The Best Oven-Baked Chicken Legs
on Aug 07, 2017, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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This simple 5-ingredient recipe makes The Best Oven-Baked Chicken Legs I have ever had! (And the masses agree—this recipe has been shared over 250,000 times!) Pop these legs in the oven, and you’ll have a crispy chicken dinner!
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!
{VIDEO} Make the Best Oven-Baked Chicken Legs
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- I love this simple and inexpensive cut of meat, and this recipe really makes it shine!
- I’m no stranger to excellent baked chicken legs. Try these: Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken Legs, Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken Legs, and 4-Ingredient Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Legs.
- This recipe is a long-time favorite in our house and is highly adaptable to the slow cooker (hooray!!!). I slightly changed the portions (use 1/2 cup of ketchup, honey, and soy sauce), but it still tastes great. It’s a little less sticky, but it’s simple and flavorful.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken legs
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Ketchup
- Garlic – cloves
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Baked Chicken Legs:
- Prep a baking dish by lining it with foil.
- Mix up your sauce.
- Place all the chicken legs in the dish and pour the sauce over the top.
- Bake and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This really just depends on how you’re cooking it. I like to start with a preheated 350-degree oven and bake the chicken for 45 minutes, rotate the legs, raise the heat to 425 degrees, 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!
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.
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.
Expert Tips
- 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
- Lining your pan with foil makes clean-up much easier. I recommend it.
- 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.
More Chicken Recipes to Consider
Chicken Recipes
Chicken and Biscuits
From Scratch Recipes
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Easy Baked Potato Corn Chowder
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
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 degrees 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 degrees 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
- 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 best. If your pan is too large, though, your sauce will be too shallow, evaporate, and burn.
- I like to use a little meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done – better safe than sorry!
- How to cook chicken legs in a 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 165 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer.
- This option is great for all the reasons the slow cooker is great. You can start it in the middle of the day and have dinner on the table without much hands-on work during the busy evening. Or you can get the slow cooker going, leave the house, and come home to dinner. This is great for working parents, Sunday dinner (it can cook while you are at church), or running kids to practices or lessons in the evening. This option leads to flavorful, moist chicken, but the outside and skin don’t crisp at all.
Thinking of trying this tonight only I don’t have honey so I’m wondering how brown sugar would work in place of it??
I think brown sugar would work great. Let me know if you try it!
So yummy. Added s pinch of red pepper flakes for heat and reduced the sauce a little more. KEEPER!
Yes! Great addition!
What would you suggest as a substitute for soy sauce? Can’t use it.
Coconut aminos are a pretty common substitute for soy sauce. Be sure to add a little more salt though as they aren’t as salty as soy sauce.
I used Dales sauce – like soy + ginger.
Awesome – will try with some cayenne next time 🙂
Ymmm! These were great. Had 4 lone legs in freezer. Adjusted quantity of sauce. Hubby loved them coupled with my homemade and homegrown tomato pie
Holy smokes! Hands down… THE best baked chicken we have ever had! Go to recipe in our household from now on! Didn’t change a thing except we baked it a bit longer to caramelize it more. Thank you so very much for sharing! Wonderful!!!
Just made this…..omg it’s soooooo delicious!
I made these awhile back and the hubby loved them. it’s been super hot here so I did the crock pot version so I wouldn’t heat up my house with the oven. the sauce was super watery but I dissolved some corn starch in water and added it to the sauce the last hour to thicken it a bit
Made these for the fam last night and they were AWESOME! So simple and super yummy. I tossed some chopped carrots onto the pan along with the chicken and they also got nice and caramelized. I served it with rice and fresh pineapple. Even my kids loved it! thanks for this easy and tasty recipe!
Around here, these are called drumsticks
What are the instructions for a slow cooker? Can it be prepared ahead of time and then frozen?
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/2016/10/8-best-chicken-legs-recipes.html
Slow cooker instructions there!