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?
Breanne says
Delicious!! Easy and enjoyable mid week meal! 🙂
Thank you
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Breanne! N x
Donna says
Thanks Nagi, great chicken drumsticks and so easy. I probably oversmashed the potatoes but looking forward to the next attempt 😊
liz says
delicious and so easy
Josie says
Oh my giddy Dozer, Nagi! This is a winner! When everyone’s scraping the pan to get any leftover sauce and have inhaled the chicken and potatoes, it’s pretty telling. Thank you for an easy, easy, delicious weeknight meal. Next time, I’m making double!
Nagi says
Woah what a compliment – I’m so glad it was a hit Josie! N x
Samantha McEwan says
Made this for first time tonight, did it with the smashed potatoes too. Huge hit in with the family, yumo!
Nagi says
The perfect combo Samantha, I’m so glad it was a hit! N x
Wendy M says
Thank you Nagi, my son suggested this recipe, so I cooked it – for 4 people. The absolute best recipe with mustard & chicken I have ever cooked and/ or eaten.
Stephanie B says
I cooked this quickly in the morning, using just what I had in the fridge and pantry. I’m not a fan of mustard usually, but I love this dish because it’s so different to our usual chicken dishes. Another great yummy meal! Thanks again Nagi x
Nicki says
This was amazing and the whole family loved it!
Nagi says
That’s great Nicki! N x
Carolyn says
Hello, thanks for the recipe. I enjoyed the chicken, I had to cook it longer than 20 minutes (after turning the drumsticks), it was too pale for me, but after cooking it longer, the drumsticks looked just like the picture on Pinterest. Not sure where I went wrong with the potatoes, though. I used the smaller Yukon potatoes, and I boiled the potatoes, and used a potato masher, then I tried with a fork, but it created a mess. Otherwise, it was a good meal, I would make the chicken again and a different way to make potatoes, or a different side.
Liz says
Easy to make. Potatoes are AMAZING! Chicken was so yummy.
Nagi says
I’m so happy you loved it Liz! N x
David says
Why do your recipes, when I try to print to PDF, print “Another great recipe by recipetineats.com on the bottom of the first page, rather than the bottom of the last page as shown on the print preview when one selects the print button on your recipes???
Nagi says
Hi David, sorry I’m unsure why this is happening to you – I’m not having any issues here! N x
Ann Stalker says
Honey mustard chicken, great recipe, so tasty & easy to make. Just a few ingredients. Thankyou
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Ann! N x
Denice says
No recipe for mustard honey sauce??
Can you provide please as I’m not good at judging from the video.
Thank you
Nagi says
Hi Denice – it’s all there in the recipe 🙂 N x
Natacha says
Yum just made this. I used 4 clovers of chopped up garlic and put more honey mignon through out the cook 3 x stirring in the cooked honey on top of chicken. My picture makes them look so good. Nice thick and sticky. I’ll try and Instagram the photo
paul vanderzee says
Made it last night and loved it! A little higher temp or putting it on the top rack of the oven would speed up the browning of the chicken or finish with the broiler for the last 3 minutes. Delicious! Great idea for the potatoes!
Nagi says
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Paul!!
Emily says
Can I use chicken breast instead of the drumstick?
Nagi says
Hi Emily, you can – however they won’t take as long to cook. I would cut them or bash them out thin and add them to the pan with abut 20 minutes time left to cook – N x
Mary Howard - Coughlan says
Can I make day before and reheat in oven or microwave
Thanks
Nagi says
Hi Mary, you can make the day before – I’d reheat covered in the microwave so they don’t dry out – N x
Thomas Murphy says
I made this but all i had was normal frenches mustard and i made a double batch and added two ounces of kraft hickory bbq sauce.It was really good with a little bit of a smokey flavour.
Nagi says
Sounds great Thomas!
Jas says
Easy and super delicious! Thanks, Nagi!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Jas!
Carla says
Everything I have cooked from your recipes has been delicious including this one. This is now the first place I look for dinner inspiration because I can’t go wrong!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Carla!