How Long To Bake Chicken Leg Quarters (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 45 to 60 minutes

Chicken leg quarters are a popular main course dish enjoyed all over the world. It is baked in an oven with different spices and seasoning. The oven is preheated and set to a temperature between the range of 350°F to 459°F.

Chicken leg quarter is a piece of thigh drumstick attached to a portion of the chicken back. Sometimes thigh drumsticks are interchanged with chicken leg quarters while baking to maintain a constant internal temperature of 175°F. The dish can be baked with a basic method where the following steps are performed:

• The chicken leg quarter is placed in a baking pan or a roasting pan.
• It is then brushed with vegetable oil and other seasonings such as salt, pepper, dry herbs, dry oregano, thyme, etc to taste.
• The chicken leg quarter is then baked at a set temperature for 45 to 55 minutes.

Most of the chicken leg quarter recipes are baked at 375°F or 190°C for a duration of 45 to 55 minutes. Some recipes can be prepared at a higher temperature and lower duration of around 25 to 30 minutes. Chicken leg quarter recipes can be calorie-dense, hence, one may skin the chicken legs to reduce fats.

How Long To Bake Chicken Leg Quarters?

Chicken leg quarter can be prepared into a tasty roasted chicken dish using the oven within an hour or less. The recipes are simple and require minimal prep time. Depending on the baking temperature, a basic chicken leg quarter dish can be prepared at an oven temperature of 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes.

It takes about 45 to 55 minutes to bake an uncovered chicken leg quarter at a temperature of 375°F. Similarly, a cooking temperature of 400°F is needed for 35 to 45 minutes to properly bake chicken leg quarter pieces in a preheated oven. A duration of 25 to 35 minutes is enough to prepare juicy chicken leg quarter pieces at a cooking temperature of 425°F.

450°F is the highest oven temperature recommended to safely bake chicken leg quarter dishes. At this temperature, recipes can be baked within 20 to 30 minutes. One can easily prepare oven-roasted chicken leg quarter dishes for lunch or dinner with a handful of ingredients and a lesser cooking time.

In summary:

Why Does It Take So Long To Bake Chicken Leg Quarters?

The time taken to bake chicken leg quarters directly depends on the oven temperature. The higher the temperature, the lesser would be the time needed to bake. It is recommended to preheat the oven to a temperature of 400°F for shorter cooking durations.

The prepping time can take up to 10 minutes to get all the ingredients together in order. It is also recommended to let the cooked chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before being served for consumption. It takes only 15 to 25 minutes in addition to the baking time to prepare the chicken leg quarters recipe.

The baking time also depends on the varying sizes of the chicken leg quarter pieces. Bigger pieces tend to require more cooking time to be baked properly in all the portions. Some dishes, such as the oven-roasted chicken quarter pieces, may require additional time depending on the method of cooking.

Some common chicken leg quarters recipe includes:

• Garlic roasted chicken leg quarters
• Crispy oven-roasted chicken leg quarters
• Lemongrass flavored chicken leg quarters

Conclusion

Baked chicken leg quarters are an effortless dish that is inexpensive and quick to make. It is eaten in different parts of the world with a regional twist added to the dish. The baking time mainly depends on the temperature and the sizes of the chicken leg quarter pieces.

It takes about 45 to 60 minutes to bake chicken leg quarters at 350°F oven temperature. The time needed to bake reduces with higher baking temperatures. It takes only about 20 to 30 minutes to bake such baked chicken recipes at a temperature of 450°F.

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1994.tb06889.x
2. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2380718.2380757