Bake moist, tender and delicious BBQ Chicken using bone in leg quarters. Our easy recipe has only 5 ingredients. Serve the second piece the first time because everyone will want to come back for seconds!
Once May rolls around on the calendar and temps begin to rise outside we like to fire up the grill and make some recipes that make us think of BBQ season. No need for higher temps with this BBQ Chicken recipe! It’s oven baked and you can enjoy this meal year round.
New Recipes are a must but the old one’s are keepers too! See these must have recipes for BBQ Season:
- 3 Ingredient Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings
- 5 Ingredient Steak Marinade
- Honey Sweet Peach Mango Salsa
- 10 Kabob Recipes To Try This Summer
Let’s get those lips smacking as we discuss making this delectable delight known as BBQ Chicken! Printable recipe below.
USE THE IRON SKILLET
Begin by placing your prepared leg quarters into an Iron skillet. The most standard size of Iron Skillets is 10 to 12 inches. You can eyeball it and know if your chicken will fit in yours.
Don’t have an Iron Skillet? No Problem. Use a baking pan lined with foil. Then buy yourself an Iron skillet, you will love food cooked in it! I like this one!
HOW TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN FOR BAKING
Rinse the chicken under cool water running on low. If you turn the water on high, the splatter will get all over the place. I cannot bring myself to cook chicken without rinsing it off first but I know if you are not careful you can splatter germs all over the kitchen. So be careful with the water pressure when rinsing the chicken. Then be sure to clean the area afterwards.
SEASON THE CHICKEN FOR BAKING
We do not go overboard on the seasoning with our Baked BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters because the BBQ Sauce does all the heavy lifting for the flavor in this chicken. Salt, Pepper and Paprika are all I use.
Season the chicken and place it into a preheated oven at 375°. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes.
Then remove the iron skillet from the oven. Pour off all but just a very small amount, about 2 Tbsp. of the liquid which has accumulated.
This is the fat from the chicken. We do want a little bit in the skillet to help our baked BBQ chicken come out nice and moist.
Turn the chicken over skin side down and baste the back with your favorite BBQ Sauce.
So, when you put the chicken back into the oven the skin on the top is now on the bottom and it is going to get crispy.
Bake for about 10 more minutes then remove from the oven.
Now turn the chicken back over using tongs and you will see the nice and crispy skin side up. Time to baste the top the first time.
Baste the top of the chicken generously with BBQ Sauce and again return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and baste the third and final time. Return to the oven for 15 minutes. Check the Baked BBQ Chicken with a meat thermometer to make sure it is done. Internal temp should reach 165° for chicken.
HOW LONG TO BROIL CHICKEN
If you are like me and you’d like the skin of your chicken to have just a touch of char, place it on the top oven rack and Broil for just a few minutes. Don’t leave, this won’t take long so keep an eye on it.
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters
Baked BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters baked to perfection smeared with BBQ Sauce, tender, moist and delicious.
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken Leg Quarters
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°
Place your prepared leg quarters into an Iron skillet skin side up.
Season with salt and pepper then the Paprika
Place into the preheated oven.
Bake, uncovered for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the leg quarters over. Pour off all but about 2 Tbsp. of the juice.
Baste the back side with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the chicken leg quarters back over so the skin side is up.
Baste with BBQ Sauce and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and baste one more time with BBQ sauce. Return to the oven and bake 10 more minutes.
Your Baked BBQ Leg quarters should be done. Use a meat thermometer to check. Internal temp should reach 165° for chicken.
If you want a nice little char on the top turn on the broiler and move the rack closer. Place the skillet on the top rack and stay right there! It only takes a couple of minutes.
Notes
Oven temperatures vary. It takes chicken leg quarters about an hour at 375° in my oven. Be sure to check your chicken often using a meat thermometer.
Smoked Paprika is recommended for this recipe but if you are out, you can use regular Paprika.
Recommended Products
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McCormick Gourmet, Smoked Paprika, 1.62 oz -
Sweet Baby Rays Sauce Bbq PACK OF 3 18 OZS
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Rwm Basting Brush - Grilling BBQ Baking, Pastry, and Oil Stainless Steel Brushes with Back up Silicone Brush Heads(Orange) for Kitchen Cooking & Marinating, Dishwasher Safe
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DRAGONN Premium Set of 12-inch and 9-inch Stainless-Steel Locking Kitchen Tongs, Set of 2 - Sturdy, Heavy Duty Tong Set - Great for Cooking, Grilling, and Barbecue (BBQ) (Silver)
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Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet and Ready for Stove Top or Oven Use, 10.25", Black
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Christie Campbell says
Those leg quarters look awesome! And I’m not usually a leg quarter person. I am totally drooling over that coating of sauce, too.