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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
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!
Susan Siemers
0Loved this! I made sure that I left ALL the skin on, and baking at 475 convection got me some crispy skin. I poured off the pan drippings and used them as a dipping sauce for the meat. I’m going to increase the salt a bit, might even salt them after patting dry and let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes for the salt to penetrate the meat a bit more, then spread the melted butter and the spices. Very good!
Angela
0I have a problem with the butter not sticking to the chicken. It clips up and falls off the chicken. What is the reason for this?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angela, I didn’t experience this, but from what you are describing, this might happen if the chicken is super cold. Try letting it sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes (not too long, the max safe time at room temperature is 2 hours) before brushing on the butter. Hope this helps!
Mike
0Used my Smart Oven with convection on and added two spices to the mix (onion powder, sweet Hungarian paprika). Very pleased with the results; crispy outside, juicy and flavourful inside. Thanks for a great recipe!
Margret Barger
0Great recipe!!! Best one I’ve found for easy crispy drumsticks and no carbs!!!
Lori Thompson
0These were so easy and delicious.
Deedle
0The recipe looks great and I’m making this chicken for supper today. But there are far too many annoying adds popping up on the screen which made it hard to see the recipe. I almost gave up. I don’t know if you are able to control the ads or not, but if so please a few less. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deedle, Our ratings are reserved for the recipe, not the website. The ads help support the free content, as this is my full-time job. I do have an ad-free option available with a Wholesome Yum Plus membership, which makes the website completely ad-free and also provides other perks. I hope you like the chicken and come back to leave a rating once you make it! 🙂
Chenee Lewis
0These drumsticks look so delicious! Love the mix of spices and how easy they are to make!
Moop Brown
0Drumsticks are probably my favorite part of the chicken to eat and I love how juicy and flavorful these are.
Amanda Dixon
0This is such a great way to cook chicken! It turned out nice and crispy, and the preparation couldn’t be easier.
Liz
0I followed your recipe exactly and the chicken turned out great! I agree – this is will be the only recipe I need! Thanks for the share!
Silvia
0I love how simple this recipe is, it takes no time to prep and the oven does most of the work. Perfect for busy nights. I added a little bit of chipotle and they turned out delish.
GUNJAN C Dudani
0so juicy and perfectly cooked. We loved this and came out really well.
Sharon
0These baked chicken legs come out so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Really easy to clean up too.
Debbie
0These baked chicken legs are fantastic! Quick and easy , they are going on my dinner rotation for sure. Thanks for a great recipe,
Gwynn Galvin
0My family loved this recipe. It is now on our weekly menu rotation!
Cathleen
0I am always looking for new chicken recipes, and this one looks like a winner! Plus crispy chicken is my favourite. Thank you so much for the recipe 😉