In Good FlavorThese Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken Leg Quarters are marinated in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, rosemary, and brown sugar and oven-roasted until tender. Serve with pasta, potato, or rice for a simple and delicious meal.
This recipe was originally published in December 2014. Although the content and photos have been updated, the recipe remains unchanged.
For a simple dinner, chicken leg quarters are an excellent choice. They are juicy and tender, pairing well with a variety of sides. To maximize flavor, marinate them for at least 4 hours. You can also prep them the night before or in the morning, so when it’s time for dinner, you just need to pat them dry and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The skin will become delectable, developing a rich amber color.
The marinade consists of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, rosemary, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper. A small amount of cayenne pepper is included to add some interest to the flavor profile without making it spicy. If you prefer a bit of heat, feel free to add more cayenne pepper.
Recipe highlights:
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Place chicken leg quarters and marinade in a large zipper bag. Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
- Pat chicken dry and place on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 400° F for 40 to 50 minutes.
- Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions and tips.
So, I have a little confession. These step-by-step photos show only three chicken leg quarters, but the recipe makes four. I simply didn’t get enough chicken to do the photo reshoot. My bad!!
Anyway, these chicken quarters go well with this Orzo Roni or this Quick and Easy Thyme Baby Potatoes. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or even couscous would also be great! You can also serve them with buttered and salted pasta for a really easy but tasty side.
This dish is easy to make for a weeknight dinner the entire family would enjoy. One thing is for sure: you can’t beat chicken legs and thighs for affordability and budget-friendliness.
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)
- I have a larger version of this warp-resistant, non-stick baking pan. I have been very happy with it.
- Balsamic vinegar for the marinade.
- Mini whisk is ideal for little whisking jobs. I use it all the time.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE RECIPES
Chicken Pineapple and Rice
Rosemary Garlic Wings
Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
Picnic Fried Chicken
Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken Leg Quarters
Description
These Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken Leg Quarters are marinated in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, rosemary, and brown sugar and oven-roasted until tender. Serve with pasta, potato, or rice for a simple and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except for the chicken, in a bowl.
- Place chicken in a large zipper bag. Pour marinade into the bag. Seal the bag and work the marinade into the chicken pieces with your hands. Lay flat on a tray and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Flip over the bag halfway through for even marination.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the bag. Pat the excess juices dry with paper towels. Do not remove the garlic and rosemary bits.
- Place on a prepared sheet pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until juices run clear and have an internal temperature of 165° F.
Note:
- The small amount of cayenne adds a depth of flavor but not heat. Add more for a little bit of spice.
Disclosure: This site contains paid advertising and affiliate links. In Good Flavor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
This chicken is very photogenic, and it looks so flavorful, too! Roasted chicken is always a hit in our house — love this!
Thank you, Marcie! I'm glad you like it!
Your pictures are getting BETTER and better every time I come back- good move on waiting for the natural lighting, I like reading about your struggles with it, (and trying to put it back in the oven, etc.)- I've done all of the same things. I raced home from work the other week to try to take a picture of pot pie at lunch time since it's the only time (other than weekends) I can get natural lighting! Winters are tough! However your pics are perfect and this looks incredible, I love a good rosemary/chicken combo! 🙂
Then on top of all that, you experience accessory malfunction—you know? Like when the napkin is wrinkled and creased where you don't want it and you spend more time fussing around with it to hide the imperfections (and you don't have the motivation or time to iron it out) as the light quickly dwindles on you. Thanks for the vote of confidence on the photos! Always glad to have you stop by!
HAHA yes exactly! Or there is a spot on the plate that you have to get off… or something in the background is messing up the picture, it's endless sometimes!! 🙂 But then there's those VERY rare moments where a picture comes out pretty good fairly painlessly! I wish that happened more often 🙂
So right! Hopefully, with time we will get more of the good moments! But then there are times when you get feeling good about what you did with your pictures then your confidence gets stomped on when Foodgawker rejects your picture, haa haa!
Those are great flavours, it sounds looks great! Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas
Thanks Laura!
We will just love your Roasted Balsamic Rosemary Chicken, it looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you. We really like it here at my house.
Yum! This looks delicious! Thanks so much for posting this. I am going to make it as soon as possible. Keep posting awesome recipes like this I am way excited to see what is to come!
Thank you also for your sweet words, Kathy. 😉
What kind of pan Do you cook this in?
On a prepared sheet pan. I updated the instructions. Thanks for asking!!
This looks delicious. I am always looking for recipes that use the dark meat!
Thank you Inger! I love how dark meat does not dry out like white meat.
Confession back–I do smaller versions for my posts all the time. Then when I need to re-test, I feel much better about it :). Looks delicious!
It makes perfect sense, Inger. It reduces the excess when you have to test and retest 🙂