Chicken Leg Quarters cooked in the air fryer always come out juicy and tender, never tough or dry. They're budget-friendly, flavorful, and super versatile—fresh cooked chicken leg quarters can be served with almost anything, and leftovers make for great chicken salads, quesadillas, and chicken soups.
½ - 1teaspoonsea saltto taste (use ½ teaspoon if cutting down on salt)
½teaspoonground black pepper
Instructions
Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried herbs, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano or basil, ½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Brush the chicken with melted butter or oil. Season on all sides with the seasoning mixture. Place the chicken in the air fryer tray or basket without overlapping.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 chicken leg quarters
Optional: place foil at the bottom of the air fryer for easier cleanup from the chicken drippings.
Preheat air fryer to 400F.
Air fry for 12-15 minutes, then flip the chicken and air fry for another 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to at least 165F in the thickest part. Check on the chicken after 10-12 minutes on each side to make sure it's not burning, since all air fryers cook differently. If the chicken is burning, turn the temperature down to 350F.
Use tongs to carefully remove the chicken onto a plate and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
→ All air fryers cook slightly differently. Check on the chicken after 20 minutes and see how it's doing. If it is burning on the outside but not anywhere close to reaching an internal temperature of 165F, reduce the heat to 340-350F, flip the chicken over if needed, and continue to cook. → You can skip the step where you brush the chicken with butter or oil, and you can season the chicken directly. However, the butter makes the chicken skin much crispier and more flavorful.→ Serve chicken leg quarters with your favorite starchy side dish (mashed or roasted potatoes, rice, couscous, quinoa, pasta) and with any veggies (side salad, roasted vegetables).→ Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or microwave. Use leftovers for chicken soup, chicken quesadillas, chicken salad, add on top of a side salad.→ Try these seasonings: smoked paprika instead of regular paprika, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to make it spicy, taco seasoning or fajita seasoning instead of all the seasoning in the recipe, squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken once it's cooked.→ Nutrition facts are just an estimate and will depend on the size of the chicken pieces as well as amount of seasoning and butter you use.