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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love My Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Bake Chicken Legs
- Tips For Crispy, Juicy Results
- How Long To Bake Chicken Legs?
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- More Easy Chicken Leg Recipes
- My Tools For This Recipe
- Baked Chicken Legs (Crispy & Easy!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Everyone needs a baked chicken legs recipe to turn to, and this one is mine. Nope, it’s not fancy if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s just simple, flavorful, and crispy chicken you make when you want an easy, healthy dinner.
Clearly I’m not the only one that has those days I need this, because this has become my most popular chicken recipe here on Wholesome Yum since I published it years ago. And after all this time, this method for how to cook chicken legs in the oven is still the one I use most often for them. Your turn!
Why You’ll Love My Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
- Juicy and moist inside – Chicken leg recipes are harder to dry out than white meat, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve to ensure these come out extra juicy for you. (See below!)
- Super crispy skin – Yes, I rave about crispy skin in my recipes for baked chicken leg quarters, baked chicken wings, and baked chicken thighs. And I’ll do it again with these baked chicken drumsticks, because who wants skin-on chicken without that? It’s the best part!
- Just the right spices – I’m a simple recipe kind of girl, but I love my spices! I pared down to just the important ones here, so you don’t need too many ingredients (four, if you’re counting — plus salt and pepper!). They are just the right ones to make this chicken flavorful. But I do have variations below if you want to try something different.
- Quick prep – My baked chicken legs recipe only needs a few minutes of your time. No need to wait for a marinade (there isn’t one) or go through lots of steps (it’s just a handful)!
- Make your whole family happy – It’s protein packed, it’s simple, it’s a hit with kids and adults alike. It’s just all around a winner of a chicken dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients my baked chicken legs recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken Drumsticks – Try to choose ones that are uniform in size, so that they cook at the same rate. Some people have asked me if they can use this oven baked chicken legs recipe for chicken breast. The answer is 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 – This helps make the chicken more crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It also helps the seasonings stick. 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 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 yummy smoky flavor, as well as color. Feel free to swap in regular paprika if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic Powder – I use 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 my air fryer chicken legs.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Seasoning Variations:
The combination above is what I use most often (my garlic powder and smoked paprika are always running low, ha!). But I’ve also made these baked chicken legs with other seasoning blends, including Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. If your blend contains salt, reduce or omit the salt added separately. You can also make complimentary additions to the above spices too, such as oregano, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.
How To Bake Chicken Legs
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (I always do this for easy clean up!), 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 the chicken. Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Brush with butter. Brush the chicken legs on all sides with melted butter, or use olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
- Add the seasonings. Sprinkle smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper on all sides of the chicken.
- Bake chicken legs in the oven. Roasting at high heat, flipping halfway through, will get them crispy — a.k.a. just how we want them. (But see my tips below if they aren’t crisp enough for you!)
- Let the chicken rest. Remove from the oven and wait a few minutes before serving.
Tips For Crispy, Juicy Results
- Patting dry is crucial. I pretty much 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.
- 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 (or oil of your choice) over the chicken in the bowl, add the seasonings, and toss to coat.
- Start with the “pretty side” down. 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 to get crispy on all sides, even with the rack.
- 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 (source). However, I recommend 170 degrees F for dark meat recipes like this, because that’s when the collagen breaks down (in other words, they become juicy and tender). Here is the meat thermometer I use and recommend.
- Broil if needed. If the baked chicken legs 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.
How Long To Bake Chicken Legs?
For average sized drumsticks, bake chicken legs for 35-45 minutes, flipping halfway through. The exact time will vary a bit, due to varying oven temperatures as well as drumstick size, so see my tips above to ensure they turn out just right.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The skin does get soft when you store it, but you can crisp it up again if you reheat correctly.
- Reheat: For crispy skin and a juicy inside, I highly recommend reheating chicken legs in the oven again, but 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.
- Freeze: You can freeze raw chicken for up to 9-12 months. Already baked chicken legs taste best if you freeze for no more than 3-4 months. I like to 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 the chicken before you reheat.
TIP: You can brush with butter and season the chicken legs before freezing them raw.
That way there is virtually no prep before baking later, and this actually makes them even more juicy. Try it and let me know what you think!
Serving Suggestions
There isn’t much that doesn’t go with baked chicken legs. Here are some of my fave sides to go with them:
- Vegetables – Try one of my healthy side dishes, or more specifically, low carb side dishes… I have so many to choose from, and veggies are my jam! My easy recipes for fried cabbage, creamed spinach, sauteed broccoli with garlic, or sauteed zucchini are great stovetop options if you want to make your veggies while you have the chicken legs roasting in the oven. 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.
- Potatoes – Oven baked chicken legs with potatoes make the ultimate comfort food meal! My kids love when I make them with my classic roasted potatoes. For a bit more nutrition, bake sweet potatoes or air fry sweet potatoes.
- Pasta – Because I’m gluten-free, I usually make baked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. Regular pasta works as well if it fits your lifestyle.
- Salads – Make it a light meal by serving your chicken 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 BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or other sauces you like with chicken.
More Easy Chicken Leg Recipes
Looking for more chicken leg recipes? Here are some of my other favorite ways to cook them:
My Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Read Thermometer – The best way to tell when chicken drumsticks are done is to use a thermometer, and this is the one I like. Reminder, cook them to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F to get juicy!
- Baking Sheet with Cooling Rack – I’ve tried this recipe on a regular ol’ baking sheet, and you can do that if that’s all you have. But the best baked chicken legs I’ve made have always been on my trusty rack over a baking sheet. This allows the hot air to circulate around the chicken, so it cooks more evenly and crisps up better. (And I rely on it for many other foods, like bacon in the oven, lemon pepper wings, coconut shrimp, and spatchcock chicken, so it gets put to good use!)
- Silicone Brush – I use this for brushing on butter or oil. It’s my fave because it washes out easily.
Baked Chicken Legs (Crispy & Easy!)
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
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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 Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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.
© 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. 🙂
331 Comments
Brenda
0Very simple recipe, with flavorful extra crispy skin! I used avocado oil. Definitely saving this recipe to make again. Next, I’ll do chicken wings in the air fryer.
Linda H
0This was yummy! Always looking for new recipes for chicken. ☺️
Amanda King
0My family loves cooking this simple type of recipes. I usually will do the powdered garlic and herbs instead of the paprika, but it made a big difference in flavor. I also used thighs but I had to adjust the temperature to 350 and lengthen the cooking time till they were golden brown.
Jan
0I just made this recipe last night. The seasonings were good and I added a little extra. I had to cook mine longer than the recipe states, but that was the way we like our chicken done.
Shelia
0I’m doing with Air Fryer Roaster and delicious.
Gwendolyn Bennett
0This recipe was so easy, and delicious, this recipe is now apart of my weekly meal preps. The smoked paprika really made this chicken stand out. I have really enjoyed making the recipes.
Scott Heller
0I made these chicken legs last night and they turned out fantastic. Great flavor and crispy skin! Only bad part is there wasn’t any leftovers for today!
Evelyn
0This was delicious! It was easy to make and it turned out great. My husband even liked it and he is not a chicken leg fan. I will definitely be making this again!
Dawn Maxwell
0These were so good. Easy prep, juicy and tasty and enjoyed by my whole family.
Melodie
0I love roasted chicken, the crush of the skin, the seasonings that make your mouth water, can’t find air to try this.
Doreen
0I will try it sounds awesome.
MARTHA L CRUTCHFIELD
0The flavor of this recipe is outstanding, and the exterior of the chicken was well browned and crisp. I used the olive oil, and flavor blended well with the ingredients.
Jerilynn Rhodes
0YUM! These drumsticks were super easy to make and tasted great! I made them as the recipe suggested and they were juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Linda N.
0This was so easy to prepare and smells great. I used half my chicken legs with the paprika, garlic and pepper and the other half with garlic and Italian seasoning & avocado oil. Went together quick. Chicken was moist. This recipe is a keeper. I’m going to prepare some and freeze – will make meal prep even easier.
Lisa Ann Selfe
0These were absolutely delicious, there was no leftovers at all 🙂 Will definitely be making these a LOTS!!
Jessica Rose
0Tried this and the whole family loved it.
Lynn
0Crispy chicken legs!!! Yum!!! Never thought to crank it up to 425 but made a big difference in crispy juicy goodness! Will definately use this method going forward! Low careers need more Crispy in their lives!
Fatima De Jesus
0Excellent chicken!!! Will definitely be on our rotation!
Brittney Cicero
0My husband and I started a low carb diet at the beginning of the year and we bought your cookbook (which is fabulous)! This recipe is delicious, flavorful, and I love the crisp of the skin on chicken legs! It was easy to prepare and put together. Other recipes don’t have a “leg” to stand on compared to this! We will be making again!
Robert Warren
0Made this recipe yesterday and it was DELICIOUS. But there are so many other reasons to like this recipe. First of all, whole chicken legs (and thighs) with the bones in and the skin on are super-cheap! If you are on a budget and want good nutrition, you just can’t beat whole, dark-meat chicken. Dark-meat chicken (like legs and thighs) are way more nutritious than chicken breasts because the dark meat has more fat (and if you are on keto or low carb, you know that more fat is not bad, but is actually good for you). Second, as stated above, these legs are really good for you. You get a lot of protein PLUS a lot of good, healthy fat (especially with the added butter, another great fat). Third, these are easy to make. A little prep work (very little) and then throw it in the oven: no messy frying in a pan. The final result is a perfect combination of crispy skins and moist chicken, loaded with yummy flavor (and go crazy putting your own flavors on them: add dill or parsley or some super-food turmeric or curry. Make sure to eat the skins too: they have so many great nutrients and will get your fat count up. Your kids will love these too because drumsticks are so fun to hold and eat. Cheap, yummy, tasty, easy: it’s the perfect quadfectra that Wholesome Yum is great for.
Kathyr
0I love this recipe bc it’s cheap, satisfying, and super simple. Since legs go on sale so often, I stock up. I use granulated garlic mixed in avocado oil, plus sprinkled regular (sweet) paprika. Drying off the legs well before adding the seasoned oil is essential to creating soy skin. I don’t have a full rack to put the legs on, so I use two and with the smaller racks I have. Thank you, Maya! Delicious as always!
Avor
0Sounds good, can’t wait to try.
Courtney
0Yum, yum, yum! I made a slight modification by adding some curry powder, which was delicious. I also used truffle oil instead of sesame. Will make them again!
Lindsay
0Hi. I am no baker or cook and I’m still learning. I never buy chicken legs unless they go on the grill because I don’t know what I’m doing. But money is really tight, and they were on sale. I don’t know that I will ever attempt fried chicken ever again after failing twice and I didn’t want to mess these up. I looked up oven-baked chicken legs and your recipe was one of the first to pop up. The pic and description looked the best so I clicked. It seemed different at first because I’ve never done it on a pan like this, or used foil but I had them and a small roasting holey type pan that I’ve used for veggies and I did what you said. I had bigger pieces so I thought I may need to go over 45 min but felt I would just check it at 45 min and see. 20 minutes into baking and it smelled like a freaking restaurant in my house. It smelled so amazing!! I read some of the reviews that said it was not crispy but I wasn’t worried about that. I didn’t think that we would mind if it wasn’t, Well, it turned out perfect. The thermometer said the internal temp was 175 degrees fh so I stopped there …. but honestly, I could have probably cooked 5 min longer to make it a lil crisper, but I thought it was perfect the way it was and my husband absolutely loved it as well he ate it downstairs in front of his TV and I just heard plate and fork noises lol… I am so proud of myself. It was delicious and I paired it with a fresh green bean side I like to make in a skillet with olive oil, onions, garlic and herb, and salt mix and I added sliced almonds roasting them with it. and for the first time added canned sliced new potatoes. I’ve never had those and knew how I wanted them to taste with it (crispy) but didn’t know how it would come our…but tried it and it was perfect too! I love that I was able to have a healthy, perfect dinner for my husband and me after a day of being exhausted and tired and not accomplishing anything lol. So thank you so much for a beginner trying to learn. 🙂 I appreciate you. (Sorry about the grammar. I’m on my phone doing this)
Ashley
0So these turned out really well really tasty, however, making them was not as fun. I set my oven to 425, basted these in olive oil and spice, and within like 20 min, my whole kitchen was full of smoke. I had placed them on the baking sheet with the tray, on the middle rack and everything. I ended up turning the oven off and leaving them in for about another 15 min, checked the internal temp, they were like 180, so i knew they were good. I dont know if 425 is just too hot for this recipe, but I really thought my smoke alarm was about to go off. So much oil splatter and smoke!
Jade
0I love the spices; it gave the chicken a nice flavor. The skin was nice and crispy; I pan seared it first, and then put it in the oven, along with thick cut potatoes. Loved it!
Hilary
0I dried them, sprayed it with avocado oil, added the spices and cooked as directed, on a rack in my sheet pan lined with foil, but the skin was not crispy at all. Skin was flabby and gross. Would not cook legs this way again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Hilary, If they weren’t crispy, they needed to be baked for longer.
Emmy Jarvis
0I love this recipe..I used chicken drumsticks..patted them dry, I used avocado oil, not butter, I rubbed the seasonings on all sides..I used paprika, onion powder, Sea salt. Oregano & lemon pepper seasonings..baked them at 425 for about 45 minutes because they were large pieces.. I will make these again!!
Kristen Moore
0This is such a delicious and quick recipe! Definitely recommend!
Kerri
0This is my go-to chicken leg recipe it never fails and it’s so easy
Jill Schacter
0Love this recipe. One of my staples. Delish! And so easy.
Ed Silver
0This was really delicious. But it was not crispy. I thought I followed the directions carefully but somewhere I went wrong. I am not a cook but I am the food preparer in our home. My wife loved it as well.
Jen
0The cook time was perfect but they weren’t crispy at all and I wanted more flavor so when they were done baking I brushed more melted butted over them, sprinkled some more salt and added a touch of garlic powder then broiled on high for 1 min on each side. Crisped right up and were delicious!
Tish
0I made this recipe today with 11 very large drumsticks. I didn’t measure the seasonings but just liberally sprinkled them on the drumsticks. It took 1.5 hours at 425 degrees for the chicken to reach 165 degree internal temperature. They were moist and juicy inside, not as crispy outside as expected from the description, but very tasty nonetheless. My family really enjoyed them, and I expect to repeat this recipe a lot. I’m going to try the seasonings on chicken breasts, thighs and wings as well.
Rob Huntley
0My wife and I are going to start the Keto diet is there anything you can help us with to start. Many thanks.
Rennae
0This is totally a Wonderful KETO recipe. Keep loving the fats and stay away from the carbs! Enjoy! P.S. sometimes my proteins are too high. It’s my old way of thinking that needs to readjust!
Jean
0I have no smoked paprika but have plain paprika. Any substitution?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jean, That would work.
Rennae
0Jean, all I had was regular paprika and I added a shake of cumin to it! It gave me kind of a smokey flavor!
priscilla marban
0can we an air fryer for this? thanks.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Priscilla, Yes, an air fryer would for this recipe too.
Ray Dombroski
0Quick, easy and tastes great.
Lisa
0Super easy! I love being able to adjust the serving size. The seasoning is just perfect. Where has Smoked Paprika been all my life? I was able to make a whole pack of drums for family visiting. Paired with my yummy Cauliflower mash and some green veggies. Great Dinner or lunch w/ left overs.
Rickie Korndorffer
0I had this for lunch. Absolutely Delicious. Great quick meal.
Barb
0No taste, very bland. Not crispy, bake longer some were still raw inside. I put them in the air fryer for 10 more minutes.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barb, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. I’m happy to help you troubleshoot. Did you have your oven set to 425 degrees? If you did and they were not crispy or done, it means they needed to cook for longer. The time can vary depending on your oven and the size of the chicken legs.
Sue
0Where do I place my oven rack for this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sue, Place it in the middle.
Tabatha Dean
0WOW!!! I did it actually the way you said, and it turned out crispy and juicer than I thought it would. I used olive oil instead of butter. They are delicious and didn’t dry out. I’ve never cooked chicken on 425 before because I thought that they would burn or dry out, but neither happened. Thanks for sharing.
Linda Smith
0This chicken was delicious! Would never have thought baking it at 425 wouldn’t dry it out, but it didn’t. I’m usually a thigh girl but legs were on sale and these were so good!
Linda Smith
0Can’t wait to try this recipe with some chicken legs I have in the freezer!
Isabella
0I really like chicken but haven’t been able to cook it the best I could. This is a very easy recipe thank you.
Jeannine
0I couldnt find the recipe so i winged it with amounts. Came out great. Didnt have a rack so washed the oven rack good and put the legs on it and put the baking sheet right below on next level down. Worked excellently. My only suggestion would be to put the recipe higher up in your column. I didnt look below the extra recipes til today. I didnt realize it would be so far down. But thats my fault for not continuing down.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jeannine, There is a jump to recipe button at the top of the page you can use to get right to the recipe card.
Tina
0My suggestion would be to double or triple the seasoning!
Tisha
0When I do a recipe like this I usually quadruple the seasoning and put it in a spice jar labeled. That way, I can have it all made up for the next time.
Janaye
0I followed the instructions, added a bit more seasonings, and the chicken came out perfect. This is my second time using this recipe and it’s definitely the best method for baking chicken with some crunch. Thanks for the recipe!
Michele
0Great recipe. Simple to make. Most of the time I always have the ingredients. Will make over and over. Thanks for the recipe.
Jessica
0They were delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Susan Siemers
0Loved this. So simple, and yet so tasty! I made six legs for “just me.” Ate two at each of three meals. Had a very small salad with blue cheese dressing on the side. Perfect meal.Thought they might not be so great reheated, but they were fine. I have a pizza oven in my Tulukivi fireplace, and when I’m only using the lower fireplace, the oven sits around 300 degrees. It was just the right temp for a long slow gentle reheat. Yum! and Wholesome!! 😉
Noreen
0Awesome and easy. My new go to recipe for chicken legs! Thank you so much!