Looking for a virtually hands-free chicken recipe that satisfies the family…even at the last minute? These Simple Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks are so easy to prepare and toss in the oven. You can even pull double duty and make my {crazy popular} Garlicky Oven Roasted Mushrooms side dish in the same oven.
Simple Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks
My love for chicken legs date back to my childhood.
They were always my favorite piece of chicken…only problem was that there were only 2 pieces per chicken, so when they were gone…womp womp.
Even if I was the only one eating them, two were never enough.
Now that I’m a big kid, I can bake a whole sheet pan of chicken legs…as many as I want. And I do!
So, how do you bake chicken legs (drumsticks) in the oven?
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Lightly coat the chicken drumsticks with oil and seasonings [see recipe below].
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Bake 30-40 minutes until the chicken reaches the proper temperature and is fully cooked.
And don’t just go with your gut…even if you’ve done it a million time before…use a meat thermometer to measure the temperature.
What IS the proper temperature for baked chicken legs?
Chicken leg drumsticks (all chicken pieces) must reach an internal temperature of 165° to be properly cooked.
To do this, I use a meat thermometer that gets inserted into the chicken, and sits along the bone for the most accurate temperature.
Even if the chicken is boneless…165° is THE FOOD SAFETY RULE!
Ok, here’s what I love about this Baked Chicken Legs:
~ Simple 5 minute prep and the rest is hands-free baking. Really!
~ Kids go crazy for chicken legs…adults do too!
~ Super duper money saver. After all, it’s chicken, dudes!
~ Use organic chicken! {Yeah, more expensive, but the benefits rock!}
~ Chicken legs are always naturally delicious with very little effort!
Want more easy chicken recipes for busy weeknights?
My Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Brown Rice is a 30 minute, skillet meal that puts leftovers to good use.
Skinnyish Chicken Broccoli Rice is another one-skillet meal in 30 minutes.
For a delicious, slow-cooker soup, check out my Fall Apart Chicken Vegetable Crockpot Soup.
Here are the simple steps [with pictures!] I use for Simple Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks (see full recipe below):
Preheat oven to 400°; combine olive oil, seasonings, and chicken legs in a ziploc bag; massage ingredients into chicken legs.
{Note: a plastic bag isn’t required, but I like to use it so my hands don’t get all…chicken-ey while massaging the chicken LOL}
You can even let the chicken legs sit overnight…to deepen the YUM factor!
Place seasoned chicken legs on oil-sprayed baking sheet a few inches apart from each other.
Bake 30-40 minutes until internal temperature (next to the bone) reaches 165° with a meat thermometer.
Here’s a hot tip: If the chicken legs aren’t crispy enough to your liking {then you’re just like me}, flip on your broiler, HI or LOW…your choice, and let those babies get crispy on the outer edges.
Just be sure to watch them like a hawk so you don’t burn them.
Ingredients needed for Simple Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks (see full recipe below):
- olive oil
- paprika
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- chicken leg drumsticks
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe:
- paper towels (to pat chicken dry)
- Ziplock bag (gallon size) or large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- cooking spray
- meat thermometer
* Note: This post has affiliate links, which means I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support and please let me know if you have product questions!
Traci Antonovich
Yields 6 pieces
Lightly crispy, sheet pan chicken legs seasoned with garlic powder and paprika.
5 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
35 minTotal Time
Save Recipe4.9 based on 32 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 6 Chicken Leg Drumsticks weighing 1/2 lb each (patted dry with paper towel)
- (optional) Lemon Wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- In a Ziploc bag or mixing bowl, combine OLIVE OIL, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, SALT, and PEPPER; add CHICKEN LEG DRUMSTICKS; massage oil and seasonings into chicken surface until well-coated.
- Place legs on an oil-sprayed baking sheet with space between each leg.
- Bake 30-40 minutes; carefully remove from oven and insert meat thermometer into center of one leg, alongside the bone to confirm temperature of 165°, continue baking in 5-10 minutes intervals, if needed.
- Serve warm; (optional) garnish with LEMON WEDGES.
Notes
Food safety standards indicate that poultry temperature must hit 165° before eating.
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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