Baked Chicken Leg Quarters in Tomato Sauce
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This is a recipe for oven-baked chicken leg quarters in tomato sauce. They cook in a rich sauce with bell pepper, onion and spinach. White wine adds depth and balances the sauce.
A cozy dinner that fits a Sunday meal or a weeknight when you want something comforting.
How to make baked chicken leg quarters in tomato sauce
I season the leg quarters and sear them in a skillet or pan to lock in the juices and brown the skin. They should release plenty of fat to sauté the pepper and onion in.
This only takes about 3 minutes, then white wine is added. Once reduced to about half, I turn off the heat.
Chicken leg quarters go into a casserole dish, topped with the onion, pepper and wine mixture followed by tomato sauce seasoned with oregano and half of the spinach. I try to spread everything around and if the sauce is thick, spread it around and push it into the gaps between the chicken pieces.
Then I bake it until tender, about 60 minutes. When ready, I add the rest of the spinach and serve.
Ingredient substitutions
- Chicken leg quarters: Try drumsticks, or use skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.
- Tomato sauce: If you don’t have one on hand, simply puree a can of chopped or whole tomatoes instead. For a more flavorful option, use tomato passata. It’s a smooth sieved tomato sauce.
- Water: Chicken stock or vegetable stock is a great substitution. But you will only need about half of the tomato can, so I would say it is not worth opening the carton. If you have one already open, go ahead and use it. Or, perhaps you just made a pot of homemade stock that needs to be used up.
- Spinach: You can simply omit it.
- Oregano: Dried marjoram or basil will work just as well.
- White wine: Chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
My tips for success
- This recipe is straightforward, but it does take time. Leg quarters get noticeably more tender after about 60 minutes, and sometimes a bit longer, depending on size.
- You can assemble it two ways: follow the recipe as written, or use an extra plate to keep the browned leg quarters on. Then, combine tomato sauce, oregano, sautéed pepper and onion (with the reduced wine), plus half the spinach in the casserole dish and top this with chicken quarters.
Storing leftovers
If you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days. I like to pull the meat off the bone and keep it covered in sauce. Then I reheat it in a skillet or in the microwave. Reheating is quickest once the meat is off the bone.
What to serve with chicken leg quarters
- Coconut rice or any rice you like
- Crusty bread or dinner rolls for soaking up all the delicious sauce
- Couscous
- Quinoa
- Creamy mashed potatoes or polenta
- Green beans (steamed or sautéed)
Recipe Q&A
For tender leg quarters, bake for about 60 minutes, or longer. Timing depends on size.
Insert a thermometer into the thickest part without touching the bone. It should read 165°F (74°C). This is the minimum safe temperature for food. If you want fall-apart tenderness, you can keep cooking until the meat is more yielding, often closer to 190°F (88°C).
More chicken dinner recipes for you to try
- Star Anise Chicken – Chicken thighs are cooked in plenty of spiced sauce.
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs – Our readers’ favorite grilling recipe with a ton of flavor.
- Chicken Piccata – A delicious dinner made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Baked Chicken Leg Quarters in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil see note 1
- 4 chicken leg quarters 1.6 kg, see note 2
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 red bell pepper cut into chunks
- 2 garlic cloves pressed/minced
- 1 cup white wine see note 3
- 1 can tomato sauce see note 4
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- water about ¾ cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Season the chicken leg quarters with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper on both sides.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and sear the chicken skin-side down on medium-high heat until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes (If your skillet is small, sear in 2 batches).
- Transfer the chicken to a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) casserole dish.
- To the same skillet, add pepper chunks and onion quarters. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté on high heat for 3 minutes, then add pressed garlic cloves and cook for a minute. When the garlic releases its aroma, add 1 cup white wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the pepper, onion and wine mixture over the chicken.
- Stir 1 teaspoon oregano into the tomato sauce. Pour this over the chicken legs and into any gaps. Fill the empty tomato sauce can halfway with water, swirl to rinse, then pour it over the chicken and into the gaps around it. Finally, add half of the spinach.
- Bake uncovered for about 60 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches at least 165°F (74°C), and for best tenderness closer to 180 to 190°F (82 to 88°C). Avoid touching bone with the thermometer.
- When done, take it out, top with the remaining spinach, let it sit for 15 minutes, then serve.
- Enjoy with crusty bread, rice, mashed potatoes or polenta.
Notes
- Olive oil can be substituted with other kinds: vegetable, canola, avocado, sunflower oil.
- I had a 4-pack of chicken leg quarters (thigh and drumstick attached), weighing 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) in total. This is plenty for 4 adults.
- White wine: Any will work. I used sauvignon blanc.
- Tomato sauce, pureed tomatoes or strained tomatoes (passata) will all work. Thickness varies. Start with the half-can of water in the method, then add a splash more only if needed.