Oven Baked Chicken Legs are simple to make and budget-friendly, made with chicken drumsticks coated in herbs and spices, ready in under an hour!

A hand holding a chicken drumstick that's been baked in the oven, topped with fresh parsley.

These oven baked chicken legs are one of my go-to meal prep recipes, made with chicken drumsticks, olive oil, and a mix of herbs and spices. They’re really simple to make with a few pantry staples, and the whole recipe is done in under an hour. Making them perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!

If you loved these oven-baked chicken legs, you’ll also love my Marinated Chicken Drumsticks, and my Italian Dressing Chicken!

Table of contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Budget Friendly – This oven baked chicken legs recipe is so incredibly easy to make and is made using a really budget-friendly cut of chicken, making it perfect for anyone who wants a satisfying dinner without spending a lot.

Flavorful and Juicy – The seasoning on the chicken gives it a really nice savory flavor, while the drumsticks naturally stay moist when cooked at a higher heat.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for baked chicken legs on a table.

Chicken. I like to use chicken legs (drumsticks) because they’re easy to prep and budget-friendly. You could also make this recipe using bone-in chicken thighs or chicken leg quarters.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I use olive oil because it’s what I always have on hand. You can also use avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil for this recipe.

Herbs and Spices. For the spices, I’m using garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. You can leave the cayenne out if you don’t want it to have a kick.

For the herbs, I like to use a combo of dried herbs like oregano, basil, and sage. You can add chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives on top for presentation.

Kitchen Tools

For this recipe, you’ll need a sheet pan with parchment paper, and a medium mixing bowl.

How to Make Baked Chicken Legs

A small glass bowl on a table with olive oil and spices whisked together, with a whisk resting in the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the seasoning and olive oil together until well-combined.

A glass bowl on a table, full of raw chicken drumsticks coated in olive oil and seasoning.

Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel and add them to a mixing bowl. Toss until evenly coated in the seasoning.

Place the drumsticks on the sheet pan in a single layer, leaving room between each one.

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A sheet pan lined with parchment paper, with baked chicken legs in two rows on the pan, topped with fresh parsley.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning over halfway through, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F with a meat thermometer.

Season with any additional salt and black pepper as-needed and serve.

Recipe Variations

  • Make these baked chicken legs spicy with additional cayenne pepper, hot sauce, chili powder, or red pepper flakes.
  • For a bright flavor, add a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh parsley when they come out of the oven.
  • If you don’t have the individual spices in your pantry, you can always use a prepared seasoning blend like lemon pepper, garlic herb, Ranch seasoning, or Italian seasoning.
  • Try adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika and dijon mustard or honey mustard to the spice mixture for more flavor.
  • Add extra garlic powder and top your baked chicken drumsticks with parmesan cheese just before serving for a garlic parm version!
  • This recipe does not focus on making the drumstick chicken skin crispy. If you want to make the chicken skin crispier, add a touch of baking powder to the spice mixture and place a wire rack on the baking sheet..
  • Make these in the air fryer by cooking for 20 minutes at 400°F, turning them over in the air fryer basket half way through.
  • This recipe is really versatile, feel free to change around the seasoning mixture. Try adding some parsley flakes, ground mustard, smoked paprika, onion flakes instead of onion powder, you name it!

Recipe Tip! If you want your chicken legs to be more crispy, right before taking them out of the oven at the end of the recipe, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes. Watch them closely, because the broiler can burn things quickly!

Frequently Asked Questions

What side dishes should you serve with oven baked chicken legs?

The golden rule is to serve a protein with a starch and a vegetable. My personal favorites are Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Baked Potato Slices, along with Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic, or Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans. You could also get creative and coat the drumsticks with barbecue sauce and serve them with coleslaw.

Recipe Tip! The chicken is technically finished cooking at 165°F, but because drumsticks are considered dark meat, they get more tender around 175°F.

More Chicken Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate leftover chicken legs for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Cooking Tips

  • I use a long pair of tongs to flip the drumsticks halfway through the cooking time. Be careful because the oven is very hot!
  • If you want these to have crispy skin, use a small amount of baking powder in the seasoning mix and add a wire rack to the sheet pan. This will give the chicken legs more airflow instead of resting in the juices, making the chicken skin crispier.
  • Patting the chicken dry with a paper towel before adding the oil and seasoning helps everything stick to the chicken and roast in the oven.
  • I like using a baking sheet, but you can also make these baked chicken legs in a baking dish.
  • I like to use parchment paper to line the baking sheet because it’s easy, but you can also grease the sheet pan with cooking spray.
  • The bake time may change depending on how big the chicken legs are.
Two baked chicken legs on a plate with rice and green beans, in front of a sheet pan with more chicken drumsticks.

Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!

A hand holding a chicken drumstick that's been baked in the oven, topped with fresh parsley.

Oven Baked Chicken Legs

Oven Baked Chicken Legs are simple to make and budget-friendly, made with chicken drumsticks coated in herbs and spices, ready in under an hour!
4.60 from 35 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 12 medium chicken legs
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet (half-sheet)
  • 1 medium mixing bowl

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the seasoning and olive oil together until well-combined.
  • Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel and add them to a mixing bowl. Toss until evenly coated in the seasoning. Place the drumsticks on the sheet pan in a single layer, leaving room between each one.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning over halfway through, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F with a meat thermometer.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage
Refrigerate for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Cooking Tips
  • The chicken is technically finished cooking at 165°F, but because drumsticks are considered dark meat, they get more tender around 175°F.
  • I use a long pair of tongs to flip the drumsticks halfway through the cooking time. Be careful because the oven is very hot!
  • I like using a baking sheet, but you can also make this in a baking dish.
  • I like to use parchment paper to line the baking sheet because it’s easy, but you can also grease the sheet pan with cooking spray.
  • The bake time may change depending on how big the chicken legs are.

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal (15%)Carbohydrates: 1gProtein: 27g (54%)Fat: 21g (32%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 139mg (46%)Sodium: 352mg (15%)Potassium: 360mg (10%)Fiber: 0.4g (2%)Sugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 148IU (3%)Vitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 27mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

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