This Baked Chicken Legs recipe makes crispy chicken drumsticks with tender, juicy meat in 30 minutes. 5-minute prep and hands-free baking make it perfect for any cooking skill level, even on busy weeknights. Includes instructions on how long to bake chicken legs at various oven temperatures.
Easy Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks
My love for chicken drumsticks dates back to my childhood.
They were always my favorite piece of chicken. The only problem was that there were only 2 pieces per chicken. Even if I was the only one eating them, two chicken legs were never enough.
Now that I’m a big kid, I can make a whole sheet pan of them...as many as I want. Guess what? Everyone loves them!
Why this is the best chicken drumstick recipe?
EASY - It's crazy simple with only 5-minute prep. You don't need to work in a restaurant to know how to bake chicken. You just need a few instructions and helpful tips from your friend, The Kitchen Girl. Bonus!
WELL-TESTED & FAMILY-APPROVED - Kids go crazy for this chicken drumstick recipe. I can't tell you how many people have reached out to me with comments on what a lifesaver this recipe is. Big kids go crazy for chicken legs too! They love it because it's so easy to make and easier to eat by everyone in the family!
BUDGET-FRIENDLY - Baked chicken legs are ridiculously affordable! Oven-roasted chicken can be such a money saver depending on what ingredients you add to it. But, lightly seasoned, baked drumsticks don't require any special ingredients, and yet their flavor and texture somehow just satisfy everyone! Your pocketbook wins...again!
PLAN? WHAT PLAN? - You truly need minimal planning, if any, for this baked chicken recipe. Once the chicken legs are seasoned, this baby is hands-free, so you can do ALL the things while dinner is being made. It bakes in under an hour!
DIET-FRIENDLY - Oven baked chicken legs easily accommodate some of the most popular diets: low carb, keto, Whole30, and paleo.
Baked Chicken Leg Drumstick Ingredients
- olive oil
- paprika
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- chicken leg drumsticks (patted dry with paper towel)
What IS the proper cooked chicken temperature for baked chicken legs?
All chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be considered food safe. To do this, insert a meat thermometer into the chicken legs alongside the bone.
Boneless chicken must also register 165°F on the meat thermometer to be considered food-safe.
And don't just go with your gut, especially with bone-in chicken. Use a meat thermometer to the minimum internal temperature of any chicken.
How long to bake chicken legs at different temperatures
In order to reach our #1 goal of 165° minimum internal temperature (for ALL poultry), here's a basic guideline of how long to bake chicken legs at different temperatures.
- Bake chicken legs at 425° or 400° for 20-25 minutes
- Bake chicken legs at 350° or 375° for 25-30 minutes
- Bake chicken legs at 300° or 325° for 30-40 minutes
Why bake chicken legs at different oven temperatures?
There are 3 reasons I would use different temperatures to bake chicken drumsticks (or any chicken).
#1 - TIMING - Quite simply, there are times you might want the longer baking time associated with the lower oven temperature. It's kinda like having your food babysat while you do a million other things. Alternatively, you may want to get those chicken legs on the dinner table in 25 minutes...totally doable!
#2 - OVEN SPACE - If you need to bake a side dish while the chicken legs are baking, this can be really handy. For instance, I always double down and make roasted mixed veggies, Smashed Potatoes, or Roasted Mushrooms as a chicken leg side dish. Each side dish requires a 400° oven temperature and can be baked at the same time as the chicken legs.
#3 - CRISPY SKIN - Here's the deal...the higher the oven temperature and faster the chicken legs cook, the crispier the skin.
Keep in mind that roasted vegetables take only 15 minutes at 400° while the chicken legs take 20-25 minutes. Because of this, you may need to bake the legs a few minutes longer to accommodate any loss of heat from opening and closing the oven door.
NOTE: 3 Factors affecting oven times include:
- #1 - The size of the chicken legs will affect the cooking time.
- #2 - The accuracy of your oven - I recommend to always keep an oven thermometer in your oven...and don't forget to look at it. You may need to adjust your oven temperature up, or down, depending on its inaccuracy.
- #3 - The temperature of the chicken legs when they go into the oven (i.e., Have they been sitting at room temp...or are they just out of the fridge and really cold?)
How to bake chicken leg drumsticks
Step 1: 5-MINUTE PREP
Preheat oven to 400°; add seasonings to a bowl.
Whisk until well-combined.
Pour over chicken drumsticks and toss to coat the chicken legs.
Step 2: YOU'RE READY TO BAKE
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place seasoned chicken legs on the baking sheet a few inches apart from each other.
Make-ahead tip: At this point, you can either bake the chicken legs or let them sit overnight and bake when you're ready. If you're baking them later, simply refrigerate the seasoned chicken in an airtight container until ready to bake.
Step 3: BAKE THE CHICKEN LEGS
Place chicken legs on the center rack in the 400°F oven and bake 20-25 minutes. Chicken legs will be golden and internal temperature (next to the bone) should register 165° with a meat thermometer.
* See full recipe below for other baking temperatures and times
How to make chicken legs crispy in the oven
If you like crispy chicken legs, you can bake them at a higher temperature like 425°F. A lower temp like 350°F won't result in crispy skin.
No matter what temperature you use to bake chicken legs, you can always make them crispier by finishing them in the broiler. At the end of the baking cycle, switch your oven from BAKE to BROIL.
To broil on HIGH, place the oven rack in the oven center, about 8" away from the flame. To broil on LOW, adjust the oven rack closer to the flame. Broil from 2-5 minutes until chicken leg skin is crisped to your liking. Be careful to prevent chicken from burning. I've done it 🙁
Recommended tools:
- paper towels (to pat chicken dry)
- large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- tongs
- cooking spray
- meat thermometer
What to serve with Baked Chicken Legs
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Dill Potato Salad
- Garlicky Oven Roasted Mushrooms
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Pesto Tortellini Salad
Grab these easy chicken recipes
- Juicy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Penne Alla Vodka
- Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast in 1 Hour - ok, it's not chicken, but it's the next best thing on a busy weeknight!
Easy Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 6 Chicken Leg Drumsticks, patted dry with a paper towel
- 1 Lemon (cut into wedges), for garnish
RECIPE VIDEO
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together OLIVE OIL, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, SALT, and PEPPER. Pour over CHICKEN LEGS and toss until they are well-coated.
- Place chicken legs on a coated baking sheet with space between each.
- Bake 20-25 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer next to the bone to confirm a 165° F minimum internal temperature. Transfer chicken legs to a serving platter and allow a 5-minute rest before serving.
- Serve warm, garnished with LEMON WEDGES.
- Allow chicken drumsticks to cool and store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Traci's Recipe Tips
Chicken Drumstick Recipe FAQ
Can I use frozen chicken legs for this chicken drumstick recipe? Baking frozen chicken legs are not recommended for this recipe unless they are completely thawed before baking. Should I rinse chicken legs before baking? I do not recommend rinsing uncooked chicken. They reason for this is that it actually creates more work. Raw chicken contaminates kitchen surfaces and your hands, which must be disinfected to avoid risk of food born illness from. So, skip the extra chores and just get that chicken seasoned and into the oven. Do I need to cover my chicken legs when baking? No. It's not necessary to cover the pan for this chicken leg recipe. In fact, leaving the legs uncovered results in crispier skin. How long to bake chicken legs The golden rule is ... 165°F minimum internal temp of chicken drumsticks will be your ultimate guide, but you can use these times/temps as a starting point:- 425°F or 400°F for 20-25 minutes
- 350°F or 375°F for 25-30 minutes
- 300°F or 325°F for 30-40 minutes
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
K says
Are the seasoning amounts correct? 1 Tablespoon oil, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper. The second picture of the mixture in the bowl shows a lot of oil. I tried this recipe exactly as written and barely got the dry seasonings into paste using the stated 1 tablespoon of oil. The 6 drumsticks hardly got coated with anything.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi K, yep, the seasoning amount is correct. The picture (and video) is the actual recipe being made. You can easily adjust it by adding more oil. Let me know if you have any other questions...thanks!
Paul S says
Came out perfect. No ketchup needed.
Plump and juicy.
I had 6 chicken drumsticks.
Set convection oven to 400.
Internal temperature was 175 degrees.
Did not have garlic or pepper.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Paul! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe...even without garlic and pepper 😉 Thanks for the feedback
Al says
Can't believe how easy these and delicious these chicken legs are! I love how a few basic pantry ingredients can result in such BIG flavor...and it all comes together in 5 minutes. Perfect protein for weeknight dinner - thanks KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I'm so glad you love to roast chicken legs as much as I do! Thanks for the feedback
Brad says
This worked to perfection! I don't have the best oven in the world, so I had to wing the cooking times. Chicken was juicy and tasty. I will definitely use this recipe again.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Brad! Yeah, it's okay if oven temperature isn't spot on, as long as the chicken minimum internal temperature is 165°. So glad you enjoyed, thanks for the feedback 🙂
Lenemarie says
I love this recipe but I have a question do you cover the pan with aluminum foil.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Lenemare, I don't cover it. I'm so glad you love it! We do toooo 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Ohhh snap! It's def 20-25 and it was totally a typo in the recipe card. You're the first person to notice that and I'm glad you brought it to my attention. I fixed the typo. Funny enough, no one has complained about overcooked chicken up to this point 🙂 Thank you so much! Cheers!
Melissa says
This was very good and moist. I used it as the base seasoning for my bbq chicken. My only regret is that I didn't cook it correctly to get super crispy skin.
Kids loved it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! I always love it when the kids sign off! Thanks, Melissa
Dinger says
Good recipe. Leave out the life story next time.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Dinger, no life story here, just tips and tricks about baked chicken legs. Thanks
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Thanks for the recipe but I have to admit I was totally distracted by that blue plate. Where did you get it?
The Kitchen Girl says
Haha thanks, Jacqueline! That blue enamelware gets me every time too. I picked it up at a local antique store, which doesn't help you, but the collection is called "graniteware"
Pavani says
Such a simple yet so delicious and easy to make recipe. This is sure a crowd pleaser. Thank you for the detailed post and tips.
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome, Pavani! Glad you can enjoy these chicken legs
Alison says
I love how simple this recipe is and that it only requires a few simple ingredient that I have in my pantry!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Alison! Yep, baked chicken legs have a ton of flavor! Enjoy!
Caroline says
We love roast chicken and my kids have become pretty big fans of chicken on the bone too. We typically go for a whole chicken but I might have to try these soon to have more bone pieces - love the simple seasoning and different temperature options for flaxibility.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Caroline! So glad your family can enjoy these! 🙂
Kushigalu says
Love this easy and delicious chicken recipe for dinner. Thanks for sharing
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome and thanks for the great feedback, Kushiglau Baked chicken legs are def a hit on our dinner table!
Bryan F says
For future reference do you flip your drumsticks or not
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Bryan, I don't. I've never found the need for it. Hope that helps 🙂 Enjoy!
JB says
Easiest, best baked chicken leg recipe I have found. Thank you. Love this site!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks JB! This makes my day!! 🙂
Kathy Nealon says
I make these all the time. Have made them using skinless legs. Best recipe for legs ever. Thank you!
Traci Antonovich says
Wow Kathy! Thanks so much for the kind words 🙂
Allie Ketcham says
I was looking for something different to do with chicken legs and was so happy to see a Kitchen Girl recipe pop up in my search. I am making these for dinner tonight and will think of you, Traci!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay! Thanks so much Allie! Hope you LOVE them like we do 🙂
Allie Ketcham says
We love this so much, we are going to use it for our Ketcham Estate "Tasty Tuesday!"
Traci Antonovich says
Woot! This totally makes my day, Allie! It's one of my favorite recipes of ALL time, so I'm glad you love it too! 🙂
Esther says
So simple and so delicious. The best chicken legs I've ever baked thanks to you.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks for the kind words, Esther! I feel the same way about baked chicken legs, but I always love hearing it from my readers 🙂