Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
This is how to air-fry chicken legs so that they are extra juicy inside with super-crispy skin. The key is starting with them skin-side down first.
Chicken leg quarters are the drumstick attached to the thigh. They’re very budget-friendly, partly because the butcher has not removed the skin or bone (less work). You can often get a big bag of them for a very reasonable price. This is one of my favorite ways to cook them. Note that the video below shows how to cook more than you’d expect in even a smaller air fryer.
Scroll down to read more details or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Air Fryer Chicken Legs
How To Remove Skin From Chicken Leg Quarters
If your chicken leg quarters have skin on them, as most of them do, and you want to remove it, you have two options.
Option #1: Remove the skin before cooking. With leg quarters, the skin is often attached pretty firmly in a couple places and it can be tough to get off just by pulling. I grip the skin at the edge of the thigh end and pull it off as much as I can. Anywhere that I run into trouble and find that it’s stuck to the meat or bone, I use clean kitchen shears (these are essentially just sharp scissors) to snip it off.
Option #2: Cook the chicken with the skin on, as instructed below. Then let it rest for 2 minutes before using your fingers to pull off the skin. It will come off super easily. If it happens to be stuck somewhere, go in with those kitchen shears as above. Just make sure the shears are clean and have not had contact with raw chicken.
How to choose between option 1 and 2? I prefer option 2 because it’s easier and because you get the flavor and some juice from the skin dripping onto the chicken meat as it cooks. This adds moisture and flavor but doesn’t add much in the way of fat.
But here’s a warning… that skin is going to be plentiful and crispy and seriously delicious. If I pull it off at this point, I tend to eat it. If you don’t want that temptation, remove the skin and discard it before cooking the chicken. If you have better willpower than I do, go ahead and remove it after cooking.
Prepping the Chicken Leg Quarters
To start, coat the chicken leg quarters in a little bit of oil. Do this whether or not the chicken has skin on it. I use olive oil in an oil sprayer like this one. I love it because I can fill it with my own olive oil, making it much cheaper and more convenient than canned cooking spray. Also, the sprayer works great. I’ve had mine for years!
Next, season the chicken with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Go in with different seasonings if you’d like, but make sure to include salt.
Time and Temperature
They will take 30-35 minutes at 400°F. But you’ll flip them halfway through. Here are more details:
Put the chicken leg quarters into the air fryer basket skin-side-down (or more-rounded-side-down if they’re skinless) and cook them for 20 minutes. Flip them. My air fryer has a non-stick basket so I use tools that are non-metal and thus won’t scratch and ruin the surface. After flipping them, you’re going to cook them until they reach 165°F inside, as read on an instant read thermometer. It will take 10-15 more minutes.
Finally, you take the chicken out of the basket (use those silicone tongs again) and let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Grab and knife and fork and dig in for a hearty and delicious piece of chicken!
More Cuts Of Chicken In The Air Fryer
Find out the perfect temperature and timing for these other cuts of chicken.
Podcast Episode: Air Frying Chicken
Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly how to make this chicken, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Air fried chicken leg quarters are the best. Not only are they super affordable but you get a thigh and drumstick in one serving – nice juicy flavorful meat!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters with skin* (one pound each)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil (or use olive oil sprayer)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Remove chicken leg quarters from refrigerator.
- Coat chicken on all sides with olive oil.
- Sprinkle on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder.
- Put chicken in air fryer basket, skin-side-down, in a single layer. The two chicken quarters should not overlap. Cook 20 minutes.
- Flip chicken and cook until 165°F on an instant read thermometer, 10-12 more minutes. It could take longer depending on your brand of air fryer so do check with the thermometer and cook longer if needed.
- Remove from basket and let rest at least 2 minutes before serving.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
*For skinless chicken leg quarters, use the exact same method. Nothing needs to be changed except put them in rounded-side-down (that’s the side that would have had the skin on it if it had skin).
This post originally appeared in September 2019 and was revised and republished in November 2022.
Top tips.
Glad it was helpful, Steve!
It’s hard to explain how such a simple recipe is so good, the chicken was perfectly cooked.
Instead of regular pepper and garlic powder; I used Pampered Chef Crushed Peppercorn and Garlic seasoning.
Thanks so much, Edward! It really is a fabulous basic recipe to know.
I put chilli paste and chopped jalapeños under the skin. Sensational!
Wow, that sounds amazing, Jon! Thank you for sharing.
Skip the legs. Feed them to dogs. . Leave the skin on. Take the bone out. Add two more thighs.
Just great. So simple and comes out perfect. We are on low sodium diet, so we cut the salt.
Glad to hear it, Suzi! Thanks for coming back to comment.
Was looking for a quick and easy Air Fryer recipe for chicken leg quarters, since they are the cheapest to purchase in the grocery stores at the moment. Yours popped up in my search and, your simple way to cook the leg quarters, got my attention. I have been experimenting with my air fryer and chicken with the seasoning savory, I am glad that you mentioned the salt, I am always skipping this seasoning when I use, savory, garlic seasoning. Thank you for a great recipe. Kudous to you.
You’re welcome, Keith! Yes, the leg quarters are such a great buy.
Wonderful full of flavour.
Thank you so much, Susan!
This was exactly perfect. The skin was so crispy. Exactly right!
Thank you so much, Shawn! I’m glad you enjoyed.
First time using the Power XL and this receipt was simple and good
Shawna, I’m so happy to hear that. I love the chicken leg quarters in the air fryer. That crispy skin is so incredible!
The simplest and yet the best air fried chicken recipe I have tried.This is the best chicken! I did take the suggestion of yours and cooked them as u said on each side. They are juicy, crispy and flavorful! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you, Manoj. I’m so happy you liked them!
Perfect recipe for leg quarters. Very tender. Left skin on and they were crispy, hard to resist.
I’m new at air frying and you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
I added some Italian seasoning for my taste and it was good.
Happy Air frying.
Thanks so much, Phyllis! We’ve got plenty of air fryer recipes for you, you’ll be an expert in no time. 🙂
Thanks for sharing
Thanks to the pretty lady Christine,
Easy, tasty dinner!
How long for frozen chicken quarters please?
Lisa, I haven’t tried this in the air fryer for chicken leg quarters, but the general rule of thumb is 50% more time for frozen chicken than for fresh chicken. So, I’d try doing 30 minutes skin-side-down and then flip and cook for 15-20 minutes skin-side-up. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure it’s at 165F, or cut into one and make sure it’s not at all pink inside anymore.
I love my air fryer
no where do you list the cooking temperature only pre heat for 5 min at 400????? so I have to assume! the cooking temp is 400??? I have been online with many websites not listing in the instructions time And Temperature
Yes, you preheat to the temperature you want to cook at, Anton. So, while the air fryer is heating to 400, you’re seasoning the chicken. Then cook, still at 400F, for 20 minutes, flip and cook an additional 10-12 minutes.
Thank you for this recipe, Christine! – just what I was looking for!
One question though [I’m an air-frying newbie!] . . . My air-fryer has a ‘roast’ option. Should I use this or just stick with ‘air-fry’?
Help appreciated!
Amy
All of our air fryer recipes have been tested with the ‘air fry’ function at the temperatures listed unless otherwise noted. I know some models have all sorts of cook settings, and the differences can be confusing, Amy. My understanding is the roast function is circulating the hot air less, which could affect the timing for our recipes. If you experiment, please report back!
love Love chicken quarters because that is the best part of the chicken to me. thank you so very much
You’re welcome, Linda!