Description
Baked Chicken Legs are so simple to make and delicious to eat. There are so many different spices and flavors to use with this chicken leg recipe and tons of side dishes that can be eaten with them. They are cheap to buy and if your family is like ours, we all fight over the dark meat. Your family will love this chicken drumstick recipe and it will be one of your favorite healthy meals for years to come.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks (approx. 3 ½ lbs)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- Lay the chicken out on a plate or tray.
- Now take some paper towels and pat the chicken legs until they are completely dry.
Seasoning chicken legs:
- Mix the spices together.Get a small bowl and spoon, then add all of the spices and blend them together thoroughly. That way the drumsticks will get covered evenly.
- Rub olive oil, or melted butter if you prefer, all over the chicken legs.
- Take your spices and spoon them all over the drumsticks on all sides until they are well covered.
Baking:
- Preheat the oven to 400-425 degrees.
- Line a baking tray with a piece of foil or parchment paper which will make for an easier clean-up as the oil and grease from the baked chicken drumsticks drip off during the baking process.
- Next, place a wire rack about the same size as the tray, on top of the paper.
- Layout your prepared pieces of chicken one at a time on the rack, spacing them apart so that they are not touching one another, because you need the air to circulate totally around them so that they will crisp up.
- Place them in the middle of the oven for a more even airflow around the tray to also help the chicken pieces to crisp up.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or so. The only true way to know how long to bake the chicken drumsticks for is to use a thermometer. Make sure that the chicken legs reach 165 degrees.
- When the chicken drumsticks in the oven are done baking, let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove the crispy baked chicken legs from the rack and serve them on a platter or plate.
Notes
The best thing about baked chicken legs is the crispy skin. Make sure to dry off the chicken before seasoning it up.
If you want to prepare your chicken ahead of it, you can oil and season the drumsticks at least 30 minutes ahead or even overnight if you choose to.
Be sure to line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
By using a wire rack underneath your chicken it will allow the air to circulate underneath the chicken so that the skin gets crispy.
If your chicken legs are not crispy enough, then broil them for 3-5 minutes, but be careful not to burn them.
Storing: Leftover chicken legs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when kept in an airtight plastic container.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Freezing: You can freeze raw chicken in freezer paper and a Ziploc freezer bag for at least 6 months longer. Leftover cooked chicken legs can be stored in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Courses
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American