Tips For The Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
- If you dont have fresh ginger, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Periodically, check on the chicken as it cooks. If the marinade seems to be drying up in the baking dish, add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
- If the chicken is getting overly dark, you can cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil. You can also lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees
- For the honey and soy sauce marinade, I like to press the garlic and the ginger. If your oven runs hot, minced garlic can burn easily.
- The Asian inspired honey soy sauce chicken marinade can be used to marinate chicken breasts, pork chops, pork loin and lamb chops.
Do You Need To Flip Drumsticks In The Oven
This question has been asked by many people, as they do not know if they need to do it or not. In most cases, flipping drumsticks does not require any special precautionary measures, but there are a few things that you should be aware of if you want to do it.
Flipping drumsticks in the oven can cause them to cook faster than they should and can also make them too brittle.
What Is The Best Chicken Leg Temperature
The best final internal temperature for Baked Chicken Legs is 185° or higher when the connective tissue melts, and the meat becomes moist and tender.
The connective tissue will start to melt at 175°. By 185°, you are getting moist and tender results. America Test Kitchen takes it a step further for both thighs and drumsticks and suggests 190° to 195° as the target internal temperature range. American Test KitchenFor Perfectly Tender Chicken Thighs, Overcook Them.
Many want to cook chicken legs to 165°, the minimum safe internal temperature for chicken for the FDA, but they will be tough and stringy from connective tissue.
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How To Save Leftover Cooked Chicken Legs
If you know me you know that I hate wasting food. Like it is my worst pet peeve. Not only can you almost always enjoy it reheated the next day, but with meat you can always repurpose it into a leftover chicken recipe. Make sure you keep it moist when storing away though, freezer bags are best.
You can either just throw them right in, suck the air out and warm in the microwave the next day or remove the meat. If I know I will use it inside a casserole or something the next day I will just cut off the protein and use a smaller bag to store it all. Then just dump it into your pot and a 2nd meal is born.
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Can Raw Drumsticks Be Cooked In An Air Fryer

Place drumsticks in the basket of an air fryer and cook at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove basket and turn chicken drumsticks. Continue cooking at 400 for 10 minutes. If the internal temperature of the chicken is not 165 degrees, add five minutes more cooking time.
Is chicken done at 165 degrees
The US Department of Agriculture declared today that cooking chicken to a temperature of 165°F will assure that it is safe to consume, however a greater temperature may be desired for reasons of flavor or aesthetic.
How long does it take to barbecue chicken thighs?
Gas Grill: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat . Add the chicken thighs and cook for about five minutes each side, or until the skin is browned and crispy. Reduce the heat to around 300°F and cover the grill. Cook for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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How Long To Cook Chicken Drumsticks In The Oven
Chicken drumsticks take a little longer than boneless chicken. I recommend baking chicken legs at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes. The cook time will depend on your oven and the size of the drumsticks. I do flip the chicken about halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Always make sure that the meat is thoroughly cooked to 165 degrees. Use a digital meat thermometer close to but not touching the bone. When pierced, the juices should run clear. If theyre pink, its not done.
Heres a handy guide for baking chicken drumsticks at various temperatures:
- 350 degrees: 1 hour
- 375 degrees F: 45-55 minutes
- 400 degrees F: 40-50 minutes
- 425 degrees F: 35-45 minutes
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How To Prepare Chicken Legs For Baking
Your prep for oven roasted chicken legs is centered around encouraging air circulation to get them crispy.
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven safe rack over the sheet pan. I prefer foil rather than parchment paper for lining underneath the rack, because it catches the juices more easily.
TIP:The oven rack helps circulate the hot air around chicken, for the best baked chicken drumsticks that are nice and crispy!
- Dry the chicken. Pat the drumsticks with a paper towel, which will help get rid of any extra moisture and get them nice and crispy.
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By Step Directions For Chicken Drumsticks In Oven
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you need to make this baked chicken legs recipe. For specific details and quantities, please check the recipe card below.
- Chicken Drumsticks: I use bone-in and skin-on chicken legs. I dont recommend making this recipe with skinless chicken legs. Without the skin, the chicken doesnt have much protection from the oven heat. Instead of getting crispy skin, you will end up with dry, stringy meat. If all you have is skinless chicken, I suggest you add a bit of broth to the baking pan and cover the chicken while it bakes. This will prevent it from drying. You can make this recipe with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs as well.
- Spices: We use dried spices in this recipe. You can use sweet or smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper. Although these spices have a southwestern flare, the chicken doesnt turn out spicy. Its really flavorful and Im sure you will love it.
- Oil: I use olive oil, but any mild oil like vegetable or avocado oil can be used.
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Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
These easy baked chicken drumsticks are crispy on the outside, and moist on the inside–a flavorful, cheap meal to make any time!
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6bone-in chicken drumsticks, with skin
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6tablespoonsunsalted butter
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½cupextra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1pinchgarlic salt, or to taste
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1pinchseasoned salt, or to taste
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salt and ground black pepper to taste
Baked Chicken Drumstick Calories
We have nutritional information listed below in the printable recipe card. There is quite a bit of variation in this though since some brands will be fattier than others so just look at your package for the most accurate numbers as far as calories are concerned. Youll have to add what is in the sauce too though.
- 6-8 chicken legs defrosted
- this is how to thaw chicken in the microwave if it is frozen
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How To Tell When Chicken Is Done
Visual cues, such as looking for meat that is no longer pink and “until the juices run clear,” are unreliable ways to know when chicken is properly cooked. Instead, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the chicken’s internal temperature before removing it from the oven. According to the USDA, the safe minimum temperature for chicken is 165 F/74 C. While that applies to all chicken, it’s actually best to cook dark meat to 175 F to 180 F because this softens the connective tissue.
Other Seasoning Ideas For Baked Chicken Drumsticks

I used a very classic mix of smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and oregano for my baked chicken drumsticks, but you can literally use any seasoning blend you like for this. There is so much flexibility! Here are a few ideas for seasoning your oven-baked chicken drumsticks:
Want some sauce for dipping? Try these delicious sauces with your baked chicken:
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How To Make Baked Chicken Drumsticks Marinade
How Do You Keep Chicken From Drying Out In The Oven
Drying out chicken in the oven can be a problem. One way to prevent it is to keep it in an airtight container. Another way is to put it in the fridge before cooking.When it comes to keeping chicken from drying out in the oven, there are a few things that you can do to help. One of the most common ways that chicken gets dried out is by being cooked too quickly.
Another thing that you can do to help prevent chicken from drying out is by cooking it slowly. Lastly, you can also try to keep humidity high when cooking your chicken.
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Tips For The Best Baked Chicken Legs
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, and then coat the drumsticks with olive oil before seasoning. These steps are very important if you want crispy, golden brown skin.
- Lay the chicken legs on the baking sheet with enough room around each so theyre not touching. Having proper heat circulation while baking is key for even cooking.
- If you want to boost the crispiness of the skin, you can broil the chicken during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Keep an eye on the legs to prevent them from burning.
- If the chicken starts to brown too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.
- For a finger-licking good twist on flavor, brush the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce during the last 5-8 minutes of baking!
- This baked chicken legs recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
One of our most popular recipes is our easy Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks with honey soy. It was only natural for us to share with you another great chicken recipe to add to your repertoire!
- Easy: Quick prep, simple pantry ingredients and one sheet-pan to clean up!
- Crispy Baked Chicken: Roasting the chicken in the oven gives this recipe its crispy skin. You dont need frying or pan searing!
- Effortless: Let the oven do almost all the work! Oven roasting is a simple way to prepare a meal that wont keep you in the kitchen for long or tire you out!
- Budget Friendly: Bone-in chicken drumsticks, whether you choose skin-on or skinless, are inexpensive and a family friendly option that can certainly feed a crowd.
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What Temperature To Bake Chicken Legs
In order to achieve juicy, flavorful meat, its important to cook chicken and any cut of meat by temperature. For dark meat chicken, such as chicken legs, an internal temperature of 175F is perfection.
As far as oven temperature is concerned, I like to set the oven to 350F. It is on the lower end for baking chicken, but I find it just right if you want to coat the drumsticks with a sweetened sauce such as my honey-dijon glaze or BBQ sauce.
At 350F, its high enough to cook the chicken but low enough so the sugars in the sauce wont burn but caramelize, lock in the juices, and give the chicken skin a flavorful crust.
Its not hard to guess that chicken is a very popular protein for making an impressive amount of delicious recipes the entire family loves.
Over the year, Ive collected quite the chicken recipe repertoire and thought Id compile some of my into an ebook. It includes over 70+ ways to turn chicken into something delicious, along with all the tips to cook it perfectly, no matter the cut or cooking method.
70+ Epic Chicken Recipes
If chicken is your go-to meal builder, youre going to love the recipes inside this book!
From marinades, soups, slow cooker meals, one-pot wonders, sheet pan dinners, and more, the recipes inside are delicious and kid-approved.
How Do You Tell If Drumsticks Are Fully Cooked
If youre cooking a drumstick, its important to know how to tell if its fully cooked. Here are four ways to do this:
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How Long To Bake Small/large Chicken Legs
The size of chicken legs can be determined by their weight. Chicken legs that weigh between 1-1.5 pounds are generally considered to be small, while those that weigh 2-3 pounds or more are considered to be large. You can use these weight ranges to determine whether a particular set of chicken legs is small or large.
Here is a summary of the information about baking small and large chicken legs in the oven:
- Small chicken legs :
- Fresh: 20-30 minutes at 350°F, 15-25 minutes at 375°F, 12-20 minutes at 400°F, 10-15 minutes at 425°F, 8-12 minutes at 450°F.
- Frozen: 40-60 minutes at 350°F, 30-50 minutes at 375°F, 25-40 minutes at 400°F, 20-30 minutes at 425°F, 15-25 minutes at 450°F.
The Best Oven Baked Chicken Legs

My easy-to-make Baked Chicken Legs recipe will change how your family views chicken. These chicken drumsticks are seasoned with simple pantry spices and oven baked to perfection, resulting in crispy, crunchy, and incredibly flavorful chicken drumsticks. I know this is going to be one of your favorite chicken recipes!
You don’t need any special equipment to make these delicious crispy chicken legs, and yes they can be made in an air fryer. You can find the instructions for air frying along with other cooking tips on my website.
With only 10 minutes of prep, my baked chicken legs recipe will let you spend time with your family instead of in the kitchen prepping ingredients.
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How To Bake Chicken Drumsticks In Oven
The recipe I have shared here is the Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks with a basic seasoning powder. I have used skinned Drumstick which delivers a perfectly crispy and crunchy chicken. But if you are not used to skinned chicken then you could feel free to use skinless drumsticks.
- Prep Seasoning Mix In a small glass bowl, add garlic, ginger, chili, black pepper powder, dried parsley, and salt. Mix well until everything get combined and reserve the seasoning mix for later use
- Season Drumsticks In a bowl, add the drumsticks and pour 2 tsp of oil. Give a good mix until the oil coats the drumstick. Add the reserved seasoning mix all over the Drumsticks and add some chopped coriander leaves. Give a nice mix to coat the seasonings
- Transfer to baking tray Transfer the seasoned Drumsticks into a baking tray with a wire rack. Make sure to line the tray with parchment paper to collect the dripping from the chicken. You can use their dripping to brush the drumsticks
- Bake Bake the Drumsticks in preheated oven at 400° F for 45 to 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reached 170° F
- Remove and Serve Remove the Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks and it is now ready for you to taste and enjoy. Serve this Crispy Chicken Drumstick with brown rice, roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus,roasted broccoli, dipping sauce, or other combos of your choice