Bone in chicken legs and thighs recipes

This easy bone in, skin on oven baked chicken drums and thighs recipe (baked chicken legs) are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

How To Cook Whole Chicken Legs

This whole baked chicken leg recipe is dry rubbed with a homemade spice mix and oven roasted at 425F for ~45 minutes.

Don't like dry rubs? Cool, this whole chicken leg recipe can be baked with just salt and pepper and nothing else. Baked chicken drums and thighs are seriously that good that they don't need anything else.

This recipe works with bone in whole chicken legs, drumsticks, or thighs.

Roasted chicken legs are easy to make and easy to eat and will become a regular household favorite. Just bake the chicken legs in the oven on a sheet pan uncovered and dinner is done.

The wire rack is optional for cooking chicken legs / thighs / drums. It's nice to have air circulating around the bottom of the chicken but if you don't want to clean it (hey - it happens to us all!), then skip the rack.

Also, throw down a piece of aluminum foil on the sheet pan if you really don't want to clean!

Turn the broiler on (watching carefully) for the last ~2-4 minutes if your chicken skin is not crisp and brown.

Point is, watch and get to know your oven (and spices). Look half way through, if the spice mixture is smoking too much turn the oven down to 400F or 375F. If it's not cooking at all, turn it up to 450F.

Oven Baked Chicken Leg Recipe FAQS

How long does it take to cook chicken legs in the oven?

It takes around 45 minutes to bake bone in, skin on medium sized whole chicken legs. It also works for bone in chicken thighs. Chicken drumsticks, if separated from the thigh, may bake for less time, especially if they are smaller.

What temperature do you bake whole chicken legs at?

I bake chicken thighs and drumsticks (chicken leg) at 425F usually. Sometimes, I'll up the temperature to 450F if they are super big chicken legs. If your oven runs hot or the chicken skin is not browning too fast or burning, then lower the temperature to 400F.

Do you cook whole chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks covered or uncovered?

Uncovered. That way the skin will get crispy while insulating the meat which will stay juicy and tender.

What are chicken legs?

Whole chicken legs are made up of the chicken thigh and the chicken drums (drumsticks). Think of the leg like a humans - we have a thigh (upper leg) and also the shin/calf (lower leg).

The two plated photos were taken in my old kitchen/oven. The baking sheet photos were taken when I did the instructional video above in my new kitchen/oven. The difference in the color of the chicken have to do with different ovens cooking at different temperatures. It also has to do with darker and different paprika colors.

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EatSimpleFood.com

This easy bone in, skin on chicken leg ( thighs and drumsticks) is crispy and juicy.  It's dry rubbed with a homemade spice mix and oven baked/roasted.

• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: International
• Diet: Gluten Free

• 12 pieces of chicken - 6 whole legs (AKA leg quarters) or 6 thighs and 6 drumsticks - bone in, skin on
• 1 ½ Tbsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper - optional if you like it hot

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Pat chicken dry.
• Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over chicken.
• Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top of the sheet.  This elevates the chicken so it doesn't bake or steam in it's own grease and promotes even cooking.  Place the chicken on the rack, trying to keep the pieces from touching each other.
• Roast chicken uncovered ~ 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.  
• Rest  5-10 minutes before eating.  Add salt to taste.  Happy finger lickin' chicken!  Beckie

Notes

• Turn the broiler on (watching carefully) for ~2-4 minutes if your chicken skin is not crisp and brown.
• The wire rack is optional. It's nice to have air circulating around the bottom of the chicken but if you don't want to clean it (hey - it happens to us all!), then skip the rack.
• Does your cooked chicken look different than my photos? The difference in the color of the chicken have to do with different ovens cooking at different temperatures. It also has to do with darker and different paprika colors.  Point is, watch and get to know your oven (and spices). Look half way through, if the spice mixture is burning turn the oven down to 400F or 375F. If it's not cooking at all, turn it up to 450F.

Keywords: Dinner, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Whole 30, Keto, Comfort Food, Chicken Thighs, Chicken, Paleo