If you are wondering how to make chicken leg quarters in an air fryer, you have come to the right place.
With just 5 simple ingredients you will have an amazing delicious chicken dinner on your plate in no time.
Although I love to make frozen chicken leg quarters in my Instant Pot, I prefer this recipe for thawed or fresh leg quarters.
You just can’t beat the crispy skin and moist meat that the air fryer produces. And with a simple dry rub that goes on the skin, the flavor is outstanding!
I have tested this recipe in both my Ninja Foodi Air Crisper and Emeril Power 360 air fryer oven. They both produce great results.
The only difference is that the Ninja Foodi cooks at a faster rate than the air fryer oven. And I find this true with all of my Air Fryer Recipes.
How To Make Chicken Leg Quarters In An Air Fryer
Ingredients
Chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on.
Olive oil
Smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Instructions
The first step in making Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters is to mix and add the seasoning to the surface of the chicken.
Do this by initially adding the smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to a large, resealable plastic bag or a large bowl. Then set the seasoning blend aside and prepare the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the packaging and pat it dry using paper towels. Be sure to dry both sides well.
Then using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim off any excess skin or fat from each piece. Once the chicken is ready, place it in the bag or bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil and shake, massage or mix well until the chicken is well coated in the seasoning. Set aside until you are ready to air fry the leg quarters.
Preheat Your Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°(F) for 5 minutes. Even if you don’t typically preheat your air fryer oven, do so for this recipe. You want the inside of the air fryer nice and hot when the chicken goes inside.
Place chicken in or on the basket, skin side down. Then set the cook time on the air fryer for 20 minutes.
Once the initial cook time is up, flip and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes.
Although the chicken leg quarters can safely be consumed when it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, I prefer to cook them until they reach 180°F so that the meat is more tender.
Use A Digital Thermometer
The best way to determine if the chicken leg quarters can come out of the air fryer is by using a digital food thermometer. I honestly don’t know how I ever lived without one.
Simply place the probe in the thickest part of the thigh, being sure to stay away from the bone.
I prefer to use a long probe digital thermometer where I can leave it in the meat and close the air fryer. Once it it is cooked to my desired internal temperature, it will beep, letting me know that the chicken is done.
Then carefully remove the chicken to a plate and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This resting time will allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat fibers, resulting in nice and juicy chicken leg quarters!
Enjoy!
Other Delicious Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Mini Sandwiches
- Chicken Tenders
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Kabobs
- Chicken Parmesan
- Wings – From Fresh or Frozen
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chimichangas
To receive our3 RecipeArticles in your inbox each week, sign up for our free email list located in the middle of each recipe or email me at contact@makeyourmeals.com. You can also follow us onFacebook and Pinterest. This article may contain affiliate links where a small commission is paid if you purchase a product at no additional cost to you.
Air Fryer Chicken Leg Quarters
How to make Chicken Leg Quarters in an air fryer so that the skin is nice and crispy and the meat is moist and fall off the bone tender.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a large resealable plastic bag or in a large bowl.
- Pat chicken dry and trim off any excess skin and fat and discard. Add chicken to the bag or bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil and shake, massage or mix until the chicken is well coated with all the seasoning on both sides. Set aside.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes. Even if you don't typically preheat your air fryer oven, do so for this recipe.
- Place chicken in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and set to air fry cook time to 20 minutes.
- Flip and cook for an additional 10-20 minutes or until desired doneness has been reached. *Although the chicken leq quarters can safely be consumed once they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, I prefer to cook them until they reach 180°F so that the meat is more tender and falls off the bone.
- When the chicken is done to your liking, carefully remove the leg quarters to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe provided by Make Your Meals
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 505Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 328mgSodium: 784mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 62g
Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.
