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This simple 5 ingredient 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!)
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4.97 from 174 votes

The Best Oven Baked Chicken Legs Recipe

This simple 5 ingredient recipe makes The Best Oven 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!) Just pop these legs in the oven, and you'll have a crispy chicken dinner!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 chicken legs
Author: Melissa Griffiths

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 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 9x13 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 11x15 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.

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

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