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I often make this simple everyday recipe for baked chicken drumsticks. It has this winning combination of being easy AND delicious!
Simply coat the chicken pieces with a mixture of olive oil and spices, then bake them for about 40 minutes. So juicy!
Anyone with kids knows that they love drumsticks, and when they like something, the grownups often find themselves eating it.
It's OK. You make sacrifices as a parent. But your food needn't be one of them! These baked chicken drumsticks are simple but good. All they need is olive oil, a few spices, and 40 minutes in a hot oven. Perfection!
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Drumstick Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
- Reviews
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Chicken drumsticks: I use eight drumsticks in this recipe, weighing about 4 ounces each. I don't remove the skin - it's the best part! If you buy them in packages of five, you can make ten using the same recipe and increasing the olive oil by half a tablespoon.
- Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. Melted butter is another excellent option.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. The cayenne dramatically improves the flavor of this dish. It adds a hint of spice without overwhelming the dish. But if you're not a fan of spicy foods, use just ⅛ teaspoon (a pinch).
Variations
- As mentioned above, you can coat the chicken with melted butter instead of olive oil.
- Vary your spices! Sometimes, I make life easy by using a tablespoon of chili powder instead of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne.
- You can increase the cayenne to ½ teaspoon if you enjoy spicy food.
- Sometimes, I add a teaspoon of dried thyme or ½ teaspoon of dried cumin.
- When I'm lazy, I arrange the drumsticks in the pan, spray them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with spices.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the oil and spices into a paste.
Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on the baking sheet and coat them with the paste. You can use a pastry brush or your hands.
Bake the chicken pieces until their internal temperature reaches 165°F. For medium drumsticks, this should take about 40 minutes.
Serve immediately. You can sprinkle the drumsticks with chopped parsley for garnish.
Expert Tip
Check on the drumsticks after the first 30 minutes. If they seem to be darkening too quickly, loosely cover them with foil and keep cooking until they are cooked through.
Recipe FAQs
Do you cover drumsticks in the oven?
No, you should not cover them. You want the skin to brown and the chicken roasted, not steamed, so you should leave the drumsticks uncovered.
Can you overcook chicken drumsticks?
Yes, unfortunately, you can. So keep an eye on them. They should be ready after about 40 minutes, but if your oven runs hot, they might be ready sooner.
How do I know when the chicken is ready?
Chicken should be fully cooked. It should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer, not touching the bone.
Are chicken drumsticks the same as legs?
Not exactly, although many people use these terms interchangeably. As shown in the image below, a whole chicken leg (or a chicken leg quarter) can be separated into a drumstick and a thigh. In this recipe, I use the drumsticks. I use the thighs in other recipes (such as these baked chicken thighs).
Serving Suggestions
Since I bake them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve these drumsticks with a side dish I can cook in the same oven. So, I often serve them with one of the following:
- Cauliflower tots
- Baked shiitake mushrooms
- Roasted vegetables
- Loaded mashed cauliflower
- Roasted cabbage
- Roasted frozen cauliflower
- Roasted asparagus, as shown in the photo below.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I store them in a glass food storage container, as shown in the image below:
Reheat the leftovers gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. Or enjoy them cold! I sometimes remove the skin, cut them into chunks, and use them in a chicken Cobb salad. Or I make a picnic-style plate of cold drumsticks, cauliflower "potato" salad, and quick pickles.
In the photo below, you can see a typical leftover plate with cold drumsticks, fresh-cut veggies, and pickles:
More Drumstick Recipes
- Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks
- Spicy Drumsticks
- Honey Garlic Chicken
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Recipe Card
4.99 from 3450 votes
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Baked Chicken Drumsticks
I make this simple everyday recipe forbaked chicken drumsticksoften. It has this winning combination of being easy AND delicious!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks skin-on; 4 ounces each; about 2 pounds total weight
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper and arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on the parchment paper.
Make the seasoning paste: In a medium bowl, use a fork or a spatula to mix the olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Using a pastry brush or your hands, coat the chicken pieces with the seasoning paste.
Bake the drumsticks uncovered until their internal temperature, measured with an instant-read thermometer and not touching a bone, reaches 165°F, about 40 minutes.
Baste the drumsticks with the pan juices using a clean pastry brush. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Check the drumsticks after the first 30 minutes. If they seem to be darkening too fast on top, loosely cover them with foil and keep cooking until they are cooked through.
- Chicken should be fully cooked. It should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer, not touching the bone.
- When I'm lazy, instead of making a seasoning mix, I arrange the drumsticks in the pan, spray them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with spices.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. Or enjoy them cold! I sometimes remove the skin, cut them into chunks, and use them in a salad.
Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 2drumsticks | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 709mg
Made this Recipe?
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Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Kristen
Such a quick and easy way to make a great tasting dinner! My family and I enjoyed this recipe very much! Thank you!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Kristen,
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to review it - I appreciate it.Reply
Shaela
This was a fantastic recipe! It was so easy and delicious. My child and I both devoured it! Thank you!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Shaela,
I'm so glad you and your kid enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a comment.Reply
Jo Anne Lorenz
I cook for one now and have gotten lazy. This is the perfect easy recipe for me. Thank you!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Jo Anne!
Reply
Kimmy
I was looking for a nice dry seasoning to put on my drumsticks before freezing them. I ended up drizzling the olive oil over top of them as they looked too good to freeze! Absolutely delicious drumsticks!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you enjoyed them, Kimmy!
Reply
Julia
The seasoning was great, but our chicken was perfectly done and juicy after 20 minutes.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Thanks for the feedback, Julia. This is quite unusual. Unless you used small drumsticks, your oven might be running hot.
Ali
When I make drumsticks, this is my go to recipe. I use a brush and my hands (with food safe gloves) to really coat the flavor even under the skin if I can. I love the seasonings so much that I have made a large batch of the seasoning mix. I use the seasoning mix on chicken breasts, even pork chops. I have even given the seasoning mix to family and friends. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Ali! I LOVE the idea of gifting the seasoning mix - it's very timely for the upcoming holiday season.
Reply
Steve Windows
This may be a dumb question? Does it make any difference if the coated drumsticks are kept overnight in the fridge? I see so many recipes that talk about marinating meat for X period of time. I have left spices on meat sometimes for days (lazy) and also wonder if there are negatives when doing that? All the best.
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Steve,
This is actually a great question. It doesn't make a difference. And since you can only keep raw chicken in the fridge for 1-2 days, I recommend coating it and immediately baking.Reply
Ron
I had 12 drumsticks, doubled the spice and oil and tossed them with a wooden mixing spoon til all the sauce was gone in the bottom and all of the drummies coated nice. Another alternative lazy way. Waiting patiently to devour them.
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Sounds great, Ron! I hope you like them.
Reply
Leah
Hi! I’ve made these before and loved them! Is it ok to batch cook and freeze some of them to reheat in the future?Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Leah,
Yes, absolutely. They're better when freshly baked, but you can freeze and reheat them later. When I do, I usually thaw them overnight in the fridge and then reheat them, uncovered, in a 300°F oven until heated through. If reheating in the microwave, it's best to cover them.Reply
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