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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Published: Feb 6, 2021 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Instant Pot Chicken Quarters

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional images for Instant Pot Chicken Quarters

    With a simple chicken leg quarter recipe on hand, you'll have dinner with no hassle at all. Juicy and flavorful dark meat chicken isn't too far away.

    a hite dish with cooked chicken quarters and broccoli next to an instant pot

    We enjoy eating chicken quarters often around here because they're such a cheap cut of meat. I like thighs, the kids like drumsticks and hubby eats anything handed to him on a plate, so it's always a hit around here.

    For these chicken quarters, I took my seasoning rub from my beer butt chicken recipe and rubbed it into the quarters so that they'd be flavorful and awesome.

    You're going to love this basic recipe and how simple (and fast) the hands-on parts are!

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    chicken quarters on a baking sheet next to a bowl with unmixed seasonings

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Chicken leg quarters
    • Salt
    • Ground black pepper
    • Italian seasoning
    • Paprika
    • Cayenne
    • Garlic powder
    • Onion powder
    • Water (for cooking)

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal 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.

    • Measuring spoons
    • 6qt Instant Pot
    • Trivet
    • Baking sheet *optional
    two instant pot chicke quarters in a white dish with broccoli

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    To make this Instant Pot chicken quarters recipe, you will need to stand the chicken p on the trivet like books on a shelf. standing them upright like this allows them to fit into the pot. You may need to trim a little fat or skin here and there to help them fit more easily.

    You can use water, broth, or even beer for more flavorfully cooked chicken. Just make sure that there is at least 1-1.5 cups of liquid in the pot to help the chicken cook properly.

    After the chicken has been cooked, you can take an optional step of broiling the quarters in the oven to help crisp up the skin to a nice golden brown. Recommended, but not required.

    Make sure chicken reaches at least 160 degrees F before and eating and if it hasn't you can place it in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees F to help get it to the safe-to-eat-zone. (Baking it would be faster than cooking it in the Instant Pot again and allows you to periodically check on the internal temperature.)

    instant pot cooked chicken quarter on a plate with broccoli and potatoes

    💭 FAQs

    What are chicken quarters?

    Chicken quarters (or chicken leg quarters as some call it) are the dark meat of a chicken, from the hip bone down. It includes the thigh and drumstick of a chicken in a solid piece that can be later separated or cooked whole as desired by the consumer.

    How to cook frozen chicken leg quarters in the Instant Pot

    For frozen chicken quarters, just make sure that they aren't frozen too much. You want them to be able to be stacked without being one clump of solid ice. As long as they're partially frozen and can be fitted into the Instant Pot, you can cook them on High Pressure for 25 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release.

    Why are chicken leg quarters so cheap?

    Cheaper cuts of meat are almost always meats that had the least amount of work involved. Unlike boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a leg quarter doesn't require nearly as much work to cut off the whole. Therefore the cost is lower as there is less expense involved in the prep.

    two cooked chicken quarters in a white dish with broccoli next to an instant pot

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Instant Pot chicken quarters with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Blend together the spices for the chicken rub in a small bowl and set aside.

    Pour one cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and place in the trivet.

    Rub the chicken with the seasoning mixture on both the fronts and backs of the quarters as best as you can.

    chicken quarters on a baking sheet with seasonings sprinkled on top

    Stack the seasoned chicken quarters upright like books on a shelf on the trivet. I like to alternate which sides the drumsticks are on.

    seasoned chicken quarters in an instant pot liner stacked like books

    Set to High Pressure for 15-20 minutes for thawed chicken or 25 minutes for frozen.

    Naturally Release the Pressure for 5 minutes after the timer beeps, and then release the rest manually.

    cooked chicken quarters in an instant pot liner

    Check internal temperature and make sure chicken is a safe 165 degrees F before eating. If not, bake at 350 degrees F until temp has been reached.

    Optional Step- Set your oven to High Broil and place chicken on a baking sheet.

    Broil on high for 3-5 minutes to help crisp up the skin.

    cooked chicken quarters on a baking sheet

    Serve warm with side dishes.

    a dinner plate with instant pot chicken quarters and side dishes

    More great Instant Pot recipes to try

    • Instant Pot Hot Dogs
    • Instant Pot Tater Tot Casserole
    • Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
    • Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling
    • Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

    📖 Recipe

    a close up of two cooked chicken quarters in a dish with broccoli next to an instant pot
    Print Recipe
    4.15 from 7 votes

    Instant Pot Chicken Quarters

    With a simple chicken leg quarter recipe on hand, you'll have dinner with no hassle at all. Juicy and flavorful dark meat chicken isn't too far away.
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Natural Pressure Release 5 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Servings: 4 quarters
    Calories: 322kcal
    Cost Recipe $7.26 / Serving $1.82
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Baking Sheet
    • Small Bowl

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken leg quarters ($6.97)
    • ½ teaspoon salt ($0.05)
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.02)
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning ($0.05)
    • ½ teaspoon paprika ($0.05)
    • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne ($0.02)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.05)
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder ($0.05)
    • 1 cup water, for cooking ($0.00)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, blend together the spices for the chicken rub. Set aside.
    • Pour one cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot. Add in the trivet.
    • Rub your chicken leg quarters with the spice rub.
    • Stack your chicken quarters up like a bookshelf, side by side on the trivet. I like to alternte my legs so that they aren't all on one side.
    • Close the lid and seal the vent.
    • Set to High Pressure for 15-20 minutes. 25 minutes if the chicken quarters are still partially frozen.
    • Naturally Release the Pressure for 5 minutes after the timer beeps. Then release the rest manually.
    • Check internal temperature of chicken. Make sure it reaches a minimum of 165 Degrees F. If not, place in the oven at 350 Degrees F until it comes up to temperature before eating.
    • Set the oven to High Broil and lay your chicken quarters on a baking sheet, skin side up. Broil for 3-5 minutes until skin is crisped to desired doneness.
    • Serve warm with your favorite side dishes.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

    You will need to stand the chicken up on the trivet like books on a shelf. Standing them upright like this allows them to fit into the pot. You may need to trim a little fat or skin here and there to help them fit more easily.
    You can use water, broth, or even beer for more flavorfully cooked chicken. Just make sure that there is at least 1-1.5 cups of liquid in the pot to help the chicken cook properly.
    After the chicken has been cooked, you can take an optional step of broiling the quarters in the oven to help crisp up the skin to a nice golden brown. Recommended, but not required.
    Make sure chicken reaches at least 165 degrees F before and eating and if it hasn't you can place it in the oven for a few minutes at 350 degrees F to help get it to the safe-to-eat-zone. (Baking it would be faster than cooking it in the Instant Pot again and allows you to periodically check on the internal temperature.)

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1quarter | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.9g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 11.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 241.2mg | Sodium: 548.2mg | Potassium: 650.9mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 42.3IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2.3mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course dinner
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. DDeborah D says

      January 13, 2022 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      At last, I have found a recipe that has the correct cooking time for instant pot chicken quarters.

      Reply
    2. Crista says

      March 16, 2023 at 8:08 pm

      2 stars
      My chicken leg quarters were completely thawed and I actually only did 3, and they were nowhere near done after 15 min in the instant pot, 5 minutes depressurizing, and 5 min of broiling...still bloody inside.

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        March 16, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        Aw I'm so sorry to hear that. Did you use large chicken quarters? Did you check their temperature before broiling them? I've had chicken quarters finish anywhere from 15-25 minutes and it varies per piece. Also, unless you butchered the chicken yourself, that's not blood. It's hemoglobin that is in the tissues of the bird, and the color lingers even after it has been cooked, so discoloration shouldn't be used as a measure for chicken "doneness." I recommend an instant-read food thermometer to check to see if the meat has finished cooking next time.

        Reply

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