One of the most cost efficient meat choices that you can purchase for a meal to serve to your family are chicken leg quarters. Many people think of this as a simple and quite bland meal choice and dread the idea of both cooking and consuming the chicken leg quarters. This does not have to be the result. There are many great recipes and cooking tips available for baking chicken leg quarters to create meal selections that look appealing and taste even better.
Preparing Chicken Leg Quarters For Baking
While the selections in spices and coatings that you make for complimenting your chicken leg quarters can make for very delicious meals to serve your family the outcome of your chicken leg quarters depend greatly on the actual cleaning of the chicken leg quarters prior to preparing your recipe dishes.
When your chicken leg quarters have a lot of excess fat on them your meat will turn out very greasy. This can be an unhealthy thing for you and your family. However, if you have chicken leg quarters that do not have any fat left on them, you will end up with very dry chicken. This makes for very dry chicken dishes that may not be very appetizing. In this situation you will need to incorporate ingredients to keep your chicken moist.
If your chicken has a great deal of excessive fat you will want to trim this away with a knife. Another way to eliminate some of the excessive fat is to parboil the chicken which ultimately will melt away some of the fat and cut your cooking time down. If healthy meals are your goal you will want to remove the outer skin of your chicken leg quarters as well.
For chicken leg quarters that do not have any fat on them you will need to incorporate a solution for preventing the chicken from becoming dry and bland. You can either choose to add about two teaspoons of butter for each leg quarter or add ¼ cup of chicken broth for each leg quarter to your recipe.
Baking Chicken Leg Quarters
When you have decided on which seasonings and breading you want to use for your specific meat dish then it is time for the actual baking process to begin.
1. You will need to arrange your chicken leg quarters in a 9” x 13” baking pan making sure that they are not overlapped so they can cook more evenly.
2. Place one teaspoon of butter on each of the chicken leg quarters if needed. If you choose instead to add the chicken broth you will want to add half of the broth needed now. You will add the other half of the broth mixture half way through your cooking time.
3. Place your chicken leg quarters in an oven that has been pre-heated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You will keep the chicken in for 30 to 35 minutes.
4. After 30 to 35 minutes of baking remove your chicken leg quarters. You can turn each chicken leg quarter over and add your remaining chicken broth by pouring over the leg quarters in the pan. If you are using the butter method you can place an additional teaspoon over the chicken leg quarter when they are turned over.
5. Cover your pan with aluminum foil and place back in the oven for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Using a meat thermometer check the inside temperature of your chicken leg quarters. Place the meat thermometer into the center of the chicken leg quarters for the most accurate reading. Your chicken is done when it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
