Oven baked chicken legs are one of the easiest ways to serve flavorful chicken. These drumsticks are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside making the perfect weeknight meal.
Oven Baked Chicken Legs
I love buying a large pack of chicken legs because they’re cheaper than other chicken cuts. Chicken legs are easy to cook and most kids love them.
These oven baked chicken legs use a few simple spices that you probably have in your pantry right now. It’s an easy dinner recipe that works well with roasted vegetables, rice or quinoa. This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prep and 40-50 minutes to bake.
Baked Chicken Leg Ingredients
- Chicken Legs – I used 10 chicken legs – enough to fit on one baking sheet in a single layer.
- Spices – This recipe uses a simple spice mix for flavor: Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder.
- High Heat Cooking Oil – You’ll want to use a cooking oil that is safe for high heat. I use avocado oil (I buy mine at Costco).
How To Make Easy Oven Baked Chicken Legs
These tasty chicken legs are easy to make in the oven. Everything including prep and baking time is done in about 50 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooking oil, Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Add in the chicken legs. Toss them in the spices until the chicken is fully coated.
- Bake the chicken for 40-50 mins at 425°F on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Tips For Crispy Chicken Legs
- Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel before adding to the bowl with spices. This will remove any excess moisture.
- Want crispier chicken? Cook the chicken on a rack that sits on top of the baking sheet. This will allow all juices to drip away from the chicken – leaving a crispy skin.
- According to the USDA recommended cooking temperatures, the safest internal temperature for cooking all types of poultry products is 165°F. This is the interior temperature that the meat will read at once removed from the heat source. You can use a food thermometer, which will be poked into the thickest part of the chicken to read the temperature.
More Chicken Recipes
Here are a few other dinner chicken recipes to try.
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks – This recipe uses a simple dry rub and the air fryer to create crispy tender chicken legs.
- Roasted Whole Chicken with Root Vegetables – This recipe makes a juicy tender chicken with a side of beautifully colored carrots, parsnips, rutabaga and brussels sprouts.
- Bruschetta Chicken – Chicken breasts are baked with tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella.
- Chicken Pineapple Sheet Pan Dinner – An easy no-fuss dinner idea with veggies, pineapple and chicken. All cooked on a baking sheet.
- Chicken Olive Pasta Bake – This is an easy casserole dish to put together when you’ve got a hungry family.
Easy Baked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp high heat cooking oil - I use avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Onion powder
- 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
- 10 chicken drumsticks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Add the cooking oil and spices to a large bowl and mix together.
- Add in the chicken legs and toss with the spice mixture until they're evenly coated.
- Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F as an internal temperature when poked with a meat thermometer.
Recipe Notes:
- For crisper chicken, use a rack that sits on top of a baking sheet. This will allow juices to drip away from chicken, creating a crispier skin.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
