Simple Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks {Video}

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These Simple Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and can be made in under 30 minutes.  Plus, they only require a few ingredients so they are perfect to make on a busy weeknight.  

Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Drumsticks are amazing because they are not only delicious but ridiculously inexpensive, too!  They can be used as a substitute in any chicken thigh or chicken leg recipe, and you can get away with spending just a few bucks on an entire meal for a large family.  Note: a good rule of thumb is to serve 1 drumstick per kid, or 2 per adult.

Jump to:

• Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• What To Serve With Drumsticks
• Ingredients in Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• How to Bake Drumsticks in the Oven
• What Temperature Should I Cook Drumsticks in the Oven?
• How Long Should I Bake Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven?
• What is the Difference Between a Chicken Leg and a Drumstick?
• Simple Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks

The secret to getting that crispy oven-fried flavor is buttering up the skin, so be sure to keep the skin on for this delicious recipe.  We season these with onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika but you can use this as a base and get creative.  

Check out our video that will guide you through making this Simple Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe step-by-step.  Trust us - they are so good, and so easy!

What To Serve With Drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks are the kind of dish that will go great with just about anything, especially since these are so simply seasoned.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Potato Sides: Hasselback Potatoes, Bacon and Cheese Scalloped Potatoes, Best Sweet Potato Fries
• Rice Sides: Cheesy Green Chili Rice Casserole, Garlic Parmesan Rice, Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
• Veggie Sides: Cinnamon Roasted Squash, Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon, 
• Salads: Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon, Broccoli Salad with Bacon, Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients in Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks

• Chicken Drumsticks - if you want, you can substitute chicken thighs or chicken legs.  Just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary.
• Salt & Pepper
• Flour - all-purpose flour works great.
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Butter - the butter is key to this recipe, and we recommend about ½ tablespoon of butter per drumstick.  You can substitute olive oil if you want to reduce the saturated fat slightly, but we recommend brushing it on.

How to Bake Drumsticks in the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place drumsticks onto a paper towel and pat them dry, then season with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and mix to combine.
4. In a ziplock bag or large bowl, toss half of the drumsticks and half of the flour mixture together until the chicken is coated.  Repeat with the rest of the drumsticks and flour mixture.
5. Place the floured chicken onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and add a ½ tablespoon slice of butter onto the top of each drumstick.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and brush the melted butter on over the drumsticks.  Return to the oven and bake for about 10 more minutes, or until the drumsticks are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 
7. Remove the drumsticks from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Finish with a little squeeze of lemon juice if you’d like.  Enjoy! 

What Temperature Should I Cook Drumsticks in the Oven?

You want the oven temperature to be nice and hot, but not too hot!  We’ve settled at 400 degrees - this temperature gets the skin nice and crispy and bakes the chicken fast enough so that it never has a chance to dry out in the oven.  

If you try to bake them much lower, you risk dry chicken with no crispy skin.  Or, if you try much higher and you may torch the outside before the chicken cooks through completely.

How Long Should I Bake Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven?

At 400 degrees, drumsticks should only take around 20-25 minutes to bake all the way through to 165 degrees F.  

The cooking time may vary, depending on how crowded your oven is, how often you open the oven door and simply the oven itself, so always be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to check the doneness.

What is the Difference Between a Chicken Leg and a Drumstick?

A chicken leg includes both the drumstick and the thigh.  A drumstick is, well, just the drumstick!  You can absolutely substitute either chicken legs or chicken thighs in this recipe, you will just need to adjust the baking time depending on the size of each piece of chicken.

 

Here are some other baked chicken recipes that we love!

• Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
• Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
• Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
• Simple Oven Baked Chicken Breast
• Cornflake Chicken

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These Simple Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and can be made in under 30 minutes.  This delicious recipe only requires a few ingredients, and minimal prep, so they are perfect to make on any busy weeknight!