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))

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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 176 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

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545 Comments

Kristen says:

October 22, 2014 at 6:28 pm

Such a delicious, simple dish! It will be a staple in our home from now on. Thank you!

Kimberly Chason says:

October 14, 2014 at 6:30 pm

This was very yummy and the family loved it! I’m a photographer so I had to take a photo of mine to share. Posted with your blog address, found on Pinterest. Thank you for sharing!

Amy says:

October 9, 2014 at 1:08 pm

Have you frozen and ate again later?

1. Melissa says:
  
  October 14, 2014 at 1:33 pm
  
  Most chicken has already been frozen once so I try to avoid freezing it again. If you can get fresh chicken legs though I sure think it would freeze fine!
2. Peggy Standifer says:
  
  February 2, 2015 at 5:24 pm
  
  If you cook the chicken (like in a casserole) or cook these drum sticks for the first 45, the chicken would be safe to refreeze. I do it all the time and have been cooking ahead for my family for 40 + years.
3. Peggy Standifer says:
  
  February 4, 2015 at 10:03 am
  
  Yes, I cooked the first thirty minutes. Wrapped individually in portion bags from ziplock. I take out as many as I need and make fresh sauce. After thawing, I cook 15 to 20 at 350. Increase heat to 425 and cook until sticky and bubbly. I do not use the original sauce. You can also freeze some sauce to be ready- just microwave 30 to 60 seconds. Salad and a vegetable like broccoli or baked beans make a great quick meal.
Portia Ladley says:

October 3, 2014 at 4:44 pm

We just tried these tonight. Actually, my husband found your recipe and made dinner (this man is a SAINT!) THANK YOU for sharing~it was A M A Z I N G!!!

1. Melissa says:
  
  October 5, 2014 at 9:24 pm
  
  Husband that cooks?! KEEPER! I’m so pleased you liked it 🙂 Hope you con him into trying a few more. There’s a steak carnita recipe for the crockpot floating around the archives that I highly recommend 🙂
2. victoria thorn says:
  
  February 19, 2015 at 2:07 pm
  
  I tried this recipe and it didnt carmalize
Judy says:

September 24, 2014 at 6:16 pm

It’s in the oven now cooking (and a couple of baking potatoes on the side too). Will let you know how hubby and I liked it after dinner. Smells delish!

sarah says:

September 24, 2014 at 11:24 am

Can I put some cornstarch in to thicken it?

1. Melissa says:
  
  September 24, 2014 at 10:56 pm
  
  You sure could!
Suzy Q Mills says:

August 31, 2014 at 7:32 am

Looks awesome! I’m calling this “dinner” tonight 😉

eve Scott says:

August 25, 2014 at 9:59 pm

Made this for dinner last night and hubby liked it but I didn’t care for it. The flavors were off for me. It doesn’t help that I don’t like garlic but still super easy thank you for sharing.

Sandy says:

August 25, 2014 at 6:02 pm

i am making this tonight for my husbands dinner tomorrow. He workd nights and I like to prepare something so all he has to do is heat it up before leaving for work in the afternoon. I will let you know how it is.

Elisa says:

August 21, 2014 at 5:16 pm

Trying this right now