Garlic Butter Drumsticks

Learn how to bake Garlic Chicken Drumsticks that are coated in garlic butter, nice and crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. Healthy, inexpensive, and quick to throw together, these baked chicken drumsticks are perfect for any night of the week.

As a main course, plan on serving about 2 chicken legs per person along with your favorite veggies, potatoes, or pasta. These are also an easy appetizer for game day or potlucks.

Baked Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

I make drumsticks a lot around my house because they are inexpensive, familiar (in case you have picky eaters!), and go with just about anything.  Plus, baked chicken drumsticks are significantly healthier than fried fast food versions.

There isn’t much more to these than seasoning the chicken legs, mixing up a 3 ingredient garlic butter and baking in a preheated oven. These work great as a main course served with your favorite rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or veggie sides.

If you are looking for ideas on what to make with chicken drumsticks, there are plenty of options to choose from . You can try making them with a Mediterranean spice blend, honey soy glaze, or try another oven baked chicken recipe, Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks.

Key Ingredients

• Chicken Drumsticks – if you prefer dark meat, you can substitute chicken thighs that have a similar cooking time.  
• Salt and Pepper
• Butter – this should be room temperature so you can easily mix it with the garlic and spread it over the drumsticks.
• Garlic – we like the flavor of fresh garlic for the garlic butter, but you could substitute garlic powder instead.
• Onion Powder – this gives a nice sweet onion flavor to your butter.
• Parsley – fresh chopped parsley adds a nice fresh flavor and a bit of color.

How to Bake Drumsticks with Garlic Butter Sauce

1. Prep chicken drumsticks.  Remove drumsticks from their package, gently pat them dry with a paper towel, and place them into a large bowl.
2. Drizzle with Avocado Oil- Add enough oil to coat the drumsticks
3. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Bake.  Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and a digital thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part.
5. Make Garlic Butter Sauce.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and garlic powder. Mix.
6. Coat the Drumsticks in the garlic butter sauce.  You can use a pastry brush to brush on the butter or toss them in a large bowl. Let the drumsticks rest for 10 minutes, then garnish with extra chopped parsley and serve.  Enjoy!

Drumstick Recipe Ideas

• Lemon Garlic – add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice over your chicken drumsticks just before serving.  You could even zest a bit of lemon over the top, too.
• Soy Garlic – for a little more umami flavor, add a couple tablespoons of soy sauce into your garlic butter.  You could also add a touch just before serving right over the top.
• Dairy-Free – if you want to make this dairy-free, you could substitute olive oil for the butter.  If you go this route, you may want to remove the drumsticks halfway through the cooking and brush the olive oil over them.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Chicken Drumstick Recipes

• Garlic Parmesan Drumsticks
• BBQ Drumsticks
• Honey Soy Drumsticks
• Simple Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
• Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks
• More Chicken Recipes
• More Main Dishes

If you are looking for healthy chicken drumstick recipes, try these yummy Baked Garlic Butter Drumsticks.  They are nice and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and super quick to throw together.