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This roasted chicken drumsticks recipe couldn’t be easier! Sometimes simple is best, and when it comes to oven baked chicken legs, that couldn’t be more true. They are incredibly crispy, flavorful, and delicious, but they also only take 10 minutes to prep. I’m excited to show you how to cook chicken drumsticks using my favorite method, all my tips and tricks for cooking chicken legs in the oven, what to serve with oven roasted chicken legs, and more. This post has everything you need to know!
How To Make Baked Chicken Legs In The Oven
Wondering how to cook chicken legs in the oven? Easy!
I do have 3 simple, but important, tips to ensure your oven baked chicken legs turn out perfectly each and every time.
- Dry the drumsticks. This helps get the skin crispy.
- Use a baking rack. This allows the hot air to circulate around the oven baked chicken legs.
- Cook with high heat. The baked chicken legs oven temp is high, but this helps crisp up the skin.
Once you know how to bake chicken legs, you might just find yourself making them on a regular basis. They are THAT good!
How To Prepare Chicken Legs For Baking
Your prep for oven roasted chicken legs is centered around encouraging air circulation to get them crispy.
- Prep. Preheat the oven (we want it hot!), line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up!) and place an oven safe rack on the sheet pan.
TIP: The oven rack helps circulate the hot air around chicken, which results in the best baked chicken drumsticks!
- Dry the chicken. Pat the drumsticks with a paper towel, which will help get rid of any extra moisture and get them nice and crispy.
How To Season Chicken Legs
This crispy oven baked chicken legs recipe is simply seasoned with a flavorful mix of smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Before the seasoning though, we have another layer of flavor. Brush the chicken with butter! Not only does this help make them more crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but it also helps the seasonings stick.
- Season the drumsticks. Brush them with melted butter first, then sprinkle on the seasonings.
How To Bake Chicken Legs
You’ve prepped ’em – all that’s left is to bake ’em!
- Bake the roasted chicken legs. Cooking chicken legs at high heat will get them crispy, just how we want them.
How Long Do You Bake Chicken Legs In The Oven?
With average sized drumsticks, I recommend a cook time of 35-45 minutes at 425 degrees. The exact time will vary a bit, due to varying oven temperatures as well as drumstick size.
TIP: For best results, flip the chicken during baking, which will help them crisp up more and cook more evenly.
But when it comes to cooking chicken legs in the oven, the most important thing is to cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Here is the meat thermometer I use.
Are Baked Chicken Drumsticks Healthy?
Yes, easy baked chicken legs in oven is a healthy way to cook drumsticks. They are a great source of essential amino acids, and several vitamins and minerals as well.
Being higher in fat, drumsticks are a great choice for a keto lifestyle. They can also be made paleo and whole-30 friendly if you use ghee instead of butter.
How Many Calories In A Baked Chicken Leg?
A baked chicken leg using this recipe has 236 calories, which includes the butter we brush on top. The calorie count will vary based on size.
How Much Protein In A Chicken Leg?
An average chicken leg has 22 grams of protein, but it will vary a bit depending on their size.
Storage Instructions For Chicken Drumsticks
How To Store Crispy Baked Chicken Legs
Store this easy chicken drumstick recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat the chicken in a 350 degree F oven for best results. The easy oven baked chicken legs will be crispier and better if you bake them to reheat them, but can also be microwaved in a pinch.
TIP: If the skin is not crisp after reheating, you can place under the broiler for a minute or two.
Can You Freeze Raw Drumsticks?
Absolutely! You can freeze raw chicken for up to 9-12 months for best results.
Simply lay the drumsticks on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer and place in the freezer. Once solid, you can move them to a freezer bag for more compact storage.
TIP: If you like, you can brush with butter and season the chicken legs before freezing. That way there is virtually no prep before baking later.
Can You Freeze Baked Chicken Drumsticks?
Yes, you can freeze this oven roasted chicken legs recipe after baking if you like. It will last several months.
When ready to reheat, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or for a few hours) and reheat in a 350 degree F oven for best results.
However, the recipe is so quick and easy that you don’t save a lot of time by freezing. I’d opt for freezing the raw drumsticks instead and making them fresh when needed.
What To Serve With Baked Chicken Legs
There isn’t much that doesn’t go with baked chicken drumsticks. If you want to turn it into a full meal, I recommend serving it with a vegetable side dish, and maybe a low carb bread or roll to round out the meal. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
- Southern Fried Cabbage – Serve up your oven roasted chicken legs with this cabbage recipe as a nod to a classic Southern combo!
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad– This salad has everything you want: crunch, sweet, salty, creamy! And everyone’s favorite ingredient. 😉
- Mushroom Cauliflower Risotto – This risotto can certainly stand alone as a meal, but pair it with baked chicken drumsticks for a balanced and well-rounded meal.
- Cheesy Cauliflower Tots– Making this baked chicken drumsticks recipe for the family? Everyone will be happy about this side dish.
- Almond Flour Biscuits – Remember that Southern cabbage side above? Add these for a REAL Southern meal. Just 4 ingredients!
- Oven Roasted Garlic Green Beans – Even my kids couldn’t stop eating these with their chicken.
- Easy Sauteed Broccoli – A great option if you want to make your side dish while you have your chicken legs roasting in the oven.
More Easy Chicken Recipes Readers Love
- Juicy Chicken Breast – The best way to make chicken breast that’s juicy, not dry!
- Crispy Chicken Thighs– Just as easy as these chicken drumsticks.
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken – The slow cooker makes tender, fall-apart chicken with virtually no work. So good!
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings – People rave about this one. They’ll be crispiest wings you’ve ever had.
Tools To Make Chicken Drumsticks:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Instant Read Thermometer – How long do you cook chicken legs in the oven? The best and easiest way to tell when the baked drumsticks are done cooking is to use an instant-read thermometer. Cook them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Baking Sheet with Cooling Rack – I love this baking sheet + cooling rack combo. The cooling rack elevates the chicken so that both sides get nice and crispy.
- Basting and Pastry Brush – One trick to the best chicken drumstick recipe? A brush of butter to coat the chicken legs.
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
Crispy Baked Chicken Legs Drumsticks Recipe
This 10-minute-prep easy oven roasted chicken drumsticks recipe will make SUPER crispy baked chicken legs that turn out perfectly every time! It's the only guide for how to bake chicken legs you'll ever need.
Recipe Video
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Instructions
Get RECIPE TIPS in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe rack on top.
Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels, which will help them get crispy. Arrange the chicken legs on the rack.
Brush the chicken drumsticks with melted butter. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Bake the chicken legs in the oven for 25 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 drumstick
Video Showing How To Make Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks:
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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50 Comments
Lisa
You know – what I love about this recipe is that it suggests sides to go with it. Definitely will be revisiting this site when I meal prep 🙂
Sofiya Peer
I’ve never made any chicken in the oven that came out as delicious as this. The step to pat the chicken dry was a revelation. The skin was crispy without being too crunchy and the meat was juicy and flavorful. Kids enjoyed it and asked for more, which makes a recipe a winner in my book.
DUFFY PASTORE
Smells amazing! Let you know when I eat it!
Jennifer
Butter burns!!! This recipe is only good for setting off a fire alarm.
Peggy Bly
Made tonight after seeing it on your site,husband loved it,will do again!!!
Krista
Smoked up my whole house with this recipe!!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Krista, I am sorry this happened to you. It is usually because the chicken wasn’t thoroughly dried before baking. It will sputter a lot less when fully dried before brushing with butter.
Jenn
This was so easy to make. The butter is key to this. I didn’t butter one side and it showed but still delicious!
Ann B. Richardson
I just made this! It turned out great! Unfortunately, I only cook for myself and I fixed only 3 drumsticks. They were fat ones! I didn’t really measure anything and I just adjusted the amount for the amount of chicken I had. I added some “soul food” seasoning to the spicemix. It turned out really crispy!! I couldn’t believe it. I think drying off the chicken beforehand is what does the trick. It was very messy, but I loved it. I saved this recipe and will definitely use it again.
Craig Thompson
From what I saw on your chicken leg video, you only spiced one side. Why not all the wat around? It does look yummy but the flavor flav. Will only be one sided.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Craig, Sorry about the confusion, the video only showed one side in the footage but actually both sides should get seasoning.
Scott A Undercofler
Solid recipe!!! The chicken was crispy and delicious!
Chloe
This is great. I’ve made it several times in the past few weeks. I don’t have an oven rack but it works fine on the foil. This is definitely in the regular rotation now.
Patti
Absolutely LOVED this recipe. Great tip on freezing the chicken with the butter and spices already added! So easy to take out of the freezer, thaw and throw in the oven.
I also used this recipe on chicken thighs and it was just as good. My family is already asking me to thaw some out for this weekend.
Beth
My family and I love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this recipe again! So delicious and tasty!
Genevieve
This looks like such an easy chicken recipe that can be paired with so many yummy side dishes. Chicken is such a nice go-to when I can’t think of what to make for dinner.
Sara Welch
Tried this for dinner last night and it didn’t disappoint! Easily, a new family favorite recipe!
Mirlene
Double the recipe because these will not last long. They are delicious
Bintu
So crispy and delicious!
Pat
Where the Blasted is the recipe. Ads. Gabs and EVERYTHING ELSE BUT….
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Pat, I am sorry you are struggling to find the recipe. It is located in the recipe card, along with the video for the recipe and the nutrition. If you can’t see the card, then please check to make sure you aren’t viewing the website in ‘reader mode.’ This can be verified in your internet browser settings.
Gin
I followed this recipe to the “T” and hope to provide some constructive feedback. I think I am a fairly good cook (and my husband tells me I am gourmet but I can disagree) So disappointed in this recipe; I wanted to try it based on the good reviews. Here is what I ended up with: chicken was correct temp when I took it out but not even the least bit crispy! (I did pat it completely dry before following the rest of the instructions) The flavor was just ok (and I had to double the amount of seasoning for 6 drumsticks) but since there’s skin on it, that’s where most of the flavor is (and we do not eat the skin). But my biggest headache was the grease that ended up all over my newly cleaned glass oven door – what a mess! Any suggestions to avoid this greasy splatter would have been most appreciated.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Gin, You may want to try this recipe on skinless cut of chicken. Removing the skin will cut down on the splattering and the seasoning will be applied directly to the meat. Enjoy!
Gigi
Found this recipe on Pinterest and was needing to add a new protein to the Keto rotation. Needless to say, we WERE NOT disappointed! Did everything the same as Maya did, EXCEPT, we started the legs (aka “chicken with a handle” as my daughter called it when she was little) with the skin side down. We baked for 20 minutes and then flipped them over to skin side up and baked for another 20 minutes. They didn’t look AS CRISPY as we wanted, so we turned the broiler on Hi and broiled them for 5 more minutes…DELISH! Definitely adding this one to the rotation!
Anita Waugh
Can you cook these in an air fryer?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Anita, Yes and air fryer should work well for this recipe. Be sure to use a thermometer to check your drumsticks about halfway through. They may finish in less time than written for the oven instructions.
Jeff
Thank you for the quick reply. Once I raise the temperature to 425, how much longer do I bake them? Is it another 20 minutes?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jeff, It shouldn’t need another 20 minutes. The high heat should only be needed to finish off the skin. The easiest way to do this is to use a thermometer and check for doneness before increasing the heat to crisp up the skin.
Editing this to add: If you are making chicken breasts, you may want to just use my juicy baked chicken breast recipe instead. I like that best for those!
Jeff
I loved this recipe! Can you tell me the time and temperature difference for using this same recipe on chicken breasts?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jeff, Make sure you are getting skin-on chicken breasts, which will give you that terrific crunch to the outer layer. I would bake at 350 for 20 minutes, and then change the heat to 425 or broil to let the skin crisp up.
DD
I am looking forward to making. Do you butter & season both sides? Thank you for the recipe. Looks so good!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi DD, Yes. Enjoy!
Line Geerts
Perfect chicken! Quick and easy and no mess!
Lisa
I think those would be a big hit at my house!
Earl Sager
What about baking the chicken the whole leg?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Earl, Cooking the whole chicken leg will add quite a bit of cook time, I would estimate around 40 minutes. I suggest doing this with a meat thermometer to make sure the center of your thigh hits the desired temperature of 165 degrees F.
Sr
My oven started to smoke pretty badly at the 10 min mark. Is there a way to prevent this? The chicken is elevated on a rack with a pan for drippings below
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sr, The Chicken may sputter a bit while it cooks. To help cut down on the smoke, remember to thoroughly dry your chicken well before placing it in the oven. It’s the water and fat causes the chicken to spit and smoke. If your chicken was already dried, then you may want to consider using ghee next time in place of the butter. I hope this helps!
Shan
This smelled so good but then my house started filling up with smoke. How do you cook these at that temperature without smoking?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Shan, It sounds like your drumsticks were close to the heating element in your oven. I suggest putting them on the middle rack in your oven to prevent smoke from splattering.
Emily Liao
This recipe is SO good! I make this often and it’s a family favorite. Also, it makes for great leftovers.
Katie
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Jen
Perfectly crispy and delicious! Thanks for all of your tips to getting this right.
Kacey Perez
This post seriously answered so many of my questions! Such a good reminder to dry the chicken before anything else! Thanks for sharing all of these tips!
Shannon
The tips you’ve shared have been super helpful! I always struggled with cooking these. Can’t wait to try them again.
Marjory
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this recipe. Will be trying it in my air fryer next time!
Robin
These came out great. Nice meal.
Carole Thomas
Does this recipe work for other parts of a chicken?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Carole, Yes, but cook times will vary depending on what cuts you use. Just be sure to cook the chicken to the correct temp (165 degree F)
Elena
My family loved this recipe!