Golden, crispy Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters cook over a bed of tender potatoes and shallots that soak up every drop of flavor. This one-pan dinner delivers hearty, comforting results with minimal prep and easy cleanup.
If you’ve never cooked chicken leg quarters, this is a fabulous way to try them. I could honestly eat this meal every week. It’s comforting, budget-friendly, and packed with classic flavor. It gives the same cozy chicken dinner vibes that you’d get from my Roast Chicken and Vegetables, but makes just enough for two hearty servings.
A quick sear on the stovetop, then the chicken roasts over the potatoes and shallots so all those flavorful drippings soak in. The chicken is supremely tender with crispy skin, and the potatoes are golden and ridiculously delicious. An easy, cozy meal for any night of the week.
This recipe was inspired by one I came across in The Kitchen Bible, an America’s Test Kitchen cookbook that I’m loving of lately.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken leg quarters: A leg quarter includes both the thigh and drumstick, plus a small portion of the back that connects them. That extra section of bone and skin helps lock in moisture and flavor, making the meat especially juicy as it roasts. A whole chicken leg (without the back portion) is nearly identical and works just as well in this recipe bit you should expect a slightly shorter cook time since it’s a bit smaller.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes work best. They’re thin-skinned so there’s no need to peel them and they roast beautifully with creamy insides and crisp edges. Just slice them into ½-inch rounds so they cook through in the same time as the chicken.
- Shallots: Their mild, slightly sweet flavor caramelizes beautifully alongside the chicken and potatoes. You can substitute thick wedges of yellow onion if needed.
- Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up the flavor and balances the richness of the roasted chicken and potatoes.
- Fresh herbs (thyme and parsley): Thyme adds earthy flavor that complements the chicken as it roasts, while parsley brings a pop of freshness just before serving. Dried thyme can be used in a pinch.
- Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil helps the potatoes crisp up and ensures even browning on the chicken.
How to Make Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Prep the chicken and veggies. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, pepper, and thyme. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced potatoes and shallots with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Sear the chicken. Heat a little olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Brown the potatoes. Add the potatoes and shallots to the same skillet and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scatter the minced garlic over the top and remove the skillet from the heat.
- Roast and finish. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, on top of the potatoes and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the internal temperature of the chicken registers 175°F and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Finish it off with a little lemon zest and juice and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serving Suggestions
This is nearly a meal in itself with protein potatoes, and shallots, but I like to round it out with Green Beans Almondine, Sautéed Broccolini, or a simple Lemon Parmesan Salad. When I want to really up the cozy factor, my Easy Dinner Rolls do the trick!
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through to help re-crisp the chicken skin. For a quicker option, reheat gently in the microwave, but note that the skin won’t stay as crisp.
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Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
Ingredients
- 2 (about 1½ pounds) chicken leg quarters or whole chicken legs, trimmed
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, divided
- ½ freshly ground black pepper, or to taste, divided
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 2 shallots, peeled and quartered, lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with about ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the thyme, pressing the herbs into the surface. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes, shallots, 1 tablespoon oil, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over MEDIUM heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Place the potatoes and shallots in a single layer with the fat in the now-empty skillet (it’s ok if some are overlapping). Cook over MEDIUM heat, without moving, until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scatter the garlic over the top of the potatoes and remove the pan from the heat.
- Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the chicken registers 175°F and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and zest about ½ teaspoon lemon zest over the chicken, then squeeze the juice from half a lemon over everything and sprinkle with the parsley.
- Slice the remaining half of the lemon into wedges for serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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