Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks tossed in a simple honey soy marinade and oven baked to juicy perfection. These baked chicken legs are easy to make and always delicious!
I love baked chicken recipes! Cooking chicken in the oven is easy and a very simple way to produce juicy, crispy and tasty roasted chicken without a lot of effort.
This baked chicken drumsticks recipe with honey soy marinade is the absolute best and a satisfying quick and easy dinner option, especially during busy weeknights.
As if juicy and crispy baked chicken wasn’t enough to convince you to make this recipe, chicken legs are budget-friendly, easy to prepare, can easily feed a crowd and kids love them as they are so easy to eat. Who wouldn’t love holding a chicken leg on one hand?!
How To Bake Chicken Drumsticks
It doesn’t get much easier than these one-pan Baked Chicken Drumsticks! The Asian inspired 5-ingredient marinade comes together quickly and has so much flavor!
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag (gallon size works). You can use a shallow baking dish if you prefer.
- Add the chicken legs to the marinade and seal the bag removing as much air from the bag as possible. Massage the marinade into the chicken until the legs are well coated.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. The longer you marinate the chicken, the tastier it will get.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the chicken and the marinade in a baking dish or a rimmed sheet pan. The chicken will release its juices while roasting so using the proper baking dish is a must!
- Bake the chicken drumsticks uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Served garnished with scallions (optional).
Are Baked Chicken Legs Healthy?
Chicken legs are an excellent source of protein and a nutritious and healthy option if prepared in the right way. Baking chicken in the oven, is much healthier than fried chicken for sure! If you are following a low-fat diet, remove the chicken skin before eating it. I prefer baking the chicken with the skin on to make sure the meat doesn’t dry up, however you can remove it if you prefer. Buying organic chicken without added hormones is always best!
Because of the honey in the marinade, I like to bake the chicken drumsticks at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes. This temperature allows for the chicken to keep moist and juicy in the inside while caramelizing the exterior to golden brown perfection.
Yes! You can use any part of the chicken you prefer for this easy baked recipe. Bone-in and boneless pieces work well. Chicken drums, chicken thighs and chicken breasts are some of my favorite options. Cooking times may vary depending on what you choose. As always, it is best to check the chicken’s internal temperature with a instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is perfectly cooked.
Chicken Drumsticks
According to Google, you get 4 drumsticks in a pound. However, I purchased a 4-pound pack of chicken drumsticks and I got 12 drumsticks! Yes, they were big, meaty and fabulous! The recipe below asks for 4 pounds of chicken legs and serves 6 people – That is about 12 drumsticks total, counting that each person gets 2 legs (although I could really eat 3 if no one is watching!).
Can This Chicken Legs Recipe Be Made Ahead?
Yes! this chicken recipe can be made ahead.
- Prepare the marinade up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You can marinate the chicken and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking so it comes to room temperature before baking.
- To store cooked chicken legs leftover, cool the chicken and store it in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
What Is The Safe Temperature For Cooked Chicken?
For safety, always cook chicken until the juices run clear and the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.
Tips For The Best Baked Drumsticks
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Periodically, check on the chicken as it cooks. If the marinade seems to be drying up in the baking dish, add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
- If the chicken is getting overly dark, you can cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil. You can also lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
- For the honey and soy marinade, I like to press (or grate) the garlic and grate the ginger so they don’t burn while baking in the oven.
- The Asian inspired Honey-Soy marinade can be used to marinate chicken breasts, pork chops, pork loin and lamb chops.
What To Serve With Roasted Chicken Legs?
Here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with this juicy and tender baked chicken:
- White Rice
- Sauteed Green Beans
- Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Asian Slaw
- Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
- Grilled Corn with Orange Honey Butter
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Check Some Of Our Favorite Baked Recipes
- Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
- Easy Baked Salmon Recipe
- Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Baked Greek Meatballs
- Crispy Baked Tofu
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Honey Soy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed or grated
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 12 drumsticks)
- 1 scallion thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large zip top bag, combine the garlic, ginger, oil, soy sauce, honey and ground black pepper. I massage the bottom of the bag to make sure the honey blends well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Place the chicken drumsticks into the zip top bag, close and shake the bag to make sure all the chicken pieces get coated with the marinade. I like to massage the chicken a bit just to make sure the marinade penetrates every piece of chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the chicken in a single layer on a baking pan or rimmed baking sheet (the marinade leftover in the bag can also be placed on the baking pan).
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until cooked through.
Video
Chef’s Tips
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before its consumption.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Periodically, check on the chicken as it cooks. If the marinade seems to be drying up in the baking dish, add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
- If marinating the chicken for longer than 30 minutes, place the marinated chicken in the refrigerator. Remove the chilled marinated chicken from the fridge about 20-30 minutes before baking so the chicken pieces have time to come to room temperature.
Nutrition
Beth says
Really good easy and tasty recipe
Samantha says
WAS DELISH! CAN’T WAIT TO GRILL EM!
Heidi says
Delicious! Had to fight with myself to stop at eating 3 drumsticks…,
Elizabeth says
Love this recipe and so does my whole family. Opted to use sesame oil and added some sesame seeds to the marinade and it turned out delicious 😋
Arthur says
I loved how this recipe looked so I gave it an outdoorsy spin. Reserve some of the marinade before step two. After step two, fire up the grill and cook the chicken over an indirect low (I repeat: LOW) flame. Turn early and often. Use the reserved marinade to baste every 15 mins. Cook SLOW and LOW 45 mins to an hour ( depending on how much marinade you have). It’s a life changer!
Kathy says
Thank you so much for sharing! Yes, baked or grilled the results are amazing!
Helena says
Love this recipe! Have made it several times already & my family loves it too! Thank u for sharing it Kathy!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! So glad you all like it!
Jessenia says
Made this for dinner and it was a hit!! So easy and full of flavor. Especially with white rice on the side and drizzled some of the extra over it
Kathy says
Hi Jessenia! Thank you for sharing. Glad you enjoyed them. xo
sabrina says
Love this recipe and my boyfriend loves it too! This is definitely one of our go-to dinners. It’s simple and easy to put together. Goes great with rice, veggies, or potatoes.
Kathy says
Thank you Sabrina! I am so glad you guys love this recipe!
Dulce Diaz says
All i have to say is yumm! Easy & delicious
Kathy says
Thank you!
Melanie Bauer says
They look fantastic! I’d love to make this, so tasty and incredibly flavorful meal!
Beth Pierce says
Talk about flavor!!! These were perfectly juicy and were easy to make too! Highly recommend!
Sara Welch says
These drumsticks made the best dinner for my family last night! So full of flavor and easy too!