters
Materials
- 4 Chicken Leg Quarters can sub in chicken legs and thighs
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme, divided
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary, divided
- 1 tsp Salt, divided
- 3/4 tsp Black pepper 1/2 tsp for the bottom of the pan, 1/4 tsp for the top of the chicken
- 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus more for the top
- 3/4 - 1 cup Water Can sub in unsalted chicken broth or stock
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400℉.
- In a 13 x 9 baking pan evenly sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1/2 tsp each of the dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil all over the herbs on the bottom of the pan.
- Place a chicken quarter onto the baking pan and move it around so the bottom gets coated with some of the oil and herbs. Repeat with the other chicken quarters.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp of dried herbs, along with 1/4 tsp of black pepper over the top of the chicken quarters.
- Drizzle the top of the quarters with olive oil.
- Add 3/4 cup of water (make sure the bottom of your pan is covered with water).
- Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the juices run clear or to 165℉ on a thermometer.
- Remove from oven, let it sit for 5 minutes then serve with pan juices.