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These easy and tasty Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters are perfectly seasoned, and ready in under 30 minutes! Using this inexpensive cut is a great way to feed your family on a budget, without sacrificing flavor! Marinate them overnight for extra flavor, or season and cook right away!

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Easy and delicious air fryer chicken quarters

For a delicious, juicy chicken recipe on a budget, look no further than these Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters! Chicken Leg Quarters are VERY inexpensive, as there are less cuts the butcher has to make. I’ve seen packages of 4 quarters for as low as $5!

For this quick and easy weeknight recipe, all you need are a few staple spices and 30 minutes, and you’ve got crispy, juicy chicken ready to enjoy!

air fryer chicken quarters

What to do with the leftovers

Aside from being inexpensive, chicken leg quarters are also very meaty. This makes them a great candidate for leftover meals! Here are some great ideas for using up leftover chicken:

  1. Chicken Cobb salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing 
  2. Chorizo Chicken Taco Soup
  3. Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
  4. Greek Chicken Salad
  5. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
  6. Sazón Chicken Salad
  7. Mix it into some Creamy Mushroom Orzo
  8. Use it up in some Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup with Leeks

Looking for more great air fryer recipes?

Try my Air Fryer Cheesy Smashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Croutons, Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Grilled Cheese, Breakfast Taquitos, or Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings!

Prepping the chicken leg quarters

Before cooking the chicken leg quarters in the air fryer, you’ll want to pat them dry well with paper towels. Once the chicken is dry, you’ll rub them generously with a simple spice blend, and either refrigerate, or cook immediately!

Chicken leg quarters in air fryer

Marinating the chicken leg quarters

You can marinate the chicken in the dry rub for up to 24 hours prior to cooking the chicken, or cook immediately The longer the spice blends sits, the better the flavor.

seasoning the chicken

What kind of seasoning goes on the chicken?

The quick and easy dry rub for the Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters is made up of a few simple pantry spices, and some coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. To make the quick and easy rub, you will need:

  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Dry mustard
  • Smoked paprika
placing the chicken in the air fryer

Can I use different seasoning for the air fryer chicken quarters?

Feel free to experiment and add any spices and flavors you like to the dry rub! You could also use any of your favorite store bought dry rubs. You will need about 4 tsp of any spice blend to throughly coat both sides of the chicken leg quarters.

Chicken quarters in air fryer

Cooking the chicken leg quarters in air fryer

To cook the chicken quarters in the air fryer, you’ll start by placing the dry rubbed chicken into the air fryer skin side down. Do not preheat your air fryer. This will ensure the skin can crisp well, rendering it’s own fat. Follow these steps, and your chicken will cook up evenly, for a juicer finished product.

air fryer chicken quarters

Tips for crispy chicken leg quarters

To make sure your chicken leg quarters come out crispy and juicy every time, make sure you start them skin side down, and finish skin side up.

Additional tips

Rub it in. Be sure to rub the seasoning in very well, and avoid large clumps of seasoning on your chicken. This can result is burnt areas. For evenly seasoned and delicious chicken, massage it well.

Temp your chicken. Chicken leg quarters vary in size. This recipe cooks in under 30 minutes, however, it’s always a good idea to give them a check close to the end of cooking time to ensure the meat is cooked through. You can do this by inserting a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. We’re looking for 160-165 degrees.

closeup of chicken meat

Can I use this recipe for chicken thighs or legs?

Yes you can! These may cook up a bit faster, so just be sure to check the temperature close to the end of the cooking time to be sure they don’t go over.

air fryer chicken quarters
Air Fryer Chicken Quarters
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Dinner
Keyword: air fryer, chicken
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • air fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 bone in, skin on chicken leg quarters 
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt 
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

  • Prepping the chicken
    1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
    2. Mix all spices together well.
    3. Rub both sides of the chicken well with the spice blend, being sure not to leave any large clumps of seasoning on the chicken, (as they can burn).
    4. At this point, you can place the chicken in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or cook immediately. The longer the seasoning stays on the chicken, the more flavorful it will be.
    Cooking the chicken
    1. Place chicken in air fryer skin side down, and air fry at 380 degrees for 15 minutes. Start cooking the chicken in a cold air fryer- do not preheat.
    2. After 15 minutes, flip chicken over, and cook 10-15 minutes more. Cooking time mayo vary depend on the size of your chicken quarters. Cook until the chicken registers 165 degrees at thickest point of thigh. This can be checked at 10 minutes, after the chicken is flipped.
    4. Allow chicken to rest about 10 minutes, and serve hot!

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