Do know how to cook chicken legs in the oven? Do you have an awesome recipe? What is your best way to cook them – Sauteing, boiling, frying, baking, grilling?
When it’s time to cook those chicken legs for the next dinner, you should try using the oven. It’s both fast, convenient, and cooks very nice. Oven-cooked chicken drumsticks recipes put together excellent culinary ideas to grant you and your family a fresh, unforgettable experience each time you serve them.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Consider Oven-Baked or Cooked Chicken Legs
Easy-to-make Recipe
Most chicken meals will require a professional to make them. That’s not the case with oven-baked chicken legs. You don’t have to be a pro to be able to make them. Just go through with the instructions and you are there. It also doesn’t take a lot of time after you’ve gathered everything that you need.
No Need for Elaborate Preparation
With chicken drumsticks in the oven, you don’t have to make a lot of cooking plans. It doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare, plus you can cook them while preparing the accompanying dish.
Family-friendly Recipe
Everyone loves chicken legs – adults. children, aunties, uncles. It’s fit for the family reunion party and that hang out with old friends. Even as a solo meal, you will be glad you made something exclusive for you. Everyone will thank you for being so thoughtful.
Recipe for People on a Budget
You can save a lot of money by baking your chicken legs. It comes out well with minimal ingredients. You can season it with what you have available in your kitchen. No pressure.
Recommended for People on a Diet
Whatever your diet plan is, it’s most likely going to oblige baked chicken legs. Dieting programs like low carb, paleo, keto, and whole30 allow you to partake of this awesomeness.
General Procedure for Baking Chicken Legs in the Oven
Preparation
Put the seasoning for the chicken drumsticks in a bowl and combine them properly. Drizzle the mixture over the drumsticks completely, ensuring that you cover every part.
Getting Ready to Toss in the Oven
With your chicken legs draped in seasoning and sitting on one side, prepare your oven. If you want to cook them immediately, that’s fine. Otherwise, put them away in an airtight container and place in the fridge.
When you are ready to cook, heat up your oven to 400 degrees F. Douche your baking sheet in cooking oil or spray and arrange the chicken drumsticks on it. Give them space.
Baking the Chicken Drumsticks
Gently keep the baking sheet with chicken drumsticks on the rack in the center part of your oven. Allow it to cook for 25 minutes approximately. You can use your meat thermometer (if you have one) to check if your chicken is done.
Making Crispy Baked Chicken Legs
When you have cooked the chicken legs to your desired degree of doneness, the next thing is to cook the back to crisp.
When you are ready to crisp the back, switch to broil. You can choose to broil at high temperatures or at low temperatures depending on how your oven-broiler works.
If you’re broiling at low temperature, your rack is best set close to the broiler coil. If, on the other hand, you are broiling on high temperature then your rack should be no less than 8 inches from the coil.
The temperature for high broiling is usually around 425 degrees while that of low temperature is 350 degrees.
Is There a Defined Degree of Doneness for Baked Chicken Legs?
Raw meat is not safe for human consumption. They tend to carry worms and viruses that are that not immediately evident to the human eyes. That is why you have to make sure to bake your chicken legs to the minimum required degree of doneness.
For chicken, the required degree of doneness is 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check as that is more foolproof. It’s very easy to assume that chicken is done only to bring it out and see that it is all fresh on the inside.
If you are checking the doneness of bone-in chicken, make sure to take the thermometer close to the bone and meat around the bone will take longer to cook.
Will Chicken Legs Bake Within the Same Time At Varying Temperatures?
Chicken will cook at different times depending on the temperature you are using. If you want it to cook faster, then increase the temperature. However, cooking at a moderate temperature is the best option. Of course, except when you are broiling.
Time Temperature
20 to 25 mins 400 to 425 degrees F
25 to 30 mins 350 to 375 degrees F
30 to 40 mins 300 to 325 degrees F
What to Consider when Cooking Your Chicken Legs
The time your chicken legs will spend baking is not only determined by the temperature you are cooking at. Other factors that come to play here are their sizes, temperature at the time of cooking, and the oven you are using.
If the legs are large, they’ll spend more time absorbing heat before they are able to cook. Also, you need to know how your oven works. If the thermometer that came with it isn’t working well, you may have to get another to help you measure your cooking time accurately. Or determine how to match your oven’s temperature with those on the recipe you are using.
Temperature
The initial temperature of the drumsticks you are about to cook determines how long they will last baking. If they are really cold, they’ll take longer. Otherwise, you’ll have your baked drumsticks in good time.
Check out these articles…
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (How Easy Can It Be?)
How To Cook Potatoes In The Oven: 2 Step-by-Step Methods
How to Clean Oven: Simple Steps
How to Cook Steak in the Oven: 5 Easy Ways
How to Make French Fries in Oven: Recipes You’ll Crave
How to Bake Chicken Thighs in the Oven: 5 Easy Recipes To Try
Video: How to Cook Chicken Legs in the Oven
This video will show you how to make yummy chicken legs in the oven
Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
If you want to bake tender, juicy chicken drumsticks for your family or friends, this Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe will be perfect for presenting. Everyone will thank for a good, fast meal. You’ll be done in about 40 to 45 minutes.
Time Estimates
Preparation time: 5 mins
Marination time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
What You Need
Chicken Drumsticks 10 pcs
Olive Oil 1/3 cup
Garlic Powder 2 tsp
Onion Powder 2 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Worcestershire Sauce 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice 1 ball
Paprika 1 tsp
Brown Sugar 1/4 cup
Paprika 1 tsp
Cooking Procedure
First Thing to Do: Add your lemon juice, garlic powder, olive oil, salt, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika, and brown sugar to a bowl. Combine them together thoroughly.
Second Thing to Do: Get a large storage bag and put your chicken legs in it. Add the seasoning to the storage bag and close it up. Gently rub-in the seasoning until it has gone round every part of all the chicken legs.
Third Thing to Do: Place the bag of chicken legs in the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 30 minutes (or until well marinated).
Fourth Thing to Do: Set your oven to heat at 425 degrees F. Get your baking sheet and cover it with aluminum foil. Douche the foil cooking oil or spray.
Last Thing to Do: Lay the chicken legs on the baking sheet, spacing them out. Place the baking sheet in the oven and leave to bake for 20 minutes before checking it. Turn the chicken on the other side then bake again. Remember to check doneness with your thermometer.
Bring out the baked chicken legs when they are thoroughly cooked. Serve the way you prefer.
Simple Baked Chicken Drumsticks
This is an abridged version of baked chicken drumsticks recipe. This recipe defines how long it’ll take for you to bake your chicken at varying temperatures. It takes less ingredients to make, though you can tweak the seasoning as you wish.
Time Estimate
Preparation Time: 5 to 7 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
What You Need
Chicken legs 6 pcs
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Garlic powder 1/4 tsp
Black pepper 1/8 tsp
Lemon cuts 4 pcs
Paprika 1/2 tsp
Kosher salt 1/4 tsp
Cooking Procedure
First thing to Do: If you are using refrigerated chicken legs, allow it to thaw before you start cooking. Use kitchen towels to dry water from the body.
Second Thing to Do: Set your oven to heat at 400 degrees F. Alongside, mix your seasonings together in a bowl. Add the garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and olive oil together. Mix them very well with the chicken legs.
Third Thing to Do: Cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil and oil it lightly. Arrange your seasoned chicken drumsticks properly, giving some space with the placement.
Fourth Thing to Do: Place the baking sheet with chicken legs to bake for 25 minutes, check and turn the legs to bake on the other side. Bake for 5 minutes and check again. Remember to use your thermometer to check for doneness.
Last Thing to Do: Remove the baked chicken when they are ready and serve with your favorite dish.
Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
If you prefer your chicken drumsticks with crispy skin, this is the recipe for you. This recipe takes nearly one hour to achieve but it is worth every time that you spend on it.
Time Estimate
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
What You Need
Chicken Legs with the skin intact 8 pcs
Flour (multipurpose) 2/3 cup
Paprika 3 tsp
Garlic powder 2 tsp
Kosher salt 2 tsp
Baking powder 3 tbsp
Pepper 3/4 tsp
Cooking spray
Cooking Procedure
First Thing to Do: Heat up your oven at 425 degrees. Get your chicken out from the fridge and dry out water from the body. Make sure to leave the skin on the body.
Second Thing to Do: Get a sizable ziplock bag and mix in your ingredients in it. Add in your kosher salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, baking powder, and multipurpose flour. Mix them up properly. Put in your chicken one after the other and properly combine them with the mixture.
Third Thing to Do: Cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil and put some cooking spray on the foil. Line the chicken legs on the baking sheet with spaces between them. Put some cooking spray over the chicken. Preferably, use cooking spray with butter flavor.
Fourth Thing to Do: Place to bake at 425 degrees F. Check how well they are doing after 30 minutes and turn them on the other side. Keep checking every 5 to minutes until they are perfectly cooked, and the skin is crisp. If you desire more crispness after the chicken is cooked, then turn on your broiler for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the broiling so your chicken legs don’t become a waste.
Last Thing to Do: When your chicken legs are cooked to your taste, bring them out and cool. Serve the way you want it.
What to Serve with Your Baked Chicken Drumstick
If you are a loss of what to serve your baked chicken legs with, here’s a dish that can accompany those yummy drumsticks.
Chicken Pasta with Vodka
This recipe involves a bit of vodka, but not enough to get anyone tipsy. It’s not a complicated process, and it’s super tasty.
What You Need
Chicken breast (without the skin and bone) 1 pound
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Sun-dried tomatoes (with enough oil) 1/4 cup
Vodka 1/4 cup
Diced red onions 1/2 bulb
Reduced sodium chicken broth 11/2 cup
Minced garlic 2 fingers
Penne pasta 2 cups
Milk 2 cups
Spinach (preferably, fresh) 4 cups
Kosher Salt 1/2 tsp
Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup
Ground pepper (red) 1/4 cup
Procedure
Chicken Breast: Use your meat tenderizer’s flat end to decimate the chicken breast. The pieces should be about half-inch thick. Season your flattened chicken breasts with pepper, paprika, and salt.
Set your frying pan on the stove at a heat that is medium-high and add your olive oil. Put in the chicken breasts and sauté for 5 minutes approximately. Bring it down and remove from oil when it is well cooked. Set it aside to cool.
Vodka Sauce: Add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion to the frying pan and sauté for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. When the onion is soft, turn in your vodka and leave for one minute until the vegetables come off the pan. Add your milk, salt, penne, ground red pepper, and chicken broth. Stir them together on high heat and allow to boil.
Bring down your heat to medium then cover. Cook for 10 minutes till the pasta is soft. Add your fresh spinach and cooked chicken breasts into your pasta and combine properly. Cover and heat for a while. Stir in parmesan cheese until your sauce is thick.
Bring it down and serve with your baked chicken drumstick.
Have a great meal with your loved ones.
