Name: Easy Baked Chicken Legs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
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)

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This crispy baked chicken legs recipe is simple, inexpensive, and has minimal prep time. It's great for easy weeknight dinners!

You may also like my Easy Baked Chicken Thighs, this Easy Roast Chicken (Lemon & Herb), or these Honey Baked Drumsticks.

Why you'll love them

It's fantastic just how good these baked drumsticks taste with a simple seasoning of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. That's all you really need! The smoked paprika is rubbed onto the skin and gives it a nicer color and slightly smoky flavor. My favorite part is the flavorful crispy chicken skin you get from baking in the oven.

This is one of those recipes that's family friendly and so easy to get on the table when you just want something completely low effort yet big on taste. There's 5 minutes of prep, and then you can enjoy hassle-free cleanup too!

Ingredients for it

Chicken legs - we're using drumsticks, but you could also use chicken quarters/whole legs. The cooking time will remain the same. Whole chicken legs include the thigh and the drumstick.
Olive oil - this is what makes the skin crisp up
Salt & pepper - be generous with both
Smoked paprika - it's one of my go-to seasonings to bring a little smoky quality. It's not spicy.

chicken legs on a baking sheet ready for the oven

How to bake chicken legs

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Coat them with olive oil and salt & pepper, and then rub the smoked paprika onto the skin.
Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400F for 35-40 minutes. Broil if desired, and let the chicken rest before serving. Easy!

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.

baked chicken legs straight out of the oven (on baking sheet)

Helpful 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 could 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. I like it with my Instant Pot rice or mashed potatoes and then stovetop asparagus for a veggie.
Pasta pairs really well. Try my creamy pesto gnocchi.
You could dip them in ranch dressing or yum yum sauce too!

Leftovers and storage

Leftovers will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
I'd reheat the drumsticks in the oven so that the skin has a chance to crisp up again.
You could try freezing leftovers for up to 3 months in a freezer bag, but the skin might not be as crispy as when you first made them after thawing. Just make sure they're cooled completely before heading into the freezer, and remove any air in the bag.

More tasty chicken recipes to try

close-up of baked chicken legs (drumsticks) stacked in a bowl

Questions about this oven baked drumsticks recipe? Let me know in the comments below!