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My Crispiest, Juiciest Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
Everyone needs a reliable baked chicken legs recipe to turn to, and this one is mine. It’s basically the opposite of fancy — just simple, flavorful, savory, and crispy chicken I want to make over and over again. Here’s why:
- Juicy with super crispy skin – Chicken leg recipes are harder to dry out than white meat, but these come out extra juicy with my tips. And if you’ve seen me rave about crispy skin in my chicken leg quarters, chicken wings, and chicken thighs, you know I wouldn’t have drumsticks any other way, either.
- Quick and easy – I love spices, but pared down to just the important ones here — 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), if you’re counting! And these oven baked chicken legs need just a few minutes of your time.
- Family friendly – They’re protein packed, simple, and a hit with kids and adults alike. It’s just all around a winner of a chicken dinner.
Clearly I’m not the only one that has those days I love this kind of easy, healthy dinner. It’s become one of my most popular chicken recipes here on Wholesome Yum. And after all these years, this method for how to bake chicken legs in the oven is still the one I use most often. Make them with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my baked chicken legs recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken Drumsticks – Choose ones that are uniform in size, so they cook at the same rate. Some of you have asked if you can use chicken breast. You can, but you’re better off following my baked chicken breast recipe — some of my tips are different for that cut.
- Butter Or Oil – For flavor, locking in moisture, and crispy skin. Butter has a low smoke point, so I don’t usually use it for roasting, but I love the flavor that it gives this recipe and haven’t had issues. Feel free to use ghee, olive oil, or avocado oil instead. Cooking spray also works — I recommend an oil mister like this to avoid chemicals.
- Seasonings – My go-to blend is smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I’ve also made these baked chicken legs with other spice blends, including Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. If your blend contains salt, reduce or omit the salt added separately. You can make complimentary additions to the above spices, too, such as oregano, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.
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How To Bake Chicken Legs
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then 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, oil, and season. Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture, then brush with melted butter or oil. (I like this brush that cleans up easily.) Sprinkle spices all over.
- Bake chicken legs in the oven. Roasting at high heat, flipping halfway through. See my tips below to get them extra crispy!
- Let them rest. Remove from the oven and wait a few minutes before serving — this lets the juices settle, so your baked chicken legs stay juicy inside.
My Recipe Tips
- Why pat dry? I always pat steaks, poultry, and fish dry before cooking, as it helps them all stay more juicy. But for skin-on chicken in particular, this also helps the skin crisp up better.
- Do you have to use a rack? No, and I’ve tried this baked chicken legs recipe on a regular baking sheet, but this baking sheet with rack set makes it so much better. It allos hot air to circulate and extra grease drips down, so it cooks more evenly and crisps up better. And you won’t run out of ways to use it — I also use mine for bacon in the oven, lemon pepper wings, coconut shrimp, and spatchcock chicken!
- Season right on the pan to save on dishes. You can just toss the chicken drumsticks with everything in a bowl or on a cutting board too, but using the baking sheet means less dishes to wash.
- Want to use fresh garlic? I use garlic powder because garlic over the skin will 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 my air fryer chicken legs.
- For even crispier skin, sprinkle lightly with baking powder before baking. I do that for this crispy baked chicken and it’s pretty amazing.
- Start baking chicken legs skin side down first. Obviously all sides have skin, but one side has more. The side facing up last ends up a teeny-tiny bit more crispy than the bottom side, so I like to start with the best side down and end with it face up. And flipping is a must, even with the rack.
- Cook to 170 degrees F, not 165. Chicken needs to reach 165 degrees F to be safe (source), but I highly recommend cooking chicken legs in the oven to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. That’s when the collagen breaks down (in other words, they become juicy and tender). Here’s the instant-read thermometer I use and recommend.
- Broil at the end if needed. If your baked chicken legs are not as crispy as you like, place them under the broiler for a couple minutes to crisp up more. Watch closely so that they don’t burn!
Baked Chicken Legs (Crispy, Easy Recipe)
By
This baked chicken legs recipe makes them so juicy with perfect crispy skin! You need just a few simple ingredients and easy 10-minute prep.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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.)
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Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels, which will help them get crispy. Arrange the chicken legs on the rack.
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Brush the chicken drumsticks with melted butter. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
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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).
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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.
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Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 drumstick
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips to help you get the juiciest baked chicken legs with the crispiest skin.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The skin does get soft, but you can crisp it up again.
- Reheat: For crispy skin and a juicy inside, I recommend reheating chicken legs in the oven again, this time at 350 degrees F. If the skin is still not crisp, you can place under the broiler for a minute or two. The microwave works in a pinch, but the skin will be soft.
- Freezer meal prep: My favorite meal prep hack with this recipe is to brush with butter and season the chicken, then freeze it raw. That way there is virtually no prep before baking later, and this actually makes them even more juicy!
- More freezing options: You can freeze raw chicken for up to 9-12 months, but already baked chicken legs taste best in the first 3-4 months. I lay them on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag for compact storage. This method prevents them from sticking together. For best results, thaw before you reheat.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
Serving Ideas
There isn’t much that doesn’t go with baked chicken legs. Here are some of my fave side dishes to go with them:
- Vegetables – If you have double ovens like I do, you can make my roasted green beans, loaded cauliflower casserole, or roasted eggplant at the same time as the chicken. Otherwise, I would cook fried cabbage, creamed spinach, sauteed broccoli with garlic, or sauteed zucchini on the stovetop while you bake chicken legs in the oven.
- Starches – Most often, I roasted potatoes, air fry sweet potatoes, or make lighter pasta swaps, like baked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
- Salads – Make it a light meal with my Caprese salad or cucumber tomato avocado salad in the warm months, and my kale salad or winter salad in the cool months.
- Sauces – I think these juicy baked chicken legs are plenty flavorful on their own! If you want a little something extra, serve them with my BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or sugar-free honey mustard.
More Easy Chicken Leg Recipes
Looking for more chicken leg recipes? Here are some of my other favorite ways to cook them:
385 Comments
Falema
0Absolutely loved this recipe! Chicken came out so so delicious! I didn’t have any butter issues, I don’t know if it’s because I used the hot butter right away and seasoned immediately after. Very tasty I’m a cook more chicken tomorrow! Do you think this recipe is good for fried chicken?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Falema, Here is a recipe for low carb fried chicken that might work better.
No
0Literal trash. Patting the chicken dry does nothing, combining the cold chicken into the butter makes it harden, now I just have a container full of bare chicken legs and seasoned butter stuck to the container. Do not recommend at all.
Yes
0Drying the chicken makes the seasonings and the butter or oil actually stick to the skin. You will never get crispy skin if you leave it wet. If you were gonna combine everything in a bowl, you needed to use oil, not butter. Obviously melted butter is going to harden if it’s combined with cold chicken… That definitely could’ve been mentioned in the recipe, but also, most people who cook know this. I brushed the butter on and it worked beautifully. Certainly not trash.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, It sounds like you didn’t melt the butter, which most likely caused the issue you had.
Kristin
0I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s one of my kids favorites. Bonus: cleanup is SO easy. The question I have, is about the butter (I think?). Every time, my oven smokes SO much. I scrolled through the comments and no one else seems to have this issue. Preemptively saying that my that my oven is clean, I use it almost daily. This is not a usual problem when I cook. I think it’s the low smoke point of the butter, but am wondering why no one else has this problem! Any insight or suggestions welcome.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kristin, Other people have had this issue so if you want to use oil next time that would also work.
Yes
0I had the same issue, and yes, it is the butter that does that. There’s not really much you can do besides using oil or turn that hood fan up on high when you open the oven! That’s what I did. Everything is better with butter, lol!
Kristin
0Haha yes, everything is better with butter! I thought about the oil route too, but came to the same conclusion. Making again tonight so am checking comments. My “hood fan” is on TOP of the microwave, mounted about the stove. So…. Yes another explanation I hadn’t thought about! Think I will try oil this time and see if anyone notices ?
Clara
0Drumsticks are my favorite part of the chicken, and this recipe is easy, tasty, and very uncomplicated. Thanks for sharing!
Kris
0The spices here were absolutely perfect! So juicy and tender too!
Lisa
0Another easy and tasty chicken recipe to add to my collection. The whole family enjoyed it.
Gina
0These came out super crispy yet perfectly tender, great weeknight dinner recipe!
Nova
0I cooked mine, following the instructions. Except I only used 3 drumsticks- I pre portion my food. And my drumsticks weren’t even cooked fully. After 45 minutes, I’m hungry. Ready to eat. Hope it’s worth the wait.
Tracey
0This is so so delicious!! Super easy and easy clean up. I made this tonight for diner and my family loved it. I love something that I can fix and forget until timer goes off especially on those busy nights.
Barbara Mast
0These are really good, and my family agreed.
Cheri
0The drumstick recipe was so simple, I made when I got home from work tonight was very convenient for a work night. It was super delicious like a Sunday dinner. This receipt is definitely a keeper in my recipe binder!
Thank you Wholesome Yum
Elisa
0I gave these a shot tonight and was pleasantly surprised. The recipe is so easy but the chicken was delicious – crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. When I make this again I will use the following modifications — double the garlic, half the butter (I melted the 1/4 cup but only needed half of it), and turn on the oven fan! The kitchen was so smoky I had to open the windows. This recipe is a keeper. I will try some of the other variations such as Italian or lemon pepper. So good!
Donna Baumgartner
0This recipe is so simple, yet so perfect. It goes together fast and is delicious! It’s juicy, but, I’m telling you, that crispy skin is the star! The whole family loved it. I’ll be making this again. I may try it with thighs, too.
Shirly
0The chicken wings were quite tasty and very moist… I would make this recipe again. Thank you for the suggestions about what to have with it. I like that.
Cindy
0I’m new to the group. I made the Baked Chicken Legs last night. Added cayenne pepper and garlic salt. It was so crispy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe! I look forward to making more dinners!
Margo
0Really good.
Margo
0Very easy to make. Good instructions. Did broil for a couple of minutes but part of that was to make sure they were done. Really flavorful and moist.
Lisa from Stillwater, MN
0This recipe was super easy and tasty, too! I may have left the chicken in the oven a bit longer than needed and instead might broil it for a bit next time. Looking forward to a cold leftover drumstick tomorrow. I’ll definitely have these again. Thanks, Maya!
Deanna
0Perfectly crispy with lots of flavor! My entire family loved them! Be sure to read Maya’s tips for crispy chicken!
Marilyn Quick
0I made this recipe for dinner tonight. Loved it!! It was easy to prepare and it turned out just like the picture. It turned out crispy. No need to use the broiler. I would not change the recipe at all. I will definitely be doing it again. Clean up was simple too. It was nice not to have to clean up a greasy stove top caused by splattering grease from a skillet. Thank You so much for this recipe.