Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe is easy, delicious, and full of flavor!  Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner! Tender and juicy, this recipe is an absolute no-brainer. Simply marinate and bake for a recipe your family will be begging for time and time again!

marinated baked chicken drumsticks

Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe: 

I love these Baked Chicken Drumsticks because the skin gets crispy in the oven and the homemade marinade makes them so juicy. Plus, drumsticks are an inexpensive cut of meat that doesn’t skimp on taste! This recipe makes 10 drumsticks so your family no longer has to fight over who gets a leg. Similar to cooking chicken thighs, the secret here is all in the marinade. Just a few pantry staples like olive oil, seasonings, and lemon juice are whisked together to create a classic combination that gives you tons of side dish options. Letting the chicken soak in the homemade marinade for at least a couple of hours really seals in all of the flavor and guarantees the chicken comes out tender and juicy instead of dried out. Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks aren’t in my weekly rotation for nothing!

 

Begging for more baked recipes? Try BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs or Easy Baked Chicken Breast for some classic variations.

What Should I Serve With Baked Drumsticks?

The marinade for these Chicken Drumsticks pairs well with a myriad of side dishes! All sorts of veggies, potatoes, or even mac and cheese would be delicious. Try my Perfect Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Green Beans, or maybe extra cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese and some of my Perfect Baked Beans to complete your meal!

How To Make Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks

  • Let’s make the marinade. The true star of this recipe is surprisingly simple. In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, chicken seasoning, salt, soy or Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and paprika.
  • Add the drumsticks. Place the chicken drumsticks into a large zip-top bag then pour the marinade inside. Close the bag (try to get as much air out as you can) and massage the marinade into the chicken.
  • Let the chicken chill and the marinade marry. Refrigerate the drumsticks for at least 30 minutes. For the absolute best flavor let the chicken marinate for a full 2-12 hours.
  • Time to get cooking. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Arrange the chicken. Place the drumsticks in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5-10 minutes (or until cooked through). Serve and enjoy!

chicken drumsticks tossed in a bowl of marinade

How to store and Heat Leftovers: 

Store leftover Baked Chicken Drumsticks in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Heat back up in the oven until warmed through, or eat cold! These are great right out of the fridge for a next day lunch or midnight snack. 

Ingredients Notes for Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks

  • Chicken – Make sure the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of 165°F for safe serving. And don’t skip the flip! Flipping them ensures they’re cooked through and gives that nice caramel color on both sides. The trick is to use skin on drumsticks for that outer crisp!
  • Marinade – The marinade doesn’t have to be complicated and you can absolutely swap out the seasonings for unique combos. You could try olive oil and Italian seasoning, a lemon pepper blend, or even add in some honey mustard. Feel free to experiment while maintaining the technique. There’s room for flavorful creativity here! 
  • Paprika – For a smoky flavor, swap traditional paprika for smoked paprika. It’s amazing with the sweet brown sugar and tangy worcestershire sauce!

marinated baked chicken drumsticks arranged on a plate

Enjoy!

~Nichole

 

 

 

4.98 from 456 votes

Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Easy, delicious, and full of flavor, these Baked Chicken Drumsticks are perfect for a weeknight dinner! Tender and juicy, this recipe is an absolute no-brainer. Simply marinate and bake for a recipe your family will be begging for time and time again!
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Marinate 30 minutes
Total 40 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, soy or Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chicken seasoning, pepper, dijon mustard, chili powder, and paprika until well mixed.
  • Add the chicken drumsticks to a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Close the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken for a few seconds.
  • Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.  For best flavor allow the chicken to marinate for 2-12 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Arrange the chicken in an even layer on prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.  Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.

Video

Notes

**Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before consumption.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 870mg, Potassium: 204mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!

Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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386 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Ok, after i turned the drumsticks, i added the parsley for last 10 minutesm. Best chicken drumsticks ever. I used real raw onions and garlic in over night marinade. I have been taught to discard the marinade for safety. I wonder if I could boil it or put it in a baking dish in the oven and use it with rice or other side? I would not pour it over while cooking as I think the drybake was critical.
    thank you for the stunning quick reply on the parsley.

  2. 5 stars
    What an easy recipe to throw together! I marinated the chicken for 1 hour, and threw it on a rack and cookie sheet so I wouldn’t have to flip the chicken. Smells good so far!

  3. 4 stars
    My drumsticks must be huge cuz I’ve cooked mine on each size for 25 mins & they’re still bloody. I just flipped them again and reset the timer for another 15 mins. They smell great though & I hope they turn out as nice as yours. Ty for sharing

  4. 5 stars
    I made this marinade last night and then popped the chicken in the oven this morning while I got ready for work. Soooo good! I didn’t measure anything and just “guesstimated” but it still came out great. I will never make drumsticks without some sort of marinade ever again.

  5. 5 stars
    This was so easy, and very yummy! I actually poured some of the marinate over the chicken (didn’t want to waste any).

  6. Looks delicious! The drumsticks in the photos have green herb. Is that part of recipe? This will be my first attempt at chicken legs.

    1. Hi! The green on the drumsticks is just some parsley that I sprinkled on at the end for color. Hope you enjoy these! 🙂

  7. I want to try these, but I am so frustrated with the chicken legs you buy at the store anymore. They are HUGE. Much bigger than the ones posted in the pictures for this recipe. It’s like yes, they’re cheap, especially when on sale, but they are so big they never get cooked all the way through. Anyone have suggestions as to where you get more appropriately sized legs??

    1. That is frustrating. I wish I could be more help, but, it’s hard for me to determine why the chicken legs are so huge at your store. I believe the brand that I used (and typically use) is Smart Chicken. Maybe take a look at a few stores in your area and see if they carry this brand. I hope that helps!

    2. 5 stars
      bigger chicken legs: drop the oven temperature and bake longer.. Mine came out great-juicy and fully cooked at 400°C for 45 minutes, then flipped for an additional 10-15 minutes

    3. Sounds like you might be seeing the chicken legs with the thigh attached at your store. You can cut the thigh off and get the smaller drumstick if you don’t want to cook the whole leg.