Oven Baked Chicken Legs

Every time I bake chicken drumsticks, my family gets excited. I’m pretty sure I could serve these for Thanksgiving and no one would miss the turkey. (Or the longer bake time.)

I’ve been testing how to bake chicken legs for the past few months to make sure I could share the best baking method possible. At first, I thought I preferred them baked directly on parchment paper, but after a few more attempts, I’ve decided that a wire rack improves things even more.

I’ve also perfected the seasoning blend and discovered a secret ingredient(!) that makes chicken skin crispier as it bakes. The result is some of the best chicken I’ve ever made.

If you have guests coming over for dinner, this is the recipe to make.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken Drumsticks. When most people think of chicken legs, they are thinking of drumsticks, rather than the whole leg. (You can buy the leg whole, or separately as thighs or drumsticks.) This recipe assumes you’re using the drumsticks only, though you could bake bone-in thighs similarly.
• Pantry Spices. I’ve perfected the chicken seasoning with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. It’s simple, yet tastes ridiculously good.
• Baking Powder. This is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes chicken skin crispier. Adding this to the spice blend helps add a hint of crust, so it almost tastes like you’re eating fried chicken, but without the breading or deep-frying.
• Olive Oil. A touch of olive oil helps keep the chicken moist as it bakes, while also helping the spices stick to the meat.

This recipe assumes you’re working with 1.5 pounds of chicken, or about 6 drumsticks. Feel free to double or triple the recipe if you need to cook more.

How to Bake Chicken Legs in the Oven

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF and arrange a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. (Here’s an example of a set that works together.)

You can line the bottom pan with parchment paper or foil if you’re concerned about cleaning up drippings later. I usually don’t do this, as I don’t mind soaking the pan and wiping it down later.

Add the chicken drumsticks to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir well, then sprinkle the seasoning blend over the drumsticks.

Toss them well, until the spice blend is evenly distributed all over each chicken leg.

Step 2:

Lightly spray the wire rack with oil to help prevent sticking, then arrange the seasoned drumsticks on the rack. Allow plenty of space between each other, so they don’t steam as they cook.

Bake on the middle rack in your oven at 425ºF for 35 to 40 minutes. I think the drumsticks look prettiest when you don’t flip them halfway through the cooking time, so I usually leave them undisturbed as they bake. (Feel free to flip them if you want to.)

Step 3:

Remove the drumsticks from the oven and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to distribute throughout the meat, plus you don’t want to burn yourself when picking up a drumstick to eat.

The skin will start to lose some of its crispiness as it cools, so it’s best not to let it cool too much longer after the initial rest time. But the flavor is amazing, even if you get to them later.

How Long to Bake Chicken Legs

What you’ll love about cooking chicken legs is how forgiving they are. Bone-in dark meat stays tender much more easily than white meat. Unlike baked chicken breasts, which require precise temperature checks, you don’t have to worry about baked drumsticks as much.

Dark meat on the bone actually benefits from a bit of overcooking in terms of texture, so instead of reaching an internal temperature of 165°F, your drumsticks will likely reach an internal temperature of 175°F to 180°F when you cook them for 40 minutes at 425°F.

You can get away with just 35 minutes of cooking, if you need to speed things along, but 40 minutes is my go-to cook time for the average-sized drumstick. This recipe assumes you’re getting 5 to 6 drumsticks per 1.5 pounds of meat.

If your drumsticks are significantly larger than that, they might require more time.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Chicken drumsticks are amazing for meal prep because they reheat well. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat, pop them into an air fryer basket and cook at 350ºF for 5 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before handling them, as the bones will be very hot to the touch.

Recipes to Pair with Chicken Drumsticks

• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (no drain!)
• Holiday Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
• Cranberry Relish
• No-Mayo Potato Salad
• Wild Rice Salad

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.