This Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is a perfect, effortless way to make baked chicken legs in the oven. With a magical 4 ingredient sauce, no marinating required, these chicken drumsticks are golden, sticky and everyone loves them!
Plus an optional side of buttery, crispy smashed potatoes for a drumsticks dinner made on one tray!
Sticky Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe
This baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is one of those gems that you’re going to want to keep in your back pocket. Here’s why you’re going to love it and make it over and over again:
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Unbelievably easy – just spoon sauce over the chicken legs and bake;
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Magical 5 ingredient Honey Mustard Sauce
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They roast beautifully so they’re sticky and golden;
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The flavour is universally pleasing. It’s not too sweet, not too salty, it’s finger lickin’ good!
Difference between chicken legs and drumsticks?
Chicken legs and drumsticks are the same thing. Everybody’s favourite part of Roast Chicken!
What you need for Honey Mustard baked chicken legs
Here’s all you need – chicken legs, plus 4 simple ingredients for the magical Honey Mustard Sauce:
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Dijon mustard (or other plain mild mustard)
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Honey
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Garlic
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Cornflour / cornstarch*
There are very few sauces in this world that taste so great with so few ingredients. And it coats the chicken legs so well, making them beautifully sticky!
* Without cornflour, the sauce is super watery because of all the chicken juices.
How to make baked chicken legs
Pop the chicken legs on a tray, spoon over sauce and bake!
In this recipe, I’ve completed the meal with a side of crispy smashed potatoes made on the same tray. In order to do this, I’ve created a “barrier” between the chicken and potatoes using foil. This makes for easier cleaning up and stops the chicken juices leaking over to the potatoes which makes them soggy instead of crispy!
To prepare the potatoes quickly, I just microwave them. Then place on the tray, squish, drizzle with butter or oil. Together, the potatoes and chicken legs 50 to 60 minutes to bake to perfection – crispy potatoes and sticky chicken legs with tender flesh.
How long does it take to cook drumsticks in the oven?
Sticky drumsticks like this take 50 minutes to cook in the oven at 180°C/350F. This makes them caramelised on the outside with tender flesh.
Some recipes will say to bake them at a higher temperature (220°C/425F) for around 30 minutes. While they will cook through in this time, I find that the flesh is a bit too chewy for my taste.
Sticky drumsticks AND crispy potatoes!
And here’s how they come out – sticky and saucy drumsticks on one side, and crispy potatoes on the other side!
One tray winner winner chicken dinner!
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Sticky baked chicken drumsticks;
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Honey Mustard Sauce; AND
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crispy smashed potatoes.
Throw on a side of steamed veggies of choice and dinner is done.
Active effort time: just over 10 minutes.
Marinating time: Zero
Deliciousness rating: Well, let’s put it this way. There’s a reason why there’s only 7 drumsticks in the photo above when the recipe calls for 8…. Honestly, I have the self control of a child. It’s a disgrace. ?
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More terrific baked chicken drumstick recipes
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Greek Chicken (make this with drumsticks instead of thighs)
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Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Smashed Potatoes (optional):
- 4 x 150g/5oz potatoes (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp / 30 g olive oil or melted butter
Chicken:
- 8 chicken legs (about 1 kg / 2 lb) (Note 2)
- 2 tsp olive oil
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (or use more Dijon)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch (Note 4)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For serving (optional):
- Fresh thyme leaves or chopped parsley
- Steamed broccolini
Instructions
Smashed Potatoes option:
- Microwave potatoes for 10 minutes on high or until cooked. (Note 5)
- Place on one side of tray. Squish using potato masher (Note 6) to about 1.7cm / 2/3" thickness. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- If making smashed potatoes, fold up the edges of the foil the drumsticks are on
Sticky Baked Drumsticks:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Mix Sauce ingredients together with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Line tray with foil, then top with parchment paper.
- Place drumsticks on paper. If making smashed potatoes, fold up the edges of the foil so the sauce won't leak into the potatoes (doesn't need to be high - even 1cm / 2/5" is enough, video useful).
- Spoon Sauce over drumsticks. Drizzle chicken with olive oil.
Baking
- Bake for 30 minutes. Turn drumsticks (not potatoes), spoon juices over drumsticks.
- Bake for a further 20 minutes, turn, spoon over juices. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until sauce reduces and the drumsticks are golden and sticky.
- Remove from oven. Squidge the drumsticks around in what should now be a syrupy sauce. (Note 7) Serve drumsticks with sauce, with crispy smashed potatoes and steamed broccolini on the side. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 25 April 2018. Post and recipe tidied up and updated for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe ingredients.
Life of Dozer
This recipe was originally published on ANZAC Day in Australia, on 25 April 2018. It’s a day when we commemorate the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (“ANZACs”) who served and sacrificed for our country in the first world war.
Dozer wears an Anzac rosemary sprig on his collar for (most of) the day and we make a donation to the ANZAC Appeal. A very small gesture. #LestWeForget?
My sauce didn’t thicken. I followed your recipe to a T. ???
Sounds like you may of just needed a slightly higher heat for it to reduce and thicken sorry Kim! N x
Another awesome recipe, thanks Nagi. Super easy and super tasty. Unfortunately the sauce disappeared during cooking so I would probably double it next time. I made the potatoes also and they were a big hit. You are my go to as your recipes are always so good 👍🏼
This recipe turned out great! Even my daughter who is very picky likes it!
Bloody delicious as alway . This will be a staple in our daily rotation .
Thanks Nagi !
Another yummy recipe with minimal faff! I also made the crispy smashed potatoes – they were so so delish and crunchy! I slightly overcooked (at boiling step) the potatoes but it didn’t matter in the end. Thanks again Nagi
Just made this tonight. Chicken was incredibly tasty
And potatoes were lovely and
crisp. Used maple syrup as I didn’t have honey. Absolutely delicious
Quick and easy. Another amazing meal
Can this be prepared but not cooked and then frozen? Looks wonderful.
Juicy chicken in heavenly sauce and crispy yet soft potatoes make the weeknight dinner licking good. I serve this with vegetable soup. How can a meal be made so easily yet taste so delicious? Love love love your recipes, Nagi!
The potatoes are our new “go to”. Easy and delicious if you already have the oven on for something else. We liked the chicken but didn’t find it a stand out dish. Sticky, gooey and nice tho.
I cooked this last night and as usual with your recipes, it was good, but, I just ate the leftovers, microwaved, and damn, it was great. The sauce thickened up to glorious sticky gloop. Another winner.
Is the oven temp 180 fan forced?
Just finished serving this for my family. Chicken and potatoes! With a simple garden salad. Was simply devoured. SO SIMPLE YET INCREDIBLY TASTY. Gonna try with maple syrup and adding chilli flakes next time.
Thanks Nagi for yet another winner.
Made this (including potatoes) for the family, They all loved it, So simple to make. Never thought I’d microwave potatoes.
Thanks!!’n
I made this recipe scaled up to serve 6 people using bone in skin on thighs and cooked the chicken and smashed potatoes using two separate pans. Absolutely beautiful and what a perfect simple recipe that is easy enough for a weeknight but nice enough to serve company. The Dijon-honey-garlic smell is quite pungent but the final sauce is extremely well balanced and so delicious. The potatoes were so crispy and tender and you get to enjoy the healthiest part by keeping the skin. Love it!
Thanks Nagi 🙂
Holly x
Thank you Nagi! This recipe is absolutely delicious, potatoes and all. Definitely a meal that gets requested time and time again.
Nagi, tried this recipe twice and love it very much. This time round I have substitute the honey with Maple syrup as I don’t have honey in my pantry but it turn out pretty good. My kid love it very much.
That’s great to hear Sykcshaco!! N x