Name: Air Fryer Chicken Quarters
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 Chicken quarters, patted dry; 1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 2 tsp Garlic Powder; Pepper as desired

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Hey friend! I wanted to share this Air Fryer Chicken Quarters recipe because they literally check all the points I want in a juicy chicken dinner. Crispy, seasoned skin (which I think is one of the most important factors when eating chicken), with a tender succulent inside that’s not overcooked and dry.

It beats out oven roasting every time in my opinion. If you love chicken thighs and legs, you will be crazy about this air fryer chicken recipe when I show you how easy it is to make.

Two air fryer chicken quarters sitting in the air fryer basket.

What I Love About Cooking Chicken Quarters in the Air Fryer

It’s easier to find what’s not to love honestly.

Time: There are so many great things about this air fryer recipe like in about 20 minutes, you can have this on the table. Perfect for busy (or tired!) people.

Price: With the price of groceries lately, chicken quarters ring in some of the cheapest poultry pieces to buy. Air frying them to a crispy outside then glazed with your favorite sauce, oh wow.. SO delicious while keeping cash in your pocket.

Flavor: Don’t get me wrong, air-fried chicken breasts are delicious when cooked properly, but dark meat (thighs and legs) is usually higher in fat, and fat always means loads of flavor.

Ingredients and Variations

Here’s another fantastic thing about this recipe – Only two ingredients are needed.

Chicken quarters: Also known in some grocery stores as legs with thighs attached. They’ll be bone-in chicken pieces (again, more flavor) with the skin still on. If you can’t find chicken quarters, buying the thighs and legs separately can sometimes be just as economical.
Seasonings: I absolutely love to use seasoned salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika for that nice hint of smoke flavor. However, if you don’t have these on hand, I want you to use your favorite seasonings for chicken. Do you have a blend that you like? Go ahead and use it!

***Check below at the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card that contains the full recipe as well as extra notes to make this chicken quarters recipe perfect.

How To Make Chicken Leg Quarters In The Air Fryer

PREP: Begin by preheating your air fryer.

1 SEASONING: While the air fryer is preheating, sprinkle the seasonings over the entire top and underside of the chicken.

*Optional step – Spray the skin side of the chicken pieces with avocado oil to help get the skin super crispy. If you don’t have avocado oil, use any other cooking oil you have on hand or you can leave it out to save on some calories. I find spraying the chicken pieces with oil really takes that crispiness to the next level.

Chicken quarters sitting on a plastic cutting mat, seasoned and ready for the fryer.

2. AIR FRY: When the air fryer is up to temperature, place the chicken pieces in the air fryer basket, in a single layer, skin side up, and start to air fry.

After the air frying time is complete, be sure to check the chicken with an instant-read thermometer through the thickest part of the thigh because you don’t want to serve raw chicken to anyone. The internal temperature you’re looking for (according to the National Chicken Council) is 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chicken quarters in the air fryer basket ready for cooking.

How To Make Chicken Quarters Fit In The Air Fryer

As long as your air fryer reaches 400 degrees F, any brand of air fryer should work just fine for making super juicy chicken. I used my Cosori Air Fryer for this recipe and the basket will fit two large chicken quarters. Your appliance might be bigger and can fit more at once. The cooking time will stay the same as long as they are placed in a single layer.

How To Season Chicken With Skin On For The Air Fryer

Showing the underside of the chicken while being air fried.

The Second Act Recipe

If you have leftover air fryer chicken, the second-act ideas you can make to repurpose them are almost endless.

Easy Chicken Soup: Take the skin off the meat, and remove the meat off the bones. Simmer the bones along with other seasonings to make a flavorful broth. Remove the bones, and add reserved chicken and some pasta. I have a recipe on the blog for this method of Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.

Casseroles: Certainly one of the easiest ways to use leftover cooked chicken, I’d say. My recipe for Cheesy Chicken Bacon Pasta Casserole is a nice one or this Easy Chicken Ranch Potato Bake is a really popular one on the blog.

Storage and Freezing

If you have any leftovers of this easy chicken dinner, place them in an airtight container they stay great in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the skin will no longer be crispy after reheating them, but they will still taste delicious!

You can also freeze air-fried chicken quarters as well. In a freezer-friendly container, they’ll keep well for up to 2 months.

One chicken quarter after it's been cooked in the air fryer.

Well, friends, that wraps up this post all about air frying chicken quarters. I hope I’ve shown you how easy it can be done and if you have any questions, or you’ve made this recipe already, please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

Air Fryer Chicken Quarters

Yield: 2 chicken quarters

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Air Fryer Chicken Quarters are not only super delicious cooked in an air fryer, but they are also incredibly easy to make as well. Crispy seasoned skin with a succulent, juicy inside. Perfect for busy people or newbie cooks, this air fryer chicken recipe will be a regular addition to the family cookbook.

Ingredients

2 Chicken quarters, patted dry
1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Pepper as desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes. Be sure to pat dry the chicken pieces with a clean paper towel.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings.
3. Sprinkle all over the chicken pieces, both on top and underneath.
4. **Optional step - spritz the chicken with some avocado oil to encourage even more crispiness.
5. Place the chicken pieces into the air fryer basket, skin side up.
6. Air fry for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
7 Halfway through the cooking cycle, carefully flip the chicken over. This is an optional step.
8. After the cooking time is up, remove the chicken quarters from the air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

I recommend bringing the chicken to room temperature before air frying. It helps to cook the chicken thoroughly because if the chicken is too chilled, the skin will be super crispy and the meat could be undercooked.

The safe internal temperature for air fryer chicken quarters is 170F.

A key step that I highly recommend doing is to be sure to pat dry the chicken parts with a clean paper towel before you season them. If they are too wet, it may take too long for the skin to get crispy before the chicken meat is cooked. Also, you can't pat dry the pieces after you've seasoned them without removing the seasoning you just put on them!

Feel free to use any spice mix blend you prefer. Add some onion powder and/or cayenne pepper for a flavor kick switch-up.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 2343mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 21g

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.