These chicken leg quarters are juicy and tender with crispy skin! If you love dark meat, then you'll love cooking this chicken quarters recipe. It's super easy and full of flavor from the mustard mayo marinade. Instructions are given for oven baked or in the air fryer.
If you love dark meat, you're going to LOVE this easy recipe for mustard mayo marinated Chicken Leg Quarters!
You can make them oven-baked or cook them right in your air fryer.
Chicken leg quarters are a great source of lean protein and are relatively inexpensive compared to other cuts of chicken.
They are also easy to prepare and cook, whether in the air fryer or oven baked.
Cooking chicken leg quarters in an air fryer is a great way to get a crispy, juicy, and flavorful result with minimal fat and calories.
The air fryer uses hot air to circulate around the food, producing a crisp exterior while still keeping the inside juicy.
It also cooks the chicken quickly and evenly, which helps to preserve the natural flavors.
Oven baking is another great way to cook chicken leg quarters. It’s a relatively simple process that yields a delicious result.
Oven baking helps to keep the chicken moist and tender, while also providing a nice golden brown color.
Both cooking methods, baked and air fried, are detailed below.
This was inspired by my Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey Legs recipe, as well as the flavors in this Mustard Mayonnaise Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
Serve up your chicken leg quarters with side dishes like KFC Macaroni Salad, Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, or Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon.
They're also great with sauces such as Dill Aioli, Arby's Horsey Sauce, or Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce. All of them add lots of great flavor.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chicken quarters are an economical cut.
- It's easy to make in the air fryer or oven baked.
- The mustard mayo sauce is full of flavor and easy to make.
- You get lots of moist and rich dark meat.
What are chicken leg quarters?
Chicken leg quarters are a cut of chicken that includes the thigh, drumstick, and a portion of the back.
They are often sold in packages of two, with one leg quarter from each side of the chicken.
The legs are usually attached to the hip joint, and the skin is still intact.
You can buy chicken quarters from the grocery store or your butcher.
Ingredients
You only need simple pantry ingredients for this recipe!
- Chicken leg quarters - a cut of chicken that includes the thigh, drumstick, and a portion of the back.
- Mustard - I use regular French's American mustard, but you can swap it to Dijon if you prefer.
- Mayonnaise - Duke's is my go-to but you can use any mayo for the marinade.
- Garlic powder - for lots of bold flavor.
- Chicken seasoning - you can buy chicken seasoning in a jar, or make your own chicken seasoning.
See the recipe card for quantities and method.
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions, then scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Put mustard, mayonnaise, salt and all spices into a small bowl and stir until you get a smooth marinade.
Pat the chicken quarters dry with paper towel, then dispose of the paper towels and wash your hands.
Spread or brush the leg quarters with the mustard mayonnaise sauce. If desired, you can cover the chicken quarters with cling film and leave for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
To cook in the air fryer:
Place the chicken quarters in the air fryer basket (cook separately if your basket it small). Air fry for 15 minutes at 400°F/200°C.
TIP: After 15 minutes, the chicken quarters will be well browned but will likely still be raw inside.
Flip the quarters over fry at 400°F for another 10 minutes. If the quarters are large, you can increase the frying time by another 5-7 minutes.
To test they are done, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part and ensure it reads at least 165°F.
To oven bake:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the marinated chicken leg quarters onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Scroll down for the full ingredients list and method.
Substitutions
- Whole Chicken: you can make your own chicken quarters. Check out How To Quarter a Chicken.
- Seasonings: You can leave out the mustard mayo and try your favorite chicken marinades.
Serving Suggestions
Serve up your chicken leg quarters with tasty side dishes! I love serving it with:
- Greek Pasta Salad
- KFC Macaroni Salad
- Microwave Green Bean Casserole
- Easy Roasted Beets
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Truffle Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
More Chicken Recipes
- Pesto Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
- Tajin Chicken
- Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs
- BBQ Chicken Legs In Oven
- BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Food Safety Tips
- Before cooking, wash your hands and countertops.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that has touched raw meat.
- Always wash your hands after touching raw meat.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Keep those pot/pan handles turned in away from the front of the stove.
- When cooking at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point, to avoid harmful compounds.
- Ensure you have good ventilation when cooking on gas.
- Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking. Reduce this to within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
- Safely thaw food in the fridge, under cold running water, or in the microwave.
- To ensure food is cooked through, it's best to use a food thermometer. Be aware that you can’t always tell by looking.
Cook to safe temperatures:
- Beef, Pork, Lamb: 145 °F
- Fish: 145 °F
- Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb: 160 °F
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck: 165 °F
Be sure to subscribe to my free Newsletter and follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for more tasty recipes!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Leg Quarters
Equipment
- Bowl
- Air fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
Instructions
- Put the mustard, mayonnaise, salt, garlic powder and chicken seasoning into a small bowl and stir until you get a smooth marinade.
- Pat the chicken quarters dry with paper towel, then dispose of the paper towels and wash your hands.
- Spread or brush the leg quarters with the mustard mayonnaise sauce. If desired, you can cover the chicken quarters with cling film and leave for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
To cook in the air fryer:
- Place the chicken quarters in the air fryer basket (cook separately if your basket it small). Air fry for 15 minutes at 400°F/200°C.
- TIP: After 15 minutes, the chicken quarters will be well browned but will likely still be raw inside.
- Flip the quarters over fry at 400°F for another 10 minutes. If the quarters are large, you can increase the frying time by another 5-7 minutes.
- To test they are done, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part and ensure it reads at least 165°F.
To oven bake:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the marinated chicken leg quarters onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Angela
The dressing on this is amazing! The mayo keeps the chicken super moist. And I love that I can make it my air fryer!!
Nikki
These easy to make leg quarters were fantastic! They made a great weeknight meal and we served them with air fried baby potatoes and lots of green beans!
Ned
Talk about some amazing flavor! My goodness this chicken was so yummy!
Sally
wow, it was such a hit recipe at home. Loved the recipe.
Patricia
So crispy and delish for a fabulous main dish! The marinade is mmmm!