Baked Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to get dinner on the table quickly! The skin crisps up in the oven, the seasoning is simple and perfect, and the chicken legs come out juicy every time!
When I roast a chicken it’s a sure thing that my kids are going to fight over the chicken legs.
I don’t know if it’s because kids just like eating with their hands or if it’s because chicken legs are delicious, but it happens without fail every time.
I don’t roast a whole chicken all that often, since everyone seems to want the legs anyway. I make these baked chicken drumsticks instead and everyone is happy!
My baked chicken drumsticks recipe is simple enough that anyone can do this and it creates juicy chicken, crispy skin, and it’s all perfectly seasoned! You’re going to love this one. Check out our
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Legs:
Chicken – We’re using skin-on chicken drumsticks here. The skin is crispy and flavorful and helps keep the interior nice and juicy.
Seasoning – You’ll need a mix of smoked paprika (affiliate link), garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Oil – When cooking at higher temperatures, we like to use avocado oil (affiliate link) has a higher smoke point than olive oil. We have had lots of readers use olive oil and been happy with those results as well.
How to make baked chicken drumsticks:
These oven baked chicken legs are super simple and the seasoning blend is perfect!
Mix together the spices in a small dish.
Add your drumsticks to a plastic bag or large bowl and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle the seasoning on, seal the bag, and mush things around to coat the chicken.
Dump the chicken out onto a baking sheet and bake! The prep work here is so quick!
How long to bake chicken legs:
These baked chicken drumsticks only take a few minutes of prep and just about 45 minutes of bake time.
We’re baking these chicken legs at 425 degrees. If our oven isn’t good and hot, the chicken skin won’t get crispy and no one wants rubbery chicken skin!
The meat should reach 165 degrees in about 45 minutes and then your chicken legs are ready to devour!
What is the best temperature to cook chicken legs?
We prefer to bake our chicken drumsticks at 425 degrees. This allows the chicken skin to crisp up and the interior stays nice and moist. It may seem like a high heat, especially compared to some other recipes but we have thousands have 5 star reviews on this recipe that speak for themselves!
What to serve with oven baked chicken legs:
Broccoli Rice Casserole: Made with cauliflower rice so it’s packed with veggies!
Keto Asparagus: The kids even like this one!
Fried Radishes: They’re similar to a potato when cooked.
Keto Coleslaw: This is my mama’s famous recipe!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: Totally satisfies that mac and cheese craving!
Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large zip top bag and seal. Smush the chicken around in the bag to coat in the seasoning.
- Arrange chicken on the baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Serve immediately.
Kris says
These were a hit in my house tonight ! Great recipe!
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Kris!
Cindy says
I really prefer skinless chicken. Will it come out ok if I remove the skin? I understand that they won’t be as crispy.
Karly Campbell says
We haven’t tried, but it may work fine. 🙂
Georgie says
My kids LOVE these!! Thank you for sharing, they are a good substitute for fast food chicken wings. My son loves junk and he doesn’t eat anything healthy, so I make these with range free organic chicken drumsticks and he can’t get enough I don’t have avocado oil so I use extra virgin olive oil
Mary Greene says
Hello, my daughter sent me the recipe. I followed it just like she said. The drumsticks were soooo good. Very simple recipe to use. My husband and I were so pleased. Will try this recipe all the time. Thanks!!!
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Mary! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Twyla says
Question regarding baked chicken drumsticks.
I don’t have avocado oil on hand. Is EVOO or canola a possible substitute?
Karly Campbell says
Yep!
Rachel says
So delicious
These drumsticks were so scrumptious! Thank you for sharing!! We have a house full of teenage boys, the drumsticks didn’t last long haha! I followed the recipe exactly, no changes at all…and will be making the again and again!
Karly Campbell says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Rachel!
Lynda says
I add 1 tsp sugar to the mixture for a flavour balance; I also bake them on a rack, not flat on a bake sheet! That way, they are crisper & not nearly so greasy! I bake for about one hour at 350oF, turning them over on the rack half way through. Hubby loves them this way & requests them nearly every weekend. I cook enough for more than one meal, freeze the extras for another meal, warm them up in the microwave!
Lisa says
Hi, I don’t have avocado oil, is olive oil ok?
Karly Campbell says
Yep, olive oil is fine.
Juliet says
Would it help to bake on a rack to allow airflow under the drumsticks?
Karly Campbell says
You can if you like, but we just bake right on the baking sheet. 🙂
Stacey says
I have 4.5 lbs of drumsticks. Does cook time change?
Karly Campbell says
The cook time should stay the same, so long as they all have a bit of space between them to cook on the pan.
Amy says
Check your drummies at 35 minutes. Have never in my life cooked them this long at this high heat. Can’t even imagine
Amanda says
Hello,
Could I use this rub to marinate my chicken overnight?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, that should be fine.
Amy says
Hi. I did the recipe as instructed, but I put it the toaster oven instead of a regular oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit because we are only 2 people, but I will double the dosage once this pandemic is over and we can go back to a normal life and have friends and family over. I did only 4 drumsticks and the ingredients were enough. The avocado oil was very good instead of olive oil. You can also try walnut oil or different oils. We loved it. Thank you for this simple and very good recipe. I am going to do it more often
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Amy!
Sam says
Came out so bad… no flavor… I will not try this again.
Karly Campbell says
I’m sorry this one wasn’t to your taste.
Kelly says
If there’s no flavor you might want to check the age of your spices; I find garlic powder in particular goes bad fast.
Patricia A Guerrero says
Thanks for the recipe!
Miosotis says
going to try this recipe tonight i’m sure my family will love it
thank you!!
Hope says
Hi idk how but mine were SO over cooked before 40 minutes. I don’t know what happened but next time I’ll start checking at 30-35 minutes. Thank you for the recipe.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Hope! Sounds like your oven might run a bit hot or your drumsticks were on the smaller side. Sorry to hear they were overcooked, but yes, just keep an eye on them and pull them out when the internal temp reaches 165. 🙂
Marina Mahmud says
This happened to me too and I’m thinking I need to use more olive oil? And I just marinated in a big bowl so maybe ziploc is better because they can lay flat in the oil rather than it pooling in the bottom of a bowl?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, that would be best.
Ann says
So you put everything including the 2tbsp of oil in the ziplock bag?
Karly Campbell says
Yep!
TONY J VAN ZWAREN says
Tried your recipe. It was easy and all the ingredients were ready at hand. Wasn’t sure whether to use hot or sweet paprika but decided to go with sweet. Other than the fact that it took about 50 minutes instead of 40 the recipe came out perfect. My family, which includes a hard to please young son, really enjoyed it.
Rosalind Samuels says
I didn’t know there was such thing as sweet paprika
Jeanette B Gilder says
These were terrific my husband loved them. Thank you
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Jeanette!
Long says
So good and so easy! Used vegetable oil instead of olive oil and cooked a bit longer once I flipped them to get extra crispy crust. My husband commented twice on how good they were. Will make again! Thank you!!
Christina says
Hello! So I’m pretty sure I read it correctly but just to clarify, these drumsticks are 323 calories for one right?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, assuming that your 2 pounds = 6 drumsticks. They’re different sizes, of course, but I usually find 6-8 in a 2 pound pack and I calculated on the heavy side. 🙂