How Long To Bake Chicken Drumsticks At 425

Baked in a hot oven, chicken legs emerge with wonderfully crispy skin and juicy meat.

It'southward an easy hands-off recipe that practically bakes itself, and leftovers are proficient besides, especially when eaten common cold, picnic-style.

Two baked chicken legs served on a white plate.

Craven is not the about exciting meat one might eat, that's for sure. But it's tasty and affordable and my kids similar it, which is always a practiced reason to make something (if you have kids you know it's truthful).

These wonderful oven-baked craven legs have crispy, delicious pare and juicy, succulent meat. Who says chicken tin't be a delicacy? It all depends on how yous melt it. Another practiced reason to brand this recipe? Leftovers are great. I beloved eating them cold!

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tip
Oftentimes asked questions
Variations and substitutions
Serving suggestions
Storing leftovers
Related recipes
Recipe card

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty craven recipe. The verbal measurements are included in the recipe bill of fare below. Here'due south an overview of what you'll need:

Olive oil spray: It's and so delicious and my favorite oil to cook with. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke bespeak, you tin can use avocado oil instead.

Chicken legs: I use os-in skin-on legs (thigh and drumstick) in this recipe. They are also called "chicken leg quarters." I get them either at my local supermarket or at the butcher counter at Whole Foods.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount yous utilize or the dish could come up out also salty.

Spices: I like to use garlic pulverisation, paprika, and dried thyme. Please brand sure they are fresh! Spices are delicious, but a stale spice can hands ruin a dish.

Instructions

And then how do you bake craven legs? It's easy! The oven does all the work for you. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe menu beneath. Hither are the basic steps:

Your showtime footstep is to accommodate the chicken pieces in a rimmed blistering dish large enough to fit them in a unmarried layer. A nine 10 13-inch baking dish works, as does a big rimmed baking sheet.

Now generously spray the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle it with spices.

Broil until fully cooked. This should take xl-45 minutes in a 425°F oven, and you will probably need to loosely cover the chicken pieces with foil after the start 30 minutes to prevent the tops from burning.

A photo collage showing the steps for baking chicken legs in the oven.

Expert tip

The secret to making them crispy? Don't broil the chicken legs in a 350°F oven for an hr. Instead, bake them in a hot 425°F oven for 40-45 minutes. This volition ensure beautifully crispy skin and juicy meat.

Do check the craven after the first thirty minutes. If the skin (or the spices) seem to be browning too much, loosely cover the peak with foil and go along baking until cooked through.

Frequently asked questions

Are chicken legs the same as drumsticks?

Not exactly. Chicken legs are both the thigh and the drumstick attached to each other. They are also called "whole chicken legs" and "craven leg quarters." Chicken legs vs drumsticks

Should I remove the pare?

Admittedly non! I use every inch of its fatty deliciousness. Many chicken recipes will instruct you lot to trim whatsoever excess peel from the thigh part. Me? On the contrary. When I make this recipe, I leave every bit of delicious skin on.

In fact, if I have space on the pan, I spread any excess peel out on the pan, and so it comes out super crispy so, so good. Kind of like freshly broiled homemade pork rinds, but even meliorate.

Should I bake the chicken covered or uncovered?

First blistering it uncovered. Merely afterwards the first 30 minutes, check on it. At this point, it's probably a good idea to loosely cover the pinnacle with foil to prevent it from darkening too much.

Variations and substitutions

I love this recipe every bit is and almost always go far as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you lot:

Instead of spraying the chicken with oil, y'all tin brush it with melted butter or ghee. It's really skillful!
Try different spice combinations. Practiced options include smoked paprika, oregano, and ground cumin.
Y'all can brownish the craven, espeically the tops, in an ovenproof skillet in some butter or oil, and so transfer it to the oven. This method achieves extra-crispy skin. Just I rarely bother, because only oven-blistering yields fabled results and is then much easier.

Serving suggestions

Baked chicken legs are very versatile and truly go with whatever side dish. I ofttimes serve them with any of the following sides:

Roasted Brussels sprouts
Loaded mashed cauliflower
Roasted asparagus

Storing leftovers

Yous can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. I don't like to reheat them, though. Reheating dries the craven out.

Leftover chicken is actually very tasty when eaten cold! I like to brand myself a lunch plate with cold leftover chicken, quick pickles, fresh-cut veggies, and some homemade ranch.

But if you'd like to reheat the leftovers, I suggest you practice so in the microwave on 50% power and comprehend them while you reheat them.

Baked chicken legs served on a white plate.

Honey Garlic Craven
Keto Craven Nuggets
Baked Drumsticks
Salary-Wrapped Chicken Chest

👩🏻‍🍳 I typically publish a new or an updated recipe in one case a week. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe! You can unsubscribe at whatsoever time.

Recipe card

Crispy Baked Chicken Legs

A unproblematic recipe for crispy baked chicken legs. Cooked in a hot oven, they sally with wonderfully crispy skin and juicy meat!

Prep Time 15 mins

Melt Time forty mins

Resting fourth dimension 5 mins

Full Time 1 hr

Form: Chief Form

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 375 kcal

▢ Olive oil spray
▢ 4 os-in peel-on chicken legs (drumstick and thigh)
▢ i teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic pulverisation
▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking dish with olive oil. A 9 10 thirteen-inch baking dish should piece of work.
Place the chicken legs in the prepared baking dish. Generously spray their tops with olive oil and sprinkle them with the seasonings.
Broil, uncovered, until the skin is well-baked and browned and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 40-45 minutes. Check the chicken after the first 30 minutes. If the skin or the spices seem to be browning too much, loosely embrace it with foil and continue baking.
Allow the craven to residuum for 5 minutes before serving.

Many chicken recipes will instruct you to trim any excess pare from the thigh part. Me? On the contrary. When I make this recipe, I leave every bit of delicious skin on.

In fact, if I take space on the pan, I spread any excess skin out on the pan, and and then information technology comes out super crispy and and then, then expert. Kind of like freshly baked homemade pork rinds, but even better.

Almost of our recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-gratuitous, but some are not. Delight verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to exist gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Nutrition info may contain errors, so delight verify information technology independently. Recipes may comprise errors, and then please employ your mutual sense when following them. Please read our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.