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.
Cooking something other than legs today?
I want to make sure your dinner turns out perfect. If you have a different cut of chicken or want to try a different cooking method, these “Best Damn” recipes are a great place to start:
- Want to use the Air Fryer? Get that same crispy skin in even less time with my Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Legs.
- Cooking Thighs instead? My Best Damn Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs are a huge reader favorite for a juicy weeknight meal.
- Roasting the whole bird? For a classic Sunday dinner, follow my guide for the Best Damn Oven-Roasted Whole Chicken.
- Looking for a flavor twist? My Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs use a simple, pantry-friendly sauce that everyone loves.
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
Kathy says
Made these the other night. By far the easiest, nummiest chicken legs I’ve ever made. Already shared the recipe with my daughter in law!
Rebecca T says
I’m a woman in my 50’s who normally eats one or two drumsticks. I ate four of these.
Cindy says
These came out perfect! I love that there’s no need to marinate and it still comes out so flavorful! Plus it’s a great bonus that the ingredients are common items in our pantry. My husband and I agree with the title of this recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Rachael R says
Oh this chicken is so good I’ve made it twice in a week so I could have leftovers for lunch.
The only change I made was instead of 2tsp of paprika I used 1tsp of regular paprika and 1tsp of smoked paprika.
Even my 7 year old ate 3 of them
RecipeTeacher says
Love it when a recipe is kid approved. 🙂
Thanks Rachael!
Joy Flick says
I used this recipe for my first time making. Chicken legs and won’t need to try any other recipes- they were delicious!!
Brian says
Made this for the first time tonight, was definitely a family favorite! The true test was our 8 year old who is not a big fan of chicken legs, but he devoured one of these. I did omit the ground mustard (they’re all spice averse) and used 1 tsp of paprika plus 1 tsp of smoked paprika. Thank you for sharing!
Bridgette says
I love this recipe season mix for my chicken. It’s one of my favorite go to chicken recipes. It’s Very tasty.
Shannon says
Made this for dinner and even my husband, who is a major BBQ/smoker guy said they were delicious and the meat was so tender. Thanks! Easy to make for a school night!
Alexys C says
Tried this recipe out tonight and my family loved it, so simple and flavorful! Paired it with some scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli, yum!!!
Maureen says
Excellent recipe, can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow night. I added a bit of salt and since I’m not a rosemary fan, used Italian seasoning instead. This recipe is a keeper and will definitely use it on wings too!