The Best Oven Baked Chicken Legs
on Aug 07, 2017, Updated Oct 29, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 with no fuss!
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
- Budget Friendly: I love this simple and inexpensive cut of meat, and this recipe really makes it shine!
- More Leg Ideas: 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.
- Make it in the Slow Cooker: 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
- 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.
- 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.
More Chicken Recipes to Consider
Pasta Dishes
Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Baked Pasta
Soups, Stews & Chowders
White Chicken Chili
Chicken Recipes
Kung Pow Chicken
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
The Best Oven Baked Chicken Legs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
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.
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.
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!
Amazing! Juicy, flavorful, and a huge hit! They are sticky and juicy. Not at all crispy for those wondering!
So glad you liked them Megan! Thank you for coming back to leave a review, I so appreciate that!
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!
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 …
Thanks for coming back and leaving a review and letting us know that boneless worked great for you, I appreciate that!
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
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!
HI what kind of honey should I use for this recipe?
I just use a local honey I know I like. I’d look for an organic clover honey if you can, something mild.
This was delicious!
So glad you liked it Lori!!
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!
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
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!