This crispy baked chicken legs recipe is simple, inexpensive, and has minimal prep time. Great for easy weeknight dinners!
For these baked drumsticks, I used a simple seasoning of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. The smoked paprika is rubbed onto the skin and gives it a nicer color and slightly smoky flavor.
You may also like my Easy Baked Chicken Thighs.
Can I use whole chicken legs (chicken quarters)?
Yes! The cooking time will remain the same. Whole chicken legs include the thigh and the drumstick.
How to bake chicken legs:
Coat them with olive oil and salt & pepper, then rub the smoked paprika onto the skin. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400F for 35-40 minutes. Full ingredients, instructions, and tips are in the recipe card below.
How long to bake chicken legs?
For this recipe, they're baked at 400F for 35-40 minutes. If your chicken pieces appear to be particularly small or large, the time may need to be adjusted a bit, but don't worry... it's harder to overcook dark meat than chicken breasts, for example. I always recommend using an instant read thermometer to ensure chicken is at least 165F before consuming it. This recipe will cook it beyond 165F (I find chicken legs and thighs are more tender when going beyond the safe minimum temperature, unlike chicken breasts).
Recipe notes & tips:
- You can cook as many/few chicken pieces as you want (whatever fits on your baking sheet!). The recipe suggests 6, but if your crowd eats more than 1 drumstick each, for example, you may want to double the recipe.
- You can definitely play with the seasonings. Try garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, Montreal Chicken Seasoning (McCormick makes it)... there are so many possibilities.
What to serve with baked chicken legs?
They go with pretty much anything. Rice, pasta (try my creamy pesto gnocchi), mashed potatoes, a salad, etc. You could dip them in ranch dressing or yum yum sauce too!
More tasty chicken recipes to try:
- Easy Chicken and Gravy
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken (Chicken Breasts and Thighs)
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Questions about this oven baked drumsticks recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Easy Baked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks (bone-in skin on) see notes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or more, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Place the chicken pieces on the baking sheet and coat them all over with olive oil. Season them generously with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the smoked paprika on the skin, and then rub it on.
- Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes. See recipe notes below for more info on timing. Optional: broil for a few more minutes to really crisp up the skin.
- Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving them (this ensures they will be juicy and tender).
Notes
- You can use whole chicken legs (chicken quarters) if you prefer, or cook more than 6 drumsticks. Simply add a little more oil and seasoning and you're set.
- If your drumsticks or chicken legs are particularly large or small, cooking time may need to be adjusted, but in general, dark meat is harder to overcook. I find dark chicken meat (legs & thighs) to be more tender when it's cooked well beyond the 165F minimum temperature, and it also takes some time for the skin to crisp up. Use an instant read meat thermometer so you're always in control.
- You can change up the seasonings - see the blog post for my suggestions.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Nutrition info is for drumsticks (not entire chicken legs).
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