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

By Melissa Griffiths

4.97 from 175 votes

Updated Apr 30, 2025

Jump to RecipeRate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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

Table of Contents

My 2 Best Tips For This Baked Chicken Leg Recipe

  1. 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!
  2. 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 in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 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!

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!)
4.97 from 175 votes

Oven Baked Easy Chicken Leg Recipe

By: Melissa Griffiths
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!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10 chicken legs
Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Print Recipe

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)
Save This Recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

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.
    chicken legs on a sheet pan with sauce.
  • 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

Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

About Melissa Griffiths

Read More About Me
4.97 from 175 votes (16 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




544 Comments

  1. MARTHA WOLDE says:

    5 stars
    The best chicken 🍗 ever!! Thanks

    Reply
  2. Melissa says:

    It probably had something to do with the size of pan you were using.

    Reply
  3. Emilie B. says:

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe a few times and I’m making it again tonight! I don’t change the recipe at all and follow the suggestions and we all, yes even my pickiest eater, love these. For anyone having problems with the right sized pan, I use a broiling pan minus the top grate-thing that comes with it, line it with foil and it’s the perfect size. I even use the huge 5+ lb package of chicken legs I find at Walmart and they fit just fine. I also don’t hurry to get them out of the oven as I love the browning on these so much!

    Reply
  4. Melissa says:

    5 stars

    I’ve made this recipe so many times and we LOVE it!! Wondering if you have directions for the instant pot?? Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      I’ll work on IP instructions!

  5. Melissa says:

    You’re definitely the minority on this review. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.

    Reply
  6. Brandon says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Marinated in Italian dressing all day. Felol right off the bone

    Reply
  7. Brandon says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Marinated in Italian dressing all day. Cooked a little longer and it fell right off the bone.

    Reply
  8. Kaysha says:

    5 stars
    These were super good and came together very easily and quickly!

    Reply
  9. Mary M. says:

    5 stars
    This is my second time making the recipe and it is delicious but each time have been a tad bit in the salty side. How would I reduce the salty flavor to make it more sweet. I tried adding some brown sugar this time around but that didn’t help. Any suggestions?

    Thanks for sharing your recipes! Super easy to follow🥰

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      Reduce the soy sauce or use a low sodium soy sauce to help it not be too salty for your preferences!

    2. Mary M. says:

      5 stars
      Thanks Melissa! I will try the low sodium soy sauce. My 8-year-old niece, who is picky about Everything she eats, ate them and liked them…even told her mom how good they were. And that to me is a HUGE plus in my book. Thanks again. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

  10. Dot says:

    Hi, could I use this recipe with chicken thighs ? Would it turn out ok or do i have to change the temperature or anything?

    Reply
    1. Melissa says:

      It’ll work great! If they are really large I’d bake them an extra 20-30 minutes at that lower temperature before turning it up.