There’s nothing better than a chicken BBQ in the summertime. Pair it with some picnic sides and you’ve got the perfect meal! Instead of breaking out the charcoal grill, though, these air fryer BBQ chicken leg quarters are even easier to make!
I love my air fryer for cooking chicken, especially when dealing with a skin-on variety. That’s because it gets the skin perfectly crispy!
The meat still comes out perfectly juicy as well, though in fairness that’s not as difficult to achieve when using dark meat like these leg quarters.
There’s very little tending required with this method, which is a win for me compared to the grill. Just pop the chicken quarters in the air fryer, flip once during cooking, and that’s it!
Pretty simple, and it gives me time to focus on my sides while the main course takes care of itself.
If you’re interested in more delicious barbecue flavors, then you might also enjoy my Air Fryer Brisket Burnt Ends recipe!
What You’ll Need: Ingredients
2 chicken leg quarters, bone in, skin on (such as Perdue)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp oregano
¼ cup barbecue sauce
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
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
How to Cook Chicken Leg Quarters in the Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
Pat your chicken dry, and trim any excess fat or skin
Rub the chicken in the olive oil, making sure it’s well coated
In a large Ziploc bag, add all the dry seasonings and shake them to mix
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
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
What to Serve With BBQ Chicken
Baked beans
Coleslaw
Mac and cheese
Cornbread
Biscuits
Macaroni salad
Potato salad
Deviled eggs
Corn on the cob
Summer squash
Cucumber salad
Potato wedges
Sweet potatoes
Corn casserole
Fried okra
Fried green tomatoes
Watermelon
Strawberry shortcake
Grilled peaches
Icebox pies
Pinot Noir
Zinfandel
Lemonade
Iced tea
There are so many great things to serve with BBQ chicken, from sides to dessert, and even drinks!
Can You Cook a Quarter Chicken Leg in the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook a quarter chicken leg in the air fryer. For best results, you want the chicken quarter to lay flat in the air fryer basket, and flip it once during cooking.
For very small air fryers, this may mean splitting the quarter up into smaller pieces, or cooking in batches if you’re feeding more than 1-2 people.
How Long Do Chicken Leg Quarters Take in the Air Fryer?
Chicken leg quarters take 20-25 minutes on average in the air fryer. The time will vary slightly based on the size of your chicken quarters, as well as the power of your specific air fryer.
Always make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, measured at the thickest part of your chicken without touching the bone.
What Temperature to Air Fry Chicken Leg Quarters?
Chicken leg quarters should air fry at a temperature of 380°F – 400°F. For a less crispy chicken, or one with sugar in the rub, use a lower temperature. For more crispy skin and more browning, use a higher temperature.
It may also vary based on the available settings on your specific air fryer, so know that anything within the range is perfectly fine for cooking.
How Long to Air Fry Chicken Leg Quarters at 400?
You should air fry chicken leg quarters at 400 for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. They may need an additional 5 minutes if they’re particularly large, or if they’re frozen.
Make sure to flip halfway through cooking and test for doneness with a thermometer.
How Long Does it Take to Cook 2 Leg Quarters in the Air Fryer?
It should take 20-25 minutes to cook 2 leg quarters in the air fryer. The cooking time actually does not change, regardless of quantity, so long as you can fit the leg quarters in a single layer in your air fryer basket.
If you overcrowd your basket and thus block air flow, only then will it cause uneven heating and extended cooking times.
Can You Stack Chicken Legs in an Air Fryer?
You should not stack chicken legs in an air fryer, as this will limit air flow which results in uneven cooking. It also gets the chicken closer to the heating element, which can splatter grease.
To fit more in, make sure to alternate directions of the chicken legs in the basket. They can touch slightly as well.
How Do You Know When Chicken Leg Quarters Are Done?
Chicken leg quarters are done when the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165°F at the thickest part of the chicken, without touching the bone. If you measure the temperature of the bone, you’ll get a false reading.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll need to cut the chicken open and give it a squeeze. If the juices from the center of the chicken are clear, then the chicken is done. If they are red or pink, the chicken needs to be cooked more.
Do Chicken Quarters Go Skin Side Up or Down?
Chicken quarters should go skin side down to start in an air fryer. After about 10 minutes, you should flip the chicken over, and then the quarter should remain skin side up for the remainder of the cooking.
This ensures that both sides of the chicken are evenly cooked, but you ultimately end up with crispy skin at the end of the process.
How Long to Cook Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters in an Air Fryer?
Cook frozen chicken leg quarters in an air fryer for approximately 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the quarters.
This is about 5 minutes longer than cooking from fresh requires, to account for the colder beginning temperature.
Do You Have to Flip Chicken Drumsticks in an Air Fryer?
It is highly recommended to flip chicken drumsticks in an air fryer. This helps to ensure even heating and thus even cooking on the chicken.
Additionally, this also promotes the skin getting crispy on all sides, versus having a soggy bottom side.
Recipe Pro Tips
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
Storage and Reheating
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
These amazing air fryer BBQ chicken leg quarters are everything you love about a cookout, made easily indoors! No more tending the grill or smoker when your air fryer does all the hard work for you.
In just about 30 minutes total, you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken quarters with caramelized barbecue sauce. That’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner! Plus, chicken quarters are a very inexpensive cut, making them great even when your family is on a budget.
Pair them with some summery sides for a perfect meal. I’ll take some fresh corn on the cob and a cold glass of iced tea, myself!
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters
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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I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
