The easiest method to get perfectly cooked oven-baked chicken legs. This recipe gives you tender meat on the inside and salty crispy skin. Absolutely delicious!
This is a staple recipe in my weekly menus. Who doesn’t love crispy and juicy chicken legs with some spicy rice? It’s so easy
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Simple seasoning for baked chicken drumsticks
Because this is a staple recipe for every day, I want to keep things simple but not less delicious. For that reason, this recipe uses only dry herbs and powder seasoning.
I use a mix of staple pantry seasonings:
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
+ coarse salt to taste
Every time I cook any meat I enjoy using coarse kosher salt, especially on my Brazilian steaks.
The ONE tip to get crispy roasted chicken legs
Dry meat will result in crispy and deliciously roasted chicken drumsticks.
Paper dry the chicken before baking and remove as much moisture as possible. Wet meat doesn’t get roasted. It loses liquid that accumulates at the bottom and you get a mixture of baked and steamed chicken. No bueno.
How long and what temperature to bake?
The key for a crispy outside, moist inside and perfect cooking for chicken legs — and any meat — is the temperature and the cooking time.
For chicken legs and thighs I use the same ratio:
25 minutes of normal baking mode
15 minutes roast mode to get a nice crispy skin
The first 25 minutes will cook the meat. Use the regular setting in your oven for this at 180ºC (350ºF). Flip the chicken in the middle of the cooking. To ensure both sides are evenly cooked.
Then, change the setting to the roasting mode in your oven and leave the same temperature.
What can you serve with these baked chicken legs?
Other Chicken Legs Recipes
- 4-6 medium-size chicken legs
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- Coarse salt to taste
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Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF)
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Pat dry your chicken legs using a paper towel. Place the legs into a baking tray.
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Season the chicken legs with coarse salt to taste. Mix the rest of the seasonings and rub the chicken legs with the seasoning mix. Make sure to cover each drumstick completely.
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Take it to the oven for 25 minutes. Flip the chicken legs in the middle of the baking process.
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Change the oven setting to the roasting mode and bake for an extra 15 minutes.
Owner and Food blogger on The Cookware Geek. She loves cooking, baking, traveling, playing with the cats, and knitting. She believes that eating delicious meals doesn’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef in your kitchen.