These air fryer BBQ chicken leg quarters cook up perfectly in your air fryer. With juicy meat, crispy skin, and delicious flavor in 30 minutes or less you can’t go wrong for dinner.
2Chicken leg quarters, bone in and skin on(such as Perdue)
1Tbspolive oil
1Tspsalt
1Tspblack pepper
1 Tspgarlic powder
1Tsponion powder
1Tsppaprika
½Tspmustard powder
½Tsporegano
¼Cupbarbecue sauce
Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Pat your chicken dry, and trim any excess fat or skin
2 Chicken leg quarters, bone in and skin on
Rub the chicken in the olive oil, making sure it’s well coated
1 Tbsp olive oil
In a large Ziploc bag, add all the dry seasonings and shake them to mix
1 Tsp salt, 1 Tsp black pepper, 1 Tsp garlic powder, 1 Tsp onion powder, 1 Tsp paprika, ½ Tsp mustard powder, ½ Tsp oregano
Add the chicken quarters to the bag, seal, and then shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated in seasoning
Place the chicken leg quarters in the preheated air fryer basket (either way is fine)
Cook on the air fry setting for 10 minutes at 400°F, then flip and cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest point (but not touching the bone)
Make sure the skin side is facing up, and then brush the top of chicken with barbecue sauce and return to the air fryer basket
¼ Cup barbecue sauce
Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the sauce is sticky
Rest for 5 minutes, before serving warm with your favorite sides
Notes
You can swap other high smoke point oils like avocado or grapeseed in place of the olive oil
All the seasonings are adjustable to taste - add more or less, or omit things you don’t like. You can also use about 2 Tbsp of a BBQ chicken rub seasoning mix of your choice instead of measuring individual seasonings to save time
Any barbecue sauce is fine, so choose whatever you like! I’m using Stubb’s original today, but I’ve used vinegar, spicy, and sweet based sauces before as well
You can easily double (or more) this recipe to make additional servings. Cooking time doesn’t change as long as they fit in a single layer in your air fryer. Cook in batches if needed
My 8-qt Ninja air fryer holds up to 4 chicken leg quarters at a time
Dark meat produces a lot of grease, so it’s normal for your air fryer to start smoking during cooking. Use a pair of tongs to hold the chicken in place and dump out the excess grease if needed
Store leftover cooked chicken quarters in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you have extra raw chicken, it freezes well for up to 6 months
Reheat chicken quarters in the air fryer at 350°F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway, or until warmed through
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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