Are you ever intimidated by leg quarters?! It’s much easier to think about cooking up a pack of thighs, right? Well, leg quarters are even better in my opinion, because you get BOTH the drumsticks and the thigh…plus they’re super easy to separate if you prefer to do that.
One of the main reasons we love drumsticks and thighs is that we find the meat is much more tender and flavorful. Anyone else agree?!
I’ll be walking you through two of our favorite recipes below, along with a quick how-to for separating your leg quarters. They are easier to serve and tend to cook a little faster separated!
How to Split the Leg Quarters into Drumsticks and Thighs
To keep it simple, you follow the fat line. Flip your leg quarters so the skin is facing down. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonally along the fat line through the joint. You should not have to saw through bone. If you hit the bone and feel resistance, just slice slightly towards the drumstick side until your knife goes thru the joint. I made a quick video below showing you how:
Crispy Roasted Leg Quarters
Ingredients
4 leg quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Steps
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with foil to make clean up quick and easy.
Remove the leg quarters from their package and separate into drumsticks and thighs if preferred.
Pat them dry with paper towels.
Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Rub the oil all over the chicken.
In a small bowl, mix the spices. Sprinkle over the chicken, top and bottom, making sure to end with all pieces skin side up for roasting.
Roast the chicken for 35-45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160 degrees.
Rest chicken for 5-10 minutes, during which internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.
Enjoy with those you love!
*For extra crispiness, place your chicken up on a cooking rack to roast and broil during the last few minutes of cooking.
Cast Iron Skillet Leg Quarters - our absolute favorite!
Ingredients
4 leg quarters
1 teaspoon course salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat
Steps
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the leg quarters from their package and separate into drumsticks and thighs if preferred.
Pat them dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, mix the spices. Sprinkle over the chicken, top and bottom.
Heat oil in large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until hot. Place chicken into pan, skin side down and cover with splatter guard if you have one. Cook for 7-9 minutes until skin is browned and fat is rendered out.
Flip chicken over using tongs and transfer pan to oven to roast for 15-20 minutes, until thickest part of thigh is 160 degrees.
Rest chicken for 5-10 minutes, during which internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.
Enjoy with those you love!
We hope you enjoy these as much as our family does. I just love the simplicity of these recipes and that they’re full of yummy flavor :)
Tell us in the comments below if you try either of these or share some of your own ways to ensure crispy chicken!