Baked Chicken Legs (Drumsticks)

These baked chicken legs are affordable, fast and easy, and make for the ultimate weeknight family dinner on a budget. You can tweak the seasonings to match your family’s preferences, and they will come out crispy and delicious every time.

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I’ve been making these chicken drumsticks for years now. I remember the first time I realized I needed dinner made in under an hour with little prep involved, and all I had were some drumsticks and canned green beans.

Guess who managed to make a fast and healthy dinner in under an hour? This gal!

They came out delicious, despite the lack of ingredients and time.

Ever since then, I’ve played around with different spices, temperatures, and cooking times to come up with the absolute best baked chicken legs recipe.

These are all common flavor ideas that I’ve used over the years. My favorite is the one listed below. It’s just a good, classic flavor that pairs with literally any side dishes.

How to Make Baked Chicken Legs

The trick to making delicious chicken legs is to not overthink it.

I’m serious!

Season them on a pan, throw them in the oven uncovered, and let them roast!

Honestly, it’s quite rare that I remember to set a timer. I do overcook food at times, but I’ve found that no matter how long I bake chicken legs, they always come out delicious.

Sometimes they’re juicy and tender, and other times they’re a bit more chewy, but we actually really enjoy them that way as well.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how low-prep it is. I spend about 5 minutes in the kitchen putting it together, and the rest of the time is really only spent cooking any of the sides.

I often do another roasted side, like potatoes, or brussel sprouts, since the oven is already on and those are also low prep. Other times I simply add a canned vegetable like green beans or pair it with some leftover rice or pasta.

You really can’t go wrong with chicken legs. My kids at all different ages have always loved this recipe. When they’re eating something else, and I’m making them just for me and my husband, I like to add some cayenne pepper to them.

Another delicious way to prepare these chicken legs is to stuff lemon slices under the skin before baking in the oven, and sprinkling some lemon pepper on top. Oh my gosh, they’re to die for!

Step 1 – Preheat the oven for the chicken legs

Preheat the oven to 425°F

Step 2 – Season the drumsticks

Toss the chicken legs in olive oil and the seasonings. I do this directly on the foil-lined pan, because, why not?

Step 3 – Bake for 30-45 minutes

That really is it! That’s all you have to do to get amazing baked chicken drumsticks in under an hour.

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If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to rate it below and leave a comment. What seasonings do you like to add to your baked chicken legs?

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