Take chicken leg quarters out of the fridge and remove the excess fat piece that is on the bottom of the quarters.
4 chicken leg quarters
Mix together the dry rub ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the top and bottom of the chicken pieces. Let them sit on a dish on the counter for about 15-20 minutes before cooking.
½ Tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Just before cooking the chicken, preheat the cast iron pan over one of the bigger burners on your stove. Heat it over medium for 2-3 minutes before adding oil. see notes
Add in the oil and heat for another 1 minute before adding the chicken.
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Once the pan is heated, add the chicken skin down and cook for 7-10 minutes. The time depends on how dark you want your skin to turn out. 7 will be crispy and fairly light, 10 will be darker.
Flip the chicken quarters over and place the cast iron pan in a rack in the center of the oven.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Check the temperature with a thermometer. In the thickest part of the thigh (be careful not to touch any bones) it should read at least 165° Fahrenheit. We prefer ours at 170-175°.
Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutritional values are estimated.Some oils have a lower smoke point so be careful with the oil you choose for frying. We use a gas stove which is instant heat and usually only need to heat our pan for 2 minutes. Adjust your heating times for your cast iron pan accordingly. If you are new to cast iron and do not know the heating times, no worries. If your pan is heated properly, you will hear a sizzle when adding the chicken. If you don't hear that sizzle, you will need to add a couple minutes to the frying time before flipping over. It will still cook ok.