Baked chicken quarters make for easy, budget-friendly cooking.
We’ll tell you how to do it, plus share some of our favorite baked recipes.
Sure, chicken breasts get a lot of attention as people look foreasy and deliciousways to eat healthier.
Credit:Jason Donnelly
Chicken legs are also inexpensive, versatile, meaty, and moist.
Many chicken lovers consider them the most flavorful part of the bird.
What Are Chicken Leg Quarters?
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Awhole chickenleg is a thigh and a drumstick in one piece.
Pictured above, an entire chicken leg is also known as a thigh-drumstick piece.
When a thigh-drumstick part has a portion of the back attached, these cuts are chicken leg quarters.
Credit:BHG/Madhumita Sathishkumar
Often, thigh-drumstick pieces are separated into two portions: the drumstick and the thigh.
Sometimes, the separate drumstick portion is also referred to as a chicken leg.
Test Kitchen Tip:you might skin chicken legs to reduce fat and calories.
Credit:BHG/Madhumita Sathishkumar
This can be slippery, so use a paper towel to grip the chicken leg.
Pull the skin away from the meat, starting at the meaty end and pulling toward the knuckle.
Have kitchen shears or a knife handy to snip off the skin where attached if needed.
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Adjusting cooking temperatures allows you to cook other dishes with different baking temperature requirements at the same time.
Here’s a quick guide to recommended cooking times by temperature.
If possible, you should alwaysuse a meat thermometerto check whether the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
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Chicken thighs and legs should have an internal temperature of 175F when fully cooked.
Alternatively, you could bake the chicken leg quarters orthigh-drumstick piecesin a 375F oven.
Increase the baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
There isn’t a significanthealth differencebetween the two.
Cooked chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If it will be used after that, freeze it for up to four months.
The best method to reheat whole chicken leg quarters is in the oven at 350F.
