If you’re stuck in a meal-planning rut and need a super simple recipe to pull you out of it, add a family pack of chicken legs to your grocery list and make a big batch of these ridiculously easy Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks ASAP!
These have been a family favorite around our house for years… and they are less messy now that the kids are older (the mess was worth it though!)
As you’ll see by the super simple “recipe” below (if you can really even call it a recipe), Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks are nearly foolproof.
As long as you have the ability to shake some seasonings and shove a pan in the oven, you can make this meal!
Oven-Baked Chicken Ingredients:
- chicken drumsticks (or any type of chicken)
- paprika
- garlic salt
- pepper
How to Make Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks:
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and place chicken pieces in pan.
- Sprinkle chicken generously with paprika, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through.
That’s it — see, I told you this was a simple recipe!
It feels like we’re eating a holiday meal with minimal effort on my part.
Oven Baked Chicken FAQs:
Yes! You may feel free to substitute any type of chicken in this recipe — you could even roast a whole bird using these seasonings.
Just keep in mind that the baking time will change based on the type of chicken you use. Chicken breasts will cook faster than chicken drumsticks (I’d start with 30 minutes) and a whole chicken could take 2 hours or more, depending on the size of the bird.
Yes. I always try to make enough for leftovers!
You can either pull the chicken off the bones and use it in your favorite soups or stews, or you can place whole chicken legs in a food storage container and reheat in the oven at 350º for 20 minutes.
You can also microwave the chicken drumsticks (1-2 minutes) but they won’t be crispy like they are when they come out of the oven.
Yup — use whatever spices and seasonings you and/or your family prefer (or whatever you have in the house). You’ll get a different flavor but it will still be just as easy!
There are so many great side dish options for this meal — I usually just whip up some mashed potatoes and a couple of veggies while the chicken bakes. We also always have home-canned applesauce and fruit in the house.
See below for a list of our favorite side dishes (with links to the recipes).
Our Favorite Side Dishes for Baked Chicken:
- Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
- Mashed Potato Casserole
- From-scratch Mashed Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- Semi-Homemade Baked Beans
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Vegetables
- Baked Carrots
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Easy Layer Salad
- Fresh Fruit
- Applesauce
- Fresh Bread or Rolls
More of our Favorite Easy Chicken Recipes:
Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks
If you're stuck in a meal-planning rut and need an extremely simple recipe to pull you out again, add a family pack of chicken legs to your grocery list and make a big batch of these Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Drumsticks ASAP!
With only 5 minutes of prep work, you'll have a delicious meal on the table with minimal effort!
Ingredients
- chicken drumsticks (or any type of chicken)
- paprika
- garlic salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Grease a 9" x 13" pan and place chicken pieces in pan.
- Sprinkle generously with paprika, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through.
Notes
You can use any type of chicken for this recipe -- you just might need to adjust the cooking time.
Keep in mind that chicken with bones will take longer to cook than boneless chicken breasts -- however, it totally depends on how thick your boneless chicken breasts are. I'd start with 30 minutes for boneless chicken, and add additional time as necessary.
Also, feel free to cover chicken with aluminum foil if the skin starts browning too quickly.
I hope this easy recipe will help you simplify dinnertime for your family… and give you a little extra time and mental energy to devote to the other projects and to-dos on your list!
What’s for dinner at your house tonight?
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Liane says
You literally made my mouth water looking at those! My husband has some Dave like quirks and one of his is he won’t eat chicken skin. Takes the fun out of drumsticks LOL. When my daughter and granddaughter lived with us there was a war over who got his crispy skin. My hubby, unlike Dave won’t eat bottled dressing. How do these guys get like this? Mine won’t eat peas, lamb or beets either and I love all three!
JJ says
We’ve made these a few times–simple and delicious!
Andrea says
yay — glad you have enjoyed them!
Chris says
These sound simple and delicious. I checked out the crockpot mac and cheese. Wow! You don’t have to cook the macaroni first. I definitely want to try this!
Andrea says
yes, the mac and cheese is really tasty (and so easy!)
Christina says
You have to try this same chicken recipe and add a tiny bit of brown sugar, or golden monkfruit and a dash of cinnamon. So amazing!
Andrea says
interesting — so completely swap out the seasonings for brown sugar and cinnamon, or ADD brown sugar and cinnamon to the seasonings listed in the recipe?
Nancy says
I made a mental note of this the day I read this post, and today was the day we finally fixed this! Easy sides: cooked carrots, cole slaw, and apple slices. Thank you for the idea; we all enjoyed dinner tonight.
Andrea says
yum! Thanks for sharing, Nancy!
I have this on our menu for tomorrow night! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Made these this past weekend and they were sooo good! I only had a few drumsticks leftover. I plan on pulling off the meat and making tacos for dinner tonight!
Andrea says
YAY!!! So happy to hear this!
And yes, I always cut the extra meat off the bone and use it for soups or casseroles!
Anna says
Thanks so much for sharing! Do you have any posts about making a meal plan for the week? For some reason it seems daunting to me, and I could really use some pointers about how you make meals for your family inexpensively! Your grocery budget blew me away.
Andrea says
Hi Anna!
here’s a great post for you — it’s not necessarily a step-by-step process, but I think it will be helpful for thinking through the process and NOT over-complicating it! ?
You can read ALL my meal planning posts here.
LaRae McCullough says
I have extra pecans and walnuts left over from Christmas. If I put them in the freezer will they keep longer
Andrea says
yes, all nuts will fair better and last longer if you put them in the freezer. the oils can go rancid if they are left out for too long!
yettie says
This is almost exactly what we’re having for dinner tonight except I’m using chicken thighs and Tony Chachere’s for seasoning. 10 years after I moved out of Louisiana, I finally appreciate why they absolutely love Tony Chachere’s. It’s become my go-to spice for almost any meal now.
Our sides will be either french fries or fried plantain with some apple slices. Definitely simple!
Andrea says
yummy!!
Cathy says
Tonight its my easy peasy GF Lasagna. My 4 year old grandson requested it and since he will be here, I will make it. lol My look on food is that-
You can’t control the weather,
You cant’t control peoples mood,
But if you plan and have good food,
You have smiles and
can make the weather bearable and
it might even change peoples moods!!!
Andrea says
yay — enjoy your easy lasagna night (and spending time with your grandson!)
love the quote!
Chris says
Delicious! I think simple seasoned chicken is one of the most delicious foods there is.
Andrea says
I have to agree with this!