You guys know how I love easy dinner staples, right? Baked chicken drumsticks are exactly that—an easy, no-brainer main dish recipe that you make with barely any planning or effort. Just coat the chicken with your favorite seasoning, toss them in the oven, and then focus on your side dishes or whatever else you have going on in your life while the drumsticks cook themselves. They’re easy, tasty, and the perfect “emergency” meal for when you just don’t want to have to think about, “what’s for dinner?”
Use Bone-In, Skin-On Drumsticks (or Thighs)
Dark meat chicken, like drumsticks and thighs, is very forgiving, especially when cooked with the bone-in and skin on. The skin helps hold in the moisture and the higher fat content of the meat helps it stay tender and juicy. You can swap in bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs using the same method in the recipe below.
Chicken breast needs a slightly different technique because it is a leaner cut of meat. For a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast I suggest using the method in my Herb Roasted Chicken Breast recipe. Boneless skinless chicken breast should be cooked using the method in my Garlic Herb Baked Chicken Breast recipe.
Other Seasoning Ideas for Chicken Drumsticks
I used a very classic mix of smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and oregano for this chicken drumsticks recipe, but you can literally use any seasoning blend you like for this. There is so much flexibility! Here are a few ideas for seasoning your oven-baked chicken drumsticks:
- Ranch seasoning
- Lemon pepper
- Garlic Herb seasoning
- BBQ (use the dry seasonings in the recipe below and then brush with BBQ Sauce in the last 15 minutes of baking).
- Teriyaki
- Jerk seasoning
- Taco seasoning
Want some sauce for dipping? Try these delicious sauces with your chicken drumsticks:
- Ranch dressing
- Honey mustard sauce
- Comeback sauce
- BBQ sauce
What to Serve with Chicken Drumsticks
I made some Easy Cheesy Broccoli Rice to serve on the side of my chicken drumsticks, but it would also go great with classics like: mashed potatoes, Mushroom Rice, Three Bean Salad, Oven Roasted Broccoli, Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, Simple Sautéed Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes, Loaded Smashed Potatoes, Herby Potato Salad, or Classic Coleslaw.
Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Servings 6 piecesIngredients
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1.75 lbs. chicken drumsticks (6 pieces) ($3.42)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil* ($0.32)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a bowl and drizzle the cooking oil over top. Sprinkle the prepared seasoning over the drumsticks, then toss until they're evenly coated in oil and spices.
- Place the seasoned drumsticks on a baking sheet with enough space around each so they're not touching. You can line the baking sheet with foil or parchment for easier cleanup, if desired.
- Transfer the chicken to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 175ºF, flipping the drumsticks once half-way through. Serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Chicken Drumsticks – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Decide what herbs and spices you want to use to season your drumsticks (see the text above the recipe for some ideas). I used a simple mix of 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp oregano, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ½ tsp salt.
Place about 1.75 lbs. chicken drumsticks in a large bowl and drizzle 2 Tbsp of your preferred cooking oil over top.
Toss the drumsticks in the oil and spices until everything is evenly coated.
Arrange the chicken drumsticks on a baking sheet spaced out enough so they are not touching. You can line the baking sheet in parchment for easier cleanup if desired.
Bake the chicken drumsticks for about 40 minutes, turning once halfway through, or until the internal temperature reaches 175ºF.
Serve hot and enjoy! (garnished with parsley for color, not needed for flavor)
These turned out great! Part of our regular rotation now.
What brand smoked paprika do you use?
Made for first time and they were perfect crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside. I usually do chicken wings every month so will add these now as well
I loved this recipe I added a bit of orange juice and lemon 🍋.
Perfect every time! I’ve made this several times and I’m always amazed at how juicy and tender the chicken is. Soooo good and so easy!!
So easy and so delicious!!! A keeper, especially for busy families. Could probably do this once a week with switching up spices and sides.
What can I use to replace the onion powder? Thank you
I don’t think I would substitute it with anything.
I love this recipe. I’ve been making this at least once a month for about a year now. Only difference is I cook them in a cast iron pan. Love all your recipes I’ve tried.
Had all the ingredients on hand. I love when I can get dinner together in no time. Air fried chicken legs 400° for 25 minutes. Yum.
Did you flip them in the middle of the process?
Delish and simple! Right up my alley. Thank you!
First time commenting, so I just want to say thank you for all the great recipes! This one was definitely a keeper. Chicken was perfectly cooked. So quick and easy and very budget-friendly. Great for a fast weeknight dinner. Served with roasted potatoes (which conveniently cook for the same length of time and at the same temp) and a salad.
Love love this easy and delicious recipe
These were a super easy, cheap, and delicious dinner, and the leftovers were great too! I made the cheesy broccoli rice as was recommended and it was a filling and delicious meal. I’ll definitely be making this again!
So easy! Took me less time to prep than it took the oven to heat up. Only thing I would change next time would be to up the cayenne to 1/4 tsp for more kick. I also always rinse and pat dry chicken.
I followed your recipe to a T and it came out wonderful according to my husband. He said it was very flavorful, very juicy, and that he looks forward to leftovers!
I know I’ll definitely be making this again for him as it’s so darn easy and not at all stressful to throw this together no matter what time you start dinner. As a side note, I’d like to mention that I’m a vegan (and have several food allergies) and I very much enjoy subscribing to your blog — I like the stories you tell, the suggestions you provide for additional dishes to round out the meal, and the “budget” theme of your site. And another side note, I lost my bookmarks :( and was wondering if you could please share the link for your humongous list of recipes that use pantry staples — you shared this post probably sometime late spring/early summer last year. Thank you.
Sure thing! Here’s the link to 200+ Recipe Ideas for Pantry Staple Ingredients. :)
thank you!
This is an excellent recipe for when you end up at the grocery store without a plan (which was how my afternoon unfolded). I had the spices at home and all I needed was the chicken, broccoli and cheddar (I took up your rice and broccoli suggestion). We are a family of 4 (nearly all adults) so I bought a larger pack of chicken and used 8 drumsticks (and froze another 4 four later). I increased the spices by 50% of the recipe to account for more bird. We personally enjoyed it on its own, but I could see how having a tangy sauce on the side would be a bonus. But that’s like next level meal prep instead of just-getting-through-the-day survival mode. This categorizes as one of your satisfying mid-week gems that don’t demand much time and concentration.
I’m so glad you felt the same way about this recipe! It’s just such an easy staple recipe to keep tucked away in your back pocket. :)