This is just a great, simple baked chicken drumsticks recipe you can get in the oven quickly. A 3-ingredient seasoning adds terrific flavour and colour. Meanwhile, the secret to a lovely crispy skin is a touch of baking powder. Don’t believe me? Read the reviews in my Truly Crispy Baked Chicken Wings which uses the same trick!
Crispy Baked Chicken Legs
If you ask me, on a sheer scale of munchability (new word) chicken drumsticks beat out chicken breasts any old day. I’d rather be grabbing a drumstick with my fingers and chomping that meaty flesh off the bone than daintily nibbling a chicken breast with a knife and fork!
But, maybe that’s just me.
So if you’re in my camp – or actually, even if you’re not (!) 😇 – here’s a terrific everyday chicken drumsticks recipe to try. It’s flavoured with a simple, BBQ rub-like seasoning made with just paprika, onion and garlic powder (bet you’ve got all 3 in your pantry!!) bulked out with flour to coat the legs all over.
As for a little trick to get the skin nice and crispy? A touch of baking powder. Yep, really. Read on!
Seasoning for Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Here’s what you need to make these drumsticks. Baking powder is the secret ingredient that makes the skin crispy. Meanwhile flour is used to bulk out the seasoning mix so we can coat the chicken legs all over.
Chicken drumsticks – While I’m using chicken legs for this recipe, chicken wings and skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs can also be used.
Baking powder (for crispy skin!) – NOT to be confused with baking soda / bi-carb which is different! Baking powder is a tried and proven ingredient used in my baked chicken wings to make chicken skin crispier. There’s a bunch of science behind why it works, but all you need to know is that it does!
For complete transparency, I will be upfront in saying the skin in this recipe isn’t as shatteringly crisp as it is in the wings. This is because the wings have just plain skin whereas these legs are coated in seasoning, which does inhibit crisping (in return for more flavour coating!) However, without any baking powder at all, the drumstick chicken skin is just borderline soggy. Non-crispy chicken skin is fine in itself if you’re baking drumsticks with a glaze, like my Sticky Honey Soy Baked Chicken or Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks. But for this recipe, it is SO much nicer when the skin is a little crisp!
Spice mix – We’re using a combination of smoked or plain paprika, onion and garlic powder here. These 3 spices are a classic, American barbecue rub-like seasoning combination I use in many dishes (such as my rub for pork chops and baked chicken breasts). Onion and garlic powder can be substituted with more of the other, if you don’t have both.
Flour – This is used to bulk out the seasoning so we can coat the chicken legs evenly all over.
How to make Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
The trick to crispy baked drumsticks is to stretch the skin over the drumsticks as much as possible (because flesh won’t go crisp!) and then coat the skin evenly all over with the seasoned flour.
Seasoning – Mix the spices and flour together in a bowl. Use a shallow bowl as it’s easier coat the chicken legs in the seasoning.
Coat drumsticks in oil – The oil makes the seasoning stick to the chicken as well as helping the skin go nice and brown as it bakes. I find it’s easiest to rub it all over using my hands to ensure each drumstick is well-coated.
Stretch skin – The more skin that stays put over the flesh, the crispier your drumsticks! So pull and stretch the skin to cover the flesh as best you can. Some of the skin will still shrink back as it bakes anyway, but if you skip this step totally you’ll end up with a mostly naked drumstick 😭
Coat legs in the seasoning – Dip, turn, use fingers for sprinkling on top as needed. Then shake off the excess, otherwise you end up with quite a thick layer of pasty-ish coating on the chicken legs.
Rack on tray – Place the legs on a rack on a foil-lined tray. Why foil-lined? It makes your clean up life easier. Why rack? For crispy undersides! Don’t have a rack? Line with paper instead and turn the drumsticks halfway, and expect to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time to make the top crispy.
Spray with oil – Then spray the legs with oil. Be generous! It makes them more crispy and golden, almost like a frying effect!
Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan), rotating the tray once to help them cook evenly. Then crank the oven up to 220°C/430°C (200°C fan) and bake for a further 15 minutes until they’re crisp and golden. You might find you need an extra 5 minutes to get the skin crispy, depending on how evenly the heat is distributed in your oven.
Once they’re ready, serve them up straight away while they’re nice and hot!
What to serve with Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
These drumsticks are pretty universal in character and friendly with a wide range of other dishes. Try these drumsticks with Fried Rice and a simple Garden Salad, as pictured above. Else, make up a big batch of Macaroni Salad or Potato Salad – these are great big batch sides that keep in the fridge for days. For something different, there’s also my marinated Vegetable Pasta Salad (excellent starch + veg side), a Quinoa Kale Salad (the kale is marinated!) or a big Sweet Potato Salad.
For more ideas, have a browse through my collection of Side Dishes (potato, pasta, rice, salads, veg!).
Love to know if you try this – let me know what you think! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Oil spray
Seasoning (Note 2):
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 5 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 4 1/2 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder (makes them crispier, DO NOT confuse with baking soda / bi-carb) (Note 3)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a tray with foil then place a rack on the tray (makes the underside of the drumsticks crispier, Note 4).
- Seasoning: Mix the Seasoning ingredients in a shallow bowl.
- Coat in oil: Toss the drumsticks in the olive oil. Stretch and pull the skin on each drumsticks to cover as much of the flesh as possible.
- Coat in seasoning: Coat a drumstick in the Seasoning then shake the excess off well. Place on the rack. Repeat with remaining drumsticks.
- Spray with oil: Spray the legs generously with oil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. Increase the oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan) then bake for a further 15 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Garlic powder: more onion powder
Onion powder: more garlic powder
Smoked paprika: more ordinary/sweet paprika 3. Baking powder purpose – Not to be confused with baking soda / bi-carb which is like triple strength baking powder and will NOT taste nice!! Baking powder is a secret trick to make chicken skin crispier, a tried and proven method with chicken wings (very popular recipe on my website!). It doesn’t make these drumsticks shatteringly crispy because they’re seasoned rather than being plain skin (like the wings) but if you make these drumsticks without, they are noticeably less crispy. You can’t taste the baking powder. 4. Tray prep – Why foil-lined? It makes your clean up life easier. Why rack? For crispy undersides! Don’t have a rack? Line with paper instead and turn the drumsticks halfway, and expect to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time to make the top crispy. 5. Nutrition per serving (ie 5 servings, 2.4 drumsticks per person 😂)
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Self-appointed director of recipe videos. Not much directing going on. Just a lot of staring.
So happy your back, love your recipes, but I have to say, I really missed Dozer. Love that dog!
You know I shamelessly use my website as an outlet for Dozer photos, right?? ALL THESE RECIPES I create, photograph and film, just so I have an excuse to plaster Dozer photos somewhere. 😈
Hi Nagi! Dozer looks adorable in his tux! I know you prefer dark meat, but could I use chicken breast bone-in and skin on? I would take less time I think? And how long would it take in an air fryer toaster oven? I’m definitely going to use this exactly for my bone-in skin on thighs!
Hi Gail! Just worried it will cook through too fast, before the skin gets crispy. Sorry!! But if I get a chance I will try skin on breast in an air fryer! N x
Thank you, Nagi. I’ll stick to drumsticks or thighs for now.
Can gluten free flour with xanthan gum be used in this recipe?
Hi Nagi. I cannot wait to try this chicken tomorrow night.
Poor Dozier, he does have a put upon look in his Tux and Hat photo! He is a sweetheart that’s for sure.
It is a VERY small price to pay for the extreme amount of food he got at the lunch!!!😂
Lol. I would imagine he received more attention than you did, also. We had this chicken for dinner and it was wonderful. Thank you once again.
Thanks for your recipes. Very good and easy to follow your instructions. Enjoy all of Dozer’s adventures and your recipes. It is dry and hot as blazes here in Arlington, Texas. Hope you all get some rain. Adios, Gloria
I have a great summer recipe coming out this week Gloria!! N x
oops, too many “looks” in my comment!
He he I do that ALL the time! Writing is not my forte! N x
These look drumsticks look great. I will try the recipe. Dozer is just too cute for words!
Hey Nagi, thank you for this recipe, it looks great 👍🏻
What spray oil do you use please?
Thanks
Hi Sam! I think I used canola in the video but usually I use olive oil 🙂 Anything neutral! N x
Just wanted to say it is sooooo nice to have you back – we missed you, lady!! AND our Dozer, too! Can’t wait for the cookbook!
Thank you JK! Trying to get back to regular recipes from hereon! N x
Nagi, that is so funny. I was actually going to go and buy the pre made Shake and Bake todayfor fun because I have drumsticks in the freezer I want to use up.
Thanks for the recipe instead 🙂
Dozer looking very dapper in his tux.
Perfect!!! (Shake and Bake – it’s a real thing???) N x
Kraft, Shake and Bake. It is a real thing :). I am a child of the 1960s. Used to be quite popular here in North America I guess. Prob loaded with salt. Yours much much better and healthier.
I will try this but I can not bring myself to use láseres onion or garlic. It’s totally so American and vile. Coukd I just use a purée of the two to coat the chicken and help the flour etc stick. Sort of like egg yolk?
Hi Stephanie! Actually, they are great products 🙂 They are not artificial like jar garlic paste (illegal!). They add great flavour into things in a different way to fresh garlic and onion, and more earthy flavour. They aren’t just American products! They are used in other countries too, like here in Australia! N x
Hi Stephanie, not sure what láseres means – chef google couldn’t help 😀 The powders are dry – I think a wet purée wouldn’t get the skin crispy. Or by the time it did the chicken would be really dry?
BTW I lived in the Middle East for over 12 years – so many different brands of onion powder and garlic powder in every shop…. So definitely not just American! Good for an extra hit of flavour – always take it for month long camping trips 👍
I hope this helps, I’m sure someone will help further 😀
Hi Nagi,
looks amazing, and simple.
As you have previously advised, the substitution of paprika was suggested to be ancho chili.
What amount of ancho would I use? 2 or 3 tsp maybe?
Thanks again, Julie
Hi Julie! Depends on spiciness, just taste and add based on your judgement! If I was going fiery, I’d use 3 tsp chipotle powder 💥
What is the exact oven temp? Looks like you have 350f and then 390f
Fixed! Sorry Linda!
I dont own a rack and recognize that it would be optimal to have air circulating around the legs. I presume these will cook ok laid on foil? Turn halfway? Anyone try it?
I would use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil. It doesn’t stick, absorbs oil, and makes turning the chicken pieces much easier. I use this when baking wings or chicken pieces with, shudder, shake and bake coating. 🤓Works well.
Agree! Thanks Robert, I’ll update the recipe with this tip N x
Thanks, Robert! I appreciate the advice. Will return to add stars once I have tried the recipe!
I agree with Robert! Paper rather than foil 🙂 N x
Drumsticks happen every second week at home, I try to vary the flavours to avoid boredom, so thank you for this one!!
One question though, am I a chicken heretic for systematically taking the skin off? From your recipe I gather I should just leave it on this time…
PS: I just showed the top picture to DH and he approved, as he does all of your recipes!
This is a yummy recipe. I usually skip the first toss in oil and run the chicken under cold water then dip the wet chicken into the spicy flour mix. Other spice mixes to try are Portuguese style or Cajun style mixes. Also other cheap cuts like Maryland or chicken chops work well too.
Hi Nagi, could I sub corn-flour for the plain flour to make it GF? 🤞🏻
Looks great! I prefer baking vs frying but I’d like to try this with my new instantPot air fryer. Got any tips as to how to do it?
Oh yes ! I am broke and busy and food which is fast and tasty and relatively healthy and cheap and still available in the shops > is a Godsend ! Saw it on your marvellous Instagram post and copied it down already there – thank you !! And, poor Dozer – surely vegetarian pasta will not make him say ‘woof’ !!!
Hi Nagi
Can you cook these in an air fryer?
Nagi can correct me if I’m wrong, but you should be able to use the air fryer – I’m certainly going to do that (oven is sooo messy!). Cook 20 min (turning legs halfway) at 400 F in the air fryer.
Am 100% sure it can be done, question is just the best cook time and temp 🙂 I am getting it checked by someone! N x
Hi Summer
Thanks so much for the tip ❤️
Use these same ingredients (minus the flour and baking powder) mixed with plain yogurt to marinate the chicken the fridge. Then grill.
The essential of this recipe let you go….