Best Oven Baked Easy Chicken Leg Recipe – Shared over 250,000 times!

Name: Oven Baked Easy Chicken Leg Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds chicken legs ((about 10 legs)); 3/4 cup honey; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/4 cup ketchup; 2-3 cloves garlic (minced (or 1 heaping teaspoon of preminced garlic))

By Melissa Griffiths

4.97 from 175 votes

Updated Apr 30, 2025

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This simple 5-ingredient recipe is seriously the BEST Chicken Leg Recipe! Sweet, tangy, and perfectly sticky, these baked drumsticks are a huge hit and this recipe has been shared over 250,000 times!

This simple 5 ingredient chicken leg recipe makes the best baked chicken legs I have ever had in my whole life! (And the masses agree - this recipe has been shared more than 250,000 times!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The sauce was so easy but so tasty! Sweet and tangy and perfectly sticky once it set for a few minutes. This was perfect for a quick and simple meal.

–Hannah

My 2 Best Tips For This Baked Chicken Leg Recipe
Oven Baked Easy Chicken Leg Recipe Recipe
Recipe FAQs
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try

My 2 Best Tips For This Baked Chicken Leg Recipe

Pick the Right Pan: You will need a pan with sides to keep in all the juice and sauce and big enough that the sauce spreads out so the chicken isn’t drowning in it. My pan is 11×15 inches, and it’s just right. The legs will caramelize best if half of the chicken is poked out of the sauce while cooking!
Flip Halfway Through Baking: After the chicken legs cook for 45 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and flip the meat over so that the bottom that was in the sauce is now on top out of the sauce. This will make sure all of the meat, top and bottom, are sauce-y and sticky and oh, so good!

🩷 Melissa

Not only is this one of my kids’ favorite ways to enjoy chicken, but this recipe is also on its way to breaking the internet! For real.

I knew it was delicious and easy, but after being shared more than 250,000 times and receiving oodles of reviews from people who’ve made it, I almost can’t believe how much you guys love this recipe!

The sauce is truly addicting. You’ll want it on fried rice, steamed veggies, and maybe even in a cup with a straw to drink it—it’s THAT good. Pair it with my Broccoli Cauliflower Salad recipe for an extra yummy side dish!

I’d love to know if you try this recipe and love feedback, so leave a comment if you do!

4.97 from 175 votes

Oven Baked Easy Chicken Leg Recipe

By: Melissa Griffiths

Prep: 5

Cook: 1

Total: 1 5

Servings: chicken legs

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Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 2 1/2 pounds chicken legs, (about 10 legs)
▢ 3/4 cup honey
▢ 1/2 cup soy sauce
▢ 1/4 cup ketchup
▢ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 heaping teaspoon of preminced garlic)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay the chicken legs out in a foil-lined baking dish with high sides. (The foil is to make clean up easier; it's not essential but helps a whole lot.) A high-sided sheet pan is the best option because it has sides to keep everything in, but it is big enough that the chicken isn't drowning in the sauce. It will caramelize best if half of the chicken is poking out of the sauce while cooking.
In a glass measuring cup, measure out the honey, soy sauce, and ketchup. Add the minced garlic, and stir. If the mixture doesn’t combine well, microwave it on high for 30 seconds and stir again. Pour the honey mixture over the chicken legs.
Put the chicken legs in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven, and rotate it so that the bottom that was in the sauce is now on top, out of the sauce.
Put the legs back in the oven. Raise the heat to 425°F, and bake until the sauce is bubbly and starts to caramelize on the chicken legs. This should take about 15 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the sauce the the chicken cooked in with the meal or over rice if you’d like.

Video

Notes

Pan Size: A pan slightly larger than 9×13 inches with sides is the best option because it has sides to keep all the juice in but is big enough that the chicken isn’t drowning in the sauce. It will caramelize best if half of the chicken is poked out of the sauce while cooking. My pan is 11×15 inches, and it works perfectly. If your pan is too large, though, your sauce will be too shallow, evaporate, and burn.

Meat Temperature: I like to use a little meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done – better safe than sorry! The experts say that chicken legs are safe at 165° but I like to cook mine to 185°.

Mix it Up: If you don’t have honey on hand, you can substitute it for your favorite jam that doesn’t have seeds. My favorites are peach and apricot jam for this recipe

Easy Clean-Up: Lining your pan with foil makes clean-up much easier. I recommend it.

Make It In The Slow Cooker: Place all of the chicken legs in the bottom of a slow cooker (I have this slow cooker). Pour the sauce over the chicken legs. Slow cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, until the largest piece of chicken registers at least 165°F on an instant read thermometer.

More Leg Ideas: I’m no stranger to excellent baked chicken legs. Try these other chicken leg recipes:

Yummy Sides: The sauce the chicken cooks in is delicious over cooked rice and steamed or roasted vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower) to round out the meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1leg +1/3 cup sauce, Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 758mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take for drumsticks to cook in the oven?

This really just depends on how you’re cooking it. I like to start with a preheated 350° oven and bake the chicken for 45 minutes, rotate the legs, raise the heat to 425°, and put them back for about another 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and everything looks caramelized. Turning the legs is key to getting the sauce on the “top” of the chicken legs!

Is chicken drumstick dark meat?

Yep! Thighs and drumsticks are dark meat in chicken, and they usually have a much heartier, juicier flavor and more tender texture than white meat.

What kind of pan should I use?

Because these guys are thick and saucy, you’ll want a sheet pan with high sides to keep all the juices in and large enough so the chicken isn’t drowning in the sauce. The chicken should stick out of the sauce while cooking to get the best caramelized texture.

More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try

Pasta Dishes

544 Comments

Julie says:

January 26, 2019 at 4:56 am

First time cooking chicken legs and so glad I used this recipe. Thank you! Whiole family loved it, teens included. I was worried about the skin not being crispy, but it didn’t matter, the taste was amazing.

1. Melissa says:
  
  January 26, 2019 at 9:45 am
  
  Right?! That skin is so flavorful that it being less than super crispy doesn’t matter. I’m so glad it’s was a bit hit, I LOVE when meals go over well!
Megan Denney says:

January 24, 2019 at 7:29 pm

Amazing! Juicy, flavorful, and a huge hit! They are sticky and juicy. Not at all crispy for those wondering!

1. Melissa says:
  
  January 25, 2019 at 7:37 am
  
  So glad you liked them Megan! Thank you for coming back to leave a review, I so appreciate that!
Colleen says:

January 11, 2019 at 6:38 pm

I just made this recipe tonight….absolutely delicious! I followed your directions as stated with only a few subtle changes; I used low sodium soya sauce, I did not add any extra salt to the chicken, and as I did not have quite enough ketchup handy, I added some sriracha hot chili sauce to top it off. To achieve a slightly crispier skin, I did broil the chicken (in the existing pan) for the last few minutes of the noted time frame. Not exactly sure what 2.5 pounds of chicken legs gets you, but I used 12 good sized chicken drumsticks and there was the right amount of sauce for all. This will definitely be a “go to” meal in our household!

Charlotte says:

January 10, 2019 at 7:16 pm

I’ve made this with drumsticks and boneless sminless thighs. One of my grandchildren and greatgrandchildrens favorite meals. I double the recipe ….they snack on the leftovers…better than sweets!…thanks …

1. Melissa says:
  
  January 11, 2019 at 9:28 am
  
  Thanks for coming back and leaving a review and letting us know that boneless worked great for you, I appreciate that!
Suzy says:

December 31, 2018 at 10:39 pm

Hi Mellisa I’ve just come across your blog I love to cook. I’m from South Australia and are at this moment cooking this dish for our evening meal. So nice to meet you. Cooking for me gives me a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy.. I hope your having a Great New Year. I’ll let you know how it turned out Suzy

1. Melissa says:
  
  January 1, 2019 at 11:06 am
  
  Welcome from the land down under (I’ve had the privilege of coming to your neck of the woods twice in my life and LOVED it!), hope you find all kinds of new things to cook on my site and make them with great success. Happy New Year to you!
Allarna Alvon Frederick says:

December 7, 2018 at 5:20 pm

HI what kind of honey should I use for this recipe?

1. Melissa says:
  
  December 10, 2018 at 9:00 am
  
  I just use a local honey I know I like. I’d look for an organic clover honey if you can, something mild.
Lori Radcliff says:

December 6, 2018 at 8:02 pm

This was delicious!

1. Melissa says:
  
  December 7, 2018 at 7:54 am
  
  So glad you liked it Lori!!
Jan says:

November 11, 2018 at 9:18 pm

This was fantastic. Next time I will use parchment paper as I ripped the tinfoil and “glazed” my cookie sheet. I wouldn’t change anything else. Loved it. Thank you!

Constance says:

October 22, 2018 at 5:55 pm

Hello I am trying this recepie tonight!!!! I see this is years old the post but hey I’m bringing it back in 2018 lol

Sabrina Nunes says:

October 22, 2018 at 3:17 pm

I really liked this recipe. The sauce was sooooo good. I did put it on rice and it was delish, it could go with anything. The chicken came out tender and juicy, and I even cooked from frozen. Will make again. Love!