My
Shop
Wholesome Yum
Free: Healthy Freezer Meals Recipe Ebook
Get It NowThis 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 them, and more. This post has everything you need to know!
This is one of my favorite chicken leg recipes, but if you want to cook other cuts of chicken, try baked chicken breast, crispy oven baked chicken wings, roasted chicken thighs, baked chicken leg quarters, or browse more chicken recipes here.
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
- Super crispy skin on the outside, juicy on the inside
- Flavorful and simple spices for seasoning
- Just a few minutes active prep time
- No need to wait for a marinade (there isn’t one!)
- Healthy protein-packed chicken dinner
- Crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for baked chicken drumsticks, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
This crispy oven baked chicken legs recipe is simply seasoned. You’ll need…
- Chicken Drumsticks – Bone-in and skin-on chicken, of course. Try to choose ones that are uniform in size, so that they cook at the same rate.
- Butter Or Oil – Not only does this help make them more crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but it also helps the seasonings stick. Butter has a lower smoke point so I don’t usually use it for roasting, but I love the flavor that it gives this recipe and haven’t found any issues with it. If you’re concerned about it, feel free to use ghee, olive oil, or avocado oil instead. Spraying with cooking spray would also work, but I prefer to avoid the chemicals.
- Smoked Paprika – Adds a delicious smoky flavor, as well as color. Feel free to swap in regular paprika if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic Powder – We’re using garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, as the latter would burn. If you want to use fresh garlic, it’s best to put it in a compound butter underneath the skin instead, like I do with air fryer chicken drumsticks.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
SEASONING VARIATIONS: Change up the basic chicken drumsticks recipe!
Try replacing the seasonings with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, or Cajun seasoning, or add them in addition to the above. If your seasonings contain salt, reduce or omit the salt added separately. You can also make complimentary additions to the above seasonings, such as oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or even chopped fresh herbs.
How To Make Baked Chicken Legs In The Oven
This section shows how to cook chicken legs in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
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 the oven and pan. Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up!) and place an oven safe rack over the sheet pan. (I like this set – it’s non-stick, so easy to clean.) I prefer foil rather than parchment paper for lining underneath the rack, because it catches the juices more easily.
- Dry the chicken. Pat the drumsticks with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
How To Season Chicken Legs
- Brush with butter. Brush the chicken legs on all sides with melted butter, or drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
- Season the drumsticks. Sprinkle smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper on all sides.
How To Bake Chicken Legs
- Bake. Cooking chicken legs at high heat will get them crispy, just how we want them.
- Rest. Let the baked chicken drumsticks rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How Long To Bake Chicken Legs In The Oven?
For average sized drumsticks, chicken leg bake time is 35-45 minutes at 425 degrees, flipping halfway through. The exact time will vary a bit, due to varying oven temperatures as well as drumstick size.
Tips For The Best Chicken Drumstick Recipe
I have several simple, but important, tips to ensure your crispy baked chicken legs turn out perfectly each and every time:
- Dry the drumsticks. Patting dry with paper towels before seasoning helps get the skin crispy later.
- Use a baking rack like this one. This allows the hot air to circulate around the chicken, for the best baked chicken drumsticks that are nice and crispy!
- Season on the rack to save on dishes. I add the butter and seasonings right on the rack for a time-saving shortcut, but you can season in the chicken in a large bowl if you prefer. Simply pour the melted butter over the chicken in the bowl, add the seasonings, and toss to coat.
- Roast at high heat. The best baked chicken legs oven temp is fairly high (425 degrees F), which helps crisp up the skin. Plus, I find that higher temperatures are less prone to drying out the meat.
- Flip halfway through. For best results, flip the chicken legs halfway through baking, which will help them crisp up more and cook more evenly.
- Cook to 170 degrees F. Whether you are cooking chicken legs in the oven or using just about any other method, they should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F to be safe. However, I recommend 170 degrees F for dark meat recipes like chicken drumsticks, because this breaks down the collagen and makes them more juicy and tender. Here is the meat thermometer I use and recommend.
- Broil if needed. If the chicken drumsticks are not as crispy as you like by the time they reach the right internal temperature, place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the skin more. (Watch closely so that they don’t burn!)
- Don’t forget to rest. Letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes after baking helps seal in the juices and ensure that they stay moist on the inside.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers of this easy chicken drumstick recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Raw Drumsticks?
Yes, you can freeze raw chicken drumsticks for up to 9-12 months. Lay them 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 chicken drumstick recipes after baking, for up to 3-4 months.
Reheating Instructions:
Reheat leftover chicken legs in the oven or an air fryer at 350 degree F oven for best results. The microwave works in a pinch, but the skin won’t be crispy.
To reheat frozen drumsticks, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or for a few hours) and reheat in a 350 degree F oven for best results.
TIP: If the skin is not crisp after reheating, you can place under the broiler for a minute or two, until crispy.
Watch closely so they don’t burn.
What To Serve With Chicken Legs
There isn’t much that doesn’t go with baked chicken drumsticks. If you want to turn it into a full meal, try these:
- Vegetables – Try a healthy side dish or low carb side dish… there are so many to choose from! Fried cabbage, creamed spinach, pan fried broccoli with garlic, or sauteed zucchini are great stovetop options if you want to make your veggies while you have your chicken legs roasting in the oven. If you have double ovens, make roasted green beans with garlic, a cauliflower casserole recipe, or make a roasted eggplant recipe at the same time as the chicken.
- Potatoes – Oven roasted chicken legs with potatoes make the ultimate comfort food meal! Pair them with classic roasted potatoes, or for a bit more nutrition, baked sweet potatoes or air fry sweet potatoes.
- Pasta – Because I’m gluten-free, I usually make baked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles, but regular pasta works great as well if it fits your lifestyle.
- Salads – Make it a light meal by serving your baked chicken drumstick recipes with Caprese salad or cucumber tomato avocado salad in the warm months, and kale crunch salad or winter salad in the cool months.
- Sauces – This chicken drumstick recipe is flavorful enough on its own, but feel free to serve it with BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or other sauces you like with chicken.
More Easy Chicken Drumstick Recipes
Looking for more chicken leg recipes? Here are some popular reader favorites:
Recommended Tools
- Instant Read Thermometer – How long to cook chicken legs in the oven? The best way to tell when the baked drumsticks are done is to use an instant-read thermometer. Cook them to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
- Baking Sheet with Cooling Rack – I love this baking sheet + cooling rack combo. The cooling rack elevates the chicken, for nice and crisky skin. (It’s also fantastic for other foods you want crispy, like bacon in the oven, lemon pepper wings, coconut shrimp, and asparagus wrapped in bacon.)
- Basting and Pastry Brush – One trick to the best chicken drumstick recipe? A brush of butter to coat the chicken.
How To Bake Chicken Legs
Baked Chicken Legs Drumsticks (Super Crispy!)
This 10-minute-prep easy oven roasted chicken drumsticks recipe will make SUPER crispy baked chicken legs that turn out perfectly every time!
Remove Ads
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap 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 rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe rack on top. (I use this set, which includes the baking sheet and rack that fits perfectly.)
-
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 170 degrees F (77 degrees C).
-
Optional step: If the chicken drumsticks are not as crispy as you like, place under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the skin more.
-
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
This helps other readers and also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site.
Related Easy Recipes
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 drumstick
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Save This Recipe Now© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
312 Comments
Cindy Cuneio
0I made the Crispy Baked Chicken Legs Drumsticks for dinner and we loved it. This recipe is a keeper.
Pam Moak
0I can’t wait to try this! And, I have a question. Did you season both sides of the drumsticks before cooking?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pam, Yes, season all the way around your drumsticks. Enjoy!
Gin
0Please don’t think I’m trying to be rude or difficult (and any helpful comments would be welcome). I think I am a fairly good cook (hubby says gourmet) and I try many new recipes based on reviews. I followed your recipe to the “T” and the tops of the chicken legs burned (even tho’ I took them out earlier when temp check said they were done) and rack well below middle…but there was little to no flavor in the actual chicken (since the skin has all the seasonings) so we needed Heinz sauce. In the past, when a recipe turns out like this, I try it again and pull back the skin to get some seasoning on the chicken underneath and it turns out better but what could I have done wrong here???
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gin, Sorry the drumstick didn’t turn out as expected. I used 6 drumsticks, which weighed 1 1/2 lbs. Is it possible that your drumsticks were smaller? Smaller drumsticks would cook through faster. Feel free to season under the skin if that is your preference, the recipe will still work well if you decide to do that.
Annmarie
0Amazing!
Chantal
0Caused alot of smoke in the house – totally worth it!!! This will forever be my go to drumstick recipe. Was a hit with the whole family. Juicy and delicious. Perfectly seasoned. Thank you a million times for a super easy and tasty chicken recipe. My son who dislikes chicken ate every last bite!
Marysol
0Not enough flavor at all…. the butter made my oven so Smokey since butter burning point is 350 so I suggest using olive oil instead or another high heat oil so your fire alarm doesn’t go off like mine did. Take off skin so the seasoning goes in chicken. It was still eatable but could’ve tasted way better. Would not recommend this recipe.
Val
0Melted butter is bad!! My kitchen if full of smoke. Ugh
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Val, Sorry this happened to you! Your chicken may have been too close to the heating element which can cause the butter to spit.
Cynthia
0I don’t eat meat, poultry, etc. so didn’t taste these to see if my hubby might like them. But he complimented me on the flavor, gave a thumbs up. They were ready in about 20 minutes in our oven, however. Appreciate the recipe!
Michelle Roberts
0I’m cooking this tonight. It smells heavenly!
Kristine
0Loved this! Perfect seasonings! Will make again!
Sherri M
0Made this tonight and guess what? BEST RECIPE EVER. My chicken was SO flavorful and so crispy, delicious:)
The only thing I changed was I added some of Flavor God’s EVERYTHING seasoning. I have programmed my brain, will make always moving forward.
Lisa
0I’ve had this chicken 4 times now and it is terrific! Cooking it now. Boyfriend is a very picky eater and he loves it. Asked me to cook it tonight. Few tricks I’ve learned with this recipe is to change the foil every 15 minutes or else the smoke alarm goes off, cook it a little longer than recommended, and add a little melted butter before serving. Thank you for the recipe!
Major Pike
0Very great recipe. Very easy with the outcome I was looking for. As far as the site that your recipe is on? It took forever to read your recipe due to the fact that everytime I went to scroll or I read it too long your recipe got covered by ads. Great recipe. Deserves a better site however. Two thumbs up all day.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Major Pike, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback on the site. I understand the ads can be frustrating, but they fund the website and allow me to continue to add content for free. If you are enjoying the recipes, I do have a Wholesome Yum Plus membership that allows you to view the website without ads in addition to several other fun perks!
Claudia
0Hi, I was really looking forward to trying this recipe but was sadly put off by the adverts – not so much the amount but the placement. I completely understand that you choose to make money from your site (who doesn’t?) but the placement of your ads means that practically the whole left 1/4 of your page is covered with an ad pop up, making it almost impossible to read the ingredients and instructions (which is what your site is for). It also covered up a lot of the comments field – and no, I couldn’t press anything to get rid of it as it just kept popping up. There is no malice intended and I sincerely hope that none came across through this comment but it can sometimes be so frustrating navigating through sites.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Claudia, I completely understand your frustration and thank you for the kind message. Like you said, the ads do support the free content and all the expenses that come with a website having millions of visitors, and their placement does play a big role in that. However, there should never be any popups that you can’t close. Each page has only one popup, which has an “X” button in the top right corner of it, it usually shows up within a couple seconds.
That being said, I know many people don’t like ads and that’s why I created Wholesome Yum Plus – it’s my ad-free membership for both my website and my mobile app, and also comes with a bunch of other perks included. You can sign up for Wholesome Yum Plus here.
Lisa
0You 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
0I’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
0Smells amazing! Let you know when I eat it!
Jennifer
0Butter burns!!! This recipe is only good for setting off a fire alarm.
Vanessa L Baker
0This looks amazing! Can I do this recipe in the air fryer? I’m worried about the butter burning and smoking on the bottom… But I would LOVE to use the air fryer!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Vanessa, Yes an 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.
Peggy Bly
0Made tonight after seeing it on your site,husband loved it,will do again!!!
Krista
0Smoked up my whole house with this recipe!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0This 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
0I 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
0From 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
0Hi Craig, Sorry about the confusion, the video only showed one side in the footage but actually both sides should get seasoning.
Scott A Undercofler
0Solid recipe!!! The chicken was crispy and delicious!
Chloe
0This 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
0Absolutely 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
0My family and I love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this recipe again! So delicious and tasty!
Genevieve
0This 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
0Tried this for dinner last night and it didn’t disappoint! Easily, a new family favorite recipe!
Mirlene
0Double the recipe because these will not last long. They are delicious
Bintu
0So crispy and delicious!
Pat
0Where the Blasted is the recipe. Ads. Gabs and EVERYTHING ELSE BUT….
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0I 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
0Hi 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
0Found 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
0Can you cook these in an air fryer?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0Thank 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
0Hi 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
0I loved this recipe! Can you tell me the time and temperature difference for using this same recipe on chicken breasts?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0I am looking forward to making. Do you butter & season both sides? Thank you for the recipe. Looks so good!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi DD, Yes. Enjoy!
Line Geerts
0Perfect chicken! Quick and easy and no mess!
Lisa
0I think those would be a big hit at my house!
Earl Sager
0What about baking the chicken the whole leg?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0My 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
0Hi 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
0This 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
0Hi 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
0This recipe is SO good! I make this often and it’s a family favorite. Also, it makes for great leftovers.
Katie
0Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Jen
0Perfectly crispy and delicious! Thanks for all of your tips to getting this right.
Kacey Perez
0This 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
0The tips you’ve shared have been super helpful! I always struggled with cooking these. Can’t wait to try them again.
Marjory
0I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this recipe. Will be trying it in my air fryer next time!
Robin
0These came out great. Nice meal.
Carole Thomas
0Does this recipe work for other parts of a chicken?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi 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
0My family loved this recipe!