Roasted Chicken Legs Quarters
Easy roasted chicken leg quarters are seasoned with herb butter while large chunks of fresh onion, lemon, and orange keep the moist tender and juicy as it bakes.

When I was hunting for budget-friendly pieces of chicken at the grocery store, I noticed that I could buy two packages of chicken leg quarters for less than the price of one whole chicken!
I thought this would be the perfect chance to roast chicken so I could have pan drippings to make my homemade chicken gravy ahead of the holiday.
The roasted chicken legs were so tender and juicy, I could definitely see making this dish for a regular weeknight dinner even if I didn't plan to make the gravy with it!
Why This is the Best Recipe
This budget-friendly chicken recipe is such an excellent choice because:
- Easy Prep: With just a few minutes, you'll be ready to pop the pan of chicken into the oven and then it's hands-off for an hour.
- Budget-Friendly: At my grocery store, it was more affordable to buy two packages of chicken leg quarters than an entire whole chicken.
- Weeknight Friendly, Holiday Quality: I prepped this chicken so I could use the pan drippings to make my make-ahead chicken gravy for Thanksgiving. I used the cooked chicken meat for chicken and rice soup for that night's meal!
Ingredients
There are a few extra ingredients featured in this photo that you won't need if you're not making the chicken gravy that goes along with it.
To make JUST the roasted chicken quarters, you'll need:
- Chicken Leg Quarters: These are the chicken leg and the thigh. Bone in and skin on, they are one connected piece. I bought 2 packages, so 8 pieces total.
- Butter
- Herbs: I used fresh sage, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary because I wanted to make the gravy ahead for Thanksgiving. If you want to just make this for a family dinner, you could definitely substitute dried herbs to keep it more budget-friendly.
- Onion
- Orange
- Lemon
The chicken stock, white wine, and flour featured in the photo were used to make the gravy.
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Prep the Herb Butter
Place the softened butter in a small mixing bowl.
Add the chopped fresh herbs (or dried herbs if using) to the bowl. Smash it all together with a fork.
You can also zest the orange and lemon into the butter for an extra hint of citrus if you like.
Prep the Chicken
Arrange the chicken leg quarters in a large roasting pan. There should be spaces between each piece so you'll have room to add the onion and fruits.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Then use a small spoon to scoop small dots of herb butter and scatter them over the chicken.
Chop the onion, orange, and lemon into large chunks. Scatter them evenly among the chicken pieces:
Roasting Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450ยฐF.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour.
After about 30 minutes, the herb butter will have melted and the juices from the onion and fruit will be collecting at the bottom of the pan. Use a pastry brush to collect some of that liquid and brush it over the chicken pieces.
This adds more flavor and ensures the chicken skin will get golden brown and crispy as it cooks for the remaining 30 minutes.
Make Chicken Gravy
I purposely made this roasted chicken so I'd have pan drippings to make my delicious homemade chicken gravy ahead of time for the holiday.
If you want to see step-by-step photos for how to do that, you can reference my chicken gravy recipe here.
Serving Suggestions
On the night I made this chicken for the gravy, I decided to peel the crispy skin off and shred the chicken meat for using as the base for my chicken and wild rice soup.
If you want to serve the chicken legs as a main dish, they would pair wonderfully with your favorite potato side dish and a side salad.
For a regular weeknight, I'd serve them with prepared mashed potatoes or these mini potatoes and onions.
For a more elegant holiday dinner, I'd pair them with my cheesy Crock Pot scalloped potatoes or these crispy roasted sweet potatoes.
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for more ways to cook up chicken pieces when they go on sale? Here are a few more of my favorite methods:
๐ Recipe
Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs quarters both the leg and the thigh
- Sprinkle kosher salt & black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 1 orange cut into quarters
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ยฐF. Place the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the chicken.
- Add the softened butter to a small mixing bowl. Add the dried sage, rosemary, and thyme. Zest the orange and lemon over the butter. Use a fork to blend all the seasonings into the butter. Spread the herb butter evenly over the chicken pieces.
- Chop the onion, orange, and lemon each into quarters. Scatter the pieces evenly throughout the roasting pan.
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat registers 200ยฐF with a probe thermometer. You may want brush the melted butter over the chicken with a pastry brush after the first 30 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter. Serve with the roasted onions on the side if desired.
- NOTE: The pan drippings can be used to make my freezer-friendly chicken gravy if desired.
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