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?”
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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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Tongs
- Meat Thermometer
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)
I made this for our super bowl snack, trippled the recipe for 20 drumsticks…nothing but bones left.
Easy recipe. We have enjoyed swapping in different seasoning blends.
I am trying this recipe for the first time. It is very simple to follow and doesn’t have to cook for long. So it’s a great recipe if you don’t like to spend much time in the kitchen like me. Going to look for other side dish recipes that will compliment this dish.
Ez thanks
My family enjoyed this. I made it with chicken wings and fried it in an electric skillet with a little avocado oil. Amazing taste!
Great recipe. Will make it again.
Looooveeee it!!! amazing will be Cooking it more often! must try
Hi Beth,
I made these in the oven earlier (they smelled amazing) but will reheat them for dinner. What is the best way you’d recommend to reheat them?
Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes! XOXO -Monti
Super good! I love chicken drumsticks because they are always so cheap. These were full of flavor, easy to throw together and made for great lunch leftovers!
I had some drumsticks and thighs in the freezer that needed to be used, so I put them both in a 13 x 9 FROZEN and they came out perfectly. They required a bit more baking time, naturally, but this was fast, easy, and delicious. A definite keeper.
were your thighs bone-in or boneless? I guess it probably wouldn’t matter…
Super Simple. Could not get easier, really – wish I had tried this sooner. Very easy dinner for my son who loves chicken legs.
Bingo – just what was needed: an easy, delicious and affordable family pleaser. Good organic chicken drumsticks cost less than regular chicken breasts, and are much nicer meat. Saved the bones to make broth! I couldn’t find my smoked paprika, so added about 1 tsp liquid smoke to a 4 x recipe, and substituted 3 x the scaled up amount of Korean chili powder (milder and more flavourful) for the cayenne. Nom! Putting these on regular rotation.
Mmm these would go great with pretty much everything. Everyone needs a staple recipe like this!
It Looks so Moist! Definitely gonna try it…
So yummy and easy. I used regular paprika (what I had) and left out the cayenne as my husband is sensitive to spice. I also crushed up a handful of panko and sprinkled that on for crunch. A winner!