Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Baked chicken drumsticks is a simple chicken recipe to make any time of the week that everyone will love. This juicy chicken is rubbed with delicious homemade chicken seasoning and baked in the oven. It takes less than an hour to prepare and bake the chicken and it goes perfectly with any side dish. 

Chicken drumsticks and thighs is a delicious cut of chicken because it’s so juicy, tender and flavorful. We love using these cuts for baked and grilled recipes like Asian Chicken Drumsticks and Sweet Garlic Grilled Chicken Drumsticks. 

BAKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

I will never understand why dark chicken meat is so much less popular than chicken breast. When it comes to juiciness, flavor, and tenderness, chicken legs (and turkey legs) have it all. There is more fat content in the dark meat and that is what makes it juicy and tender. There is also much more flavor in drumsticks, wings, and thighs than in a chicken breast meat. 

It’s my favorite type of meat and I use it as much as possible, whether it’s a simple baked chicken drumstick recipe, chicken meatballs, grilled chicken, or any type of stir fry. It’s all about the texture and flavor.

When it comes to baking chicken drumsticks or grilling it, number one question that people ask is how to season or marinade it. Truly, you can season it however you want and use many different marinades. Chicken is very good at adapting flavors and for the best flavors, you want a strong marinade that combines components of salty, spicy, savory, and even a little sweet. 

Using a spice rub on baked chicken is my favorite because it gives the meats more flavor than a marinade. No matter how long you hold the chicken in the marinade, it will not stay on the meat as it cooks. Dry rub, on the other hand, will stay on the meat as it cooks. 

I often use my dry rub or my chicken seasoning on baked chicken. The flavors are a bit different but both wonderful. 

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CHICKEN SEASONING

Chicken seasoning is a combination of herbs and spices that goes very well with the flavor of chicken. It can be used on baked chicken, grilled chicken, or pan-seared chicken alike. To make this seasoning, simply combine ingredients in a small jar and mix thoroughly. Chicken seasoning consists of garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, fried basil, ground thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper. 

HOW DO I MAKE BAKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

There are three simple steps to baking chicken: mix the seasoning, coat chicken with the seasoning, and bake.

Prepare chicken seasoning by mixing all the ingredients in a small jar with a lid. Close the lid and shake it well to combine. 

Place chicken drumsticks into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle seasoning all over chicken. Mix chicken and seasoning until all the drumsticks are evenly coated. 

Preheat the oven to 425° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out drumsticks onto the parchment paper, leaving a little bit of room in between each piece. 

Bake chicken drumsticks at 425° for 25 minutes, flip each piece over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the size of drumsticks. 

SIDES TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS 

Mashed Potatoes

Hashbrown Casserole

Green Beans with Bacon and Onion

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Mushrooms

Cole Slaw

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

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Baked Chicken Drumsticks

This juicy chicken is rubbed with delicious homemade chicken seasoning and baked in the oven.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken, chicken, chicken drumsticks

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 5 (10-12 drumsticks)

Calories 404 kcal

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 4 lbs chicken drumstick (10-12 drumsticks)

Chicken Seasoning:

• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (can use regular paprika)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chicken Seasoning:

1. Combine chicken seasoning ingredients in a small jar with a lid. Close the lid and shake it well to combine.

Chicken:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place chicken drumsticks into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle seasoning all over the chicken. Mix chicken and seasoning until all the drumsticks are evenly coated. 

3. Lay out drumsticks onto the parchment paper, leaving a little bit of room in between each piece. 

4. Bake chicken drumsticks at 425° for 25 minutes, flip each piece over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. (Exact baking time will depend on the size of drumsticks.)

Recipe Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Amount Per Serving

Calories 404 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 224mg75%

Sodium 1420mg62%

Potassium 612mg17%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 44g88%

Vitamin A 445IU9%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on April 5, 2011. Updated August 5, 2019.