These chicken legs are golden on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside and unbelievably savory with every bite. With just a few simple ingredients, we turn ordinary chicken drumsticks into extraordinary.
This is one of those recipes that I get excited about. It’s so easy to make and the results are always awesome. It’s easily adjustable too – you can double or triple the recipe for a crowd, or even add a bit of kick of heat and serve on game day. I think you’re really gonna love this recipe!
Ingredients
Chicken drumsticks are the star of his show, and I love that they’re still very affordable. You can usually find packages of drumsticks that are much lower in price than any other part of the chicken. That’s fine with me! Even if it’s a large package i’ll use what I need now and freeze the rest for later.
We’ll use a simple seasoning blend of dry herbs and spices: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, rosemary, parsley, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Then we’ll use a tablespoon of olive oil to hold all the seasonings to the chicken and help get that golden crisp skin we love to much.
Preparation
This recipe is SO easy. We simply mix herbs and spices in a small dish. Add the chicken legs to a large, gallon-sized ziptop bag and add the olive oil. Seal the bag and roll those legs around for a minute to distribute the oil evenly on all the chicken. Then, open the bag, pour in the seasonings, close the bag and do the shake thing. Take a minute or so to do this and massage the chicken to really get that seasoning well distributed.
Set aside for a minute and preheat your oven to 425°(F) and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Give the foil a good spray with non-stick cooking spray. This is important as the chicken will stick without it.
Now take the chicken out of the bag and place on the foil lined sheet. Then into the oven it goes for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes the chicken will be a beautiful golden color and the inside will be at least 165°(F) when checked with an instant read thermometer. In fact, it will probably be closer to 185-195°(F) which is exactly what we want!
Pro Tip: Chicken Legs are Better at 185-195°(F)!
The rule of cooking chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F has been well-established for quite some time. However, when it comes to darker meat portions such as chicken legs, thighs, or the entire leg quarter, exceeding this temperature is often encouraged for optimal results! When heated to around 185°F, the collagens within the meat begin to break down, contributing to the juiciness and “fall-off-the-bone” tenderness that we cherish so much in dark poultry meat.
Check out this great article by America’s Test Kitchen regarding “overcooking” chicken drumsticks and thighs.
Let Rest and Serve
Carefully remove the chicken to a plate or platter and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Can this recipe be doubled?
It sure can. You can even triple or quadruple this recipe! Simply adjust the ingredients accordingly. The cook time will still be 40 minutes, just be sure to not crowd the chicken too much on the pan. Keep the legs from touching and always keep in a single layer.
Give it a kick
Want to give the chicken legs a little heat? Add a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and even a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. You can also deepen the flavor by using smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.
Recipe
Best Damn Oven Baked Chicken Legs
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings
Description
Expertly seasoned and oven roasted to perfection, these chicken drumsticks are so delicious, so juicy, so tender, you will not believe you made them with this simple recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp rosemary, dried
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°(F)
- Pat chicken legs dry with a paper towel and trim any excess skin
- Place chicken legs in a large ziptop bag and add olive oil. Close bag and shake to coat chicken well with the oil.
- Add seasoning mix to bag, close and shake to get chicken well coated with seasoning.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place chicken legs on baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway.
- Chicken must have internal temperature of at least 165°(F), but 185-195°(F) is ideal for best results.
- Let rest for several minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Helga says
Really enjoyed this recipe. Very easy and very tasty. Will definitely share this with family and friends!
Melissa Simpson says
This is a great recipe! The chicken was flavorful and juicy, with a perfect crisp skin. My husband is not a big fan of chicken, and really liked this recipe. I also love that it uses ingredients that we keep on hand. Winner winner, chicken dinner!
Kris M says
Excellent! Easy and yummy and very budget friendly dinner! Paired it with baby potatoes and a salad! Will def make again!
TeAnne says
These are really SO good for a simple dinner! A great blend of pantry seasoning. I’ve used a couple of tablespoons of coconut aminos, and a squirt of Dijon mustard in the ziplock. SO good. A drizzle of honey or hot honey at the end is also a yummy touch! Thanks for the recipe. I have passed it along to family!
Abbie M Dennison says
These drumsticks are tasty and the recipe is easy enough for a weeknight! I didn’t have dry mustard so I substituted coriander. I cut back the salt to 1tsp.
Deborah says
These really are the best oven baked legs I’ve ever had! I’m not usually a leg fan but there was a sale….so looking fir a different way to season them and came upon this….YUM…I didn’t have olive oil so used a little splash if canola and I was out of dry mustard so after coating with a LITTLE canola threw a small squirt of reg mustard in and continued coating then added the rest of the
seasoning. FANTASTIC!
Milly says
So good!!
Jim says
Absolutely fantastic. I had to bake the chicken an extra 15 minutes to reach the 185-195 temperature but it was well worth it. Thank you very much
Me says
Ok so I tried it, I get it, the flavors work somehow, but what I think I have discovered is, I am not a leg fan, dark meat no crazy about it, must be a guy thing cause my boys said I should have made this for Thank giving…lol
Debby says
Excellent rub for chicken wings, I cut down on the salt, a bit to salty for us…..but yummy!
Deby Laatz says
Chicken legs are my least favorite part of the chicken. I avoid them whenever possible. My husband, on the other hand, loves them. Occasionally, I will make them and choke them down. I thought the spice mix for this recipe sounded good, so I tried it. I was pleasantly surprised. These are the best baked chicken legs I’ve ever eaten. I thought the rosemary might be overpowering, but it wasn’t. The chicken was well seasoned and flavorful. They even looked like they were going to be good when I pulled them out of the Ziploc. The only change I made was that I baked them on a rack and flipped them halfway through cooking. I would definitely make these again.