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Oven Roasted Chicken Legs – either thighs, drumsticks, or even whole; can be the easiest dinner one can make when the time is scarce. 5 minutes prep time is all you’ll need.
After you’re done with this recipe you may want to check my Slow Roasted Whole Chicken Legs witch is also super delicious but requires more baking time.
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I decided to make this very easy Oven Roasted Chicken Legs recipe for the blog because a number of people have asked me how to cook a simple chicken in the oven. For some of you, this may seem fairly basic, but I know of more than a few vegetarians out there struggling to cook meat for their families. And if you’ve ever under/overcooked a chicken, perhaps this can be a help.
There are a number of questions and concerns that I often hear, like:
- Which parts of chicken should I use to roast it in the oven?
- When it comes to legs, should I use thighs, drumsticks or whole legs?
- How long does it take to prep the chicken ready for the oven?
- Do I need to marinate the chicken before I put it in the oven?
- Does the chicken need to be brined before seasoning?
- What seasoning should I use to make a tasty chicken?
- Do I need to pan-fry the chicken before I put it in the oven?
- Does the chicken need to be placed on a rack or in the ovenproof dish?
- At what temperature should I roast the chicken?
- How long should the chicken stay in the oven?
- How do I know that the chicken is cooked through?
Alright, let’s try to answer some of the above questions/concerns.
Which parts of chicken should I use to roast in the oven?
If I have a choice I will always go for the dark meat (i.e., the legs) as it is tastier and not dry at all. You may roast the chicken breast, but it can be tricky as it has a tendency to become very dry. For me, chicken legs, either whole, thighs or drumsticks, is the way to go. As a matter of fact, one of these always finds its way onto our dinner table at least once a week.
When it comes to legs, should I use thighs, drumsticks or whole legs?
I love thighs and drumsticks, but whole legs are delicious too. However, if you chose to roast whole chicken legs, you’ll need more time in the oven. For this baked chicken recipe I used both chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks just because that was all I had at home, but you could go either way.
How long does it take to prep the chicken for the oven?
Literally, 5 minutes. I’m not joking. This recipe is very simple. The most difficult and time-consuming part will be the peeling 2 cloves of garlic and either chopping them or pressing them through the garlic press. Then you just add very simple ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice and spices (salt, pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, oregano, and thyme). Mix & drizzle over the chicken. Done.
Do I need to marinate the chicken before I put it in the oven?
You don’t have to, but you can. It will definitely add flavor to your chicken. You can prepare the marinade with spices the night before, smother it all over your chicken and the next day simply put it into your oven.
Does the chicken need to be brined before seasoning?
I love brining the meat. It makes it so tender. You can read about brining the meat in this super popular post for Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic & Herbs. However, it isn’t necessary to brine these chicken legs to make them super delicious. If you don’t have time, or you forgot to put it in a brine or marinade the night before….no big deal. Just smother the chicken with the spices, place them into your oven and enjoy this super simple, delicious dinner.
What seasoning should I use to make a tasty oven-roasted chicken legs?
You can use any spices you’d like. For this recipe I choose to use:
- sweet paprika,
- cayenne pepper,
- turmeric,
- dried oregano,
- dried thyme and
- salt & pepper.
Do I need to pan-fry the chicken before I put it in the oven?
Nope. You don’t have to. The oven can do the whole job for you. However, if you want to achieve a super crispy skin, you can always do this. I wanted to present a very simple recipe that doesn’t require any “hand-holding.” Simply season the chicken and place in the oven. Easy peasy.
Does the chicken need to be placed on a rack or in the ovenproof dish?
This recipe for Oven Roasted Chicken Legs is to be cooked in the ovenproof dish like a casserole dish or even the cast iron pan. You could also make an “oven-fried” chicken. This recipe from Cooking Light Magazine can give you some ideas.
At what temperature should I roast the chicken?
I recommend roasting the chicken at 425 F.
How long should the chicken stay in the oven?
Chicken thighs and drumsticks should be cooked for about 40-45 minutes. The whole legs will take approximately an hour.
How do I know that the chicken is cooked through?
The internal temperature should read 165F. Make sure to measure the temperature in the middle of the meat part of the leg and not close to the bone.
I hope this little guide will help anyone who is struggling with roasting chicken legs. I really love this simple and super quick chicken recipe. It can make any weeknight dinner a breeze.
You can serve this Oven Roasted Chicken Legs with:
- Greek Spinach Rice and Feta
- Potato Cutlets with Asparagus
- Parmesan Spinach Orzo
- Dill Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter
- Potato Leek Casserole
You may also like these chicken recipes:
- Chicken Provencal with Shallots and Garlic
- Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter’s Chicken)
- Olive Oil Chicken Mediterranean Style
- Baked Mustard Chicken with Clementine
Oven Roasted Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Thighs
- 4 Chicken Drumsticks
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Salt Himalayan or Kosher
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper Freshly grounded
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano Dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Thyme Dried
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter optional for a crispy skin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In a bowl combine: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika, turmeric, oregano, thyme and cayenne;
- Place the chicken in the oven-safe dish like casserole or cast-iron skillet;
- Pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it on both sides; (This can be done a night before and kept refrigerated before cooking);
- Place the chicken skin side up and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika (for more intense color); Transfer the casserole to the hot oven.
- Roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F;
- After about 20 minutes of roasting, you can add a little pat of butter on each piece of chicken for crispier skin. It is an optional step and can be omitted;
- Once the chicken reaches 165 F remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 18, 2018.
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My husband and I were just talking about oven chicken. This looks great! Thanks
Thanks Debi. I hope you will like it.
Heyyy Edyta…we love the same thing…oven roasted chicken! But then again, who doesn’t?! Yours looks so gorgeous and colorful, I just want to grab a piece and devour it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much Traci! We do love our chicken here 🙂
Nothing beats oven roasted chicken! I love this easy to follow recipe and especially love the seasonings you use!! Yum!
Thanks Sarah. The chicken comes out very flavorful 🙂
So many great tips in this post! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise…chicken can be a tricky little devil to master sometimes =)
Thanks Jennifer. I hope the tips will help some people master the chicken 🙂
These look amazing. What a delicious dinner for my family (and 5 minute prep is exactly what we need on a busy Tuesday night).
Thanks Kaitie. It really takes very little time to prep.:)
Bought several packages of chicken leg quarters on sale to make my healthy, homemade, healing (two torn ACL injuries) dog food for a very special rescue pup. The pieces were so gorgeous I decided to make two for dinner as well.
I found this recipe and followed it to the “t”. It turned out amazing. No pre-browning, but my husband thought I seared or fried it because of the beautiful color and texture. Should have snapped a pic, so beautiful, but hunger was stronger. We are not big fans of dark meat but this recipe is a keeper!!! Served with roasted carrots (made in oven simultaneously), mashed potatoes, and made a pan gravy with drippings. Gravy spectacular with spice mixture infused into drippings on chicken. Not to mention this recipe is great for stretching grocery budget at .69c a lb. for protein!!! Thanks for posting! Super rare I write a review but had to for this!
Jennifer, you just made my day! Thanks, girl so much! I’m so happy that you love this recipe. I’ll be frank, I make it like once a week. My whole family loves it so much. My 5 year old tells me all the time that he wants “chicken on a stick” (drumstick) 🙂
I love using chicken thighs They are more forgiveing than cooking chicken breasts. And more flavorful. My new favorite gadget to cook with is the Instant Pot.would you know how to convert this delicious recipe to the IP. Thank you
Hi Eileen, I have not tried this recipe in the Instant Pot and I’m afraid that it would get rather steamed than roasted. Maybe sear them first on a saute setting and then place on a rack and pressure cook (about 8 minutes) and release the pressure. Let me know how that worked. Again, this is just my guess how to do it, I haven’t tested it.
Hi, can I ask what rack I should place the chicken drumsticks?
Middle rack 🙂
I made this for the first time last week, it was DELICIOUS! My kids both loved it, we all had seconds. What a delightful recipe!
Thank you so much Krystle. I’m happy you liked it.
This recipe is amazing! My kids loved it too.
I’m so happy! My 6year-old loves it too 🙂
Thanks Edyta. I had chicken legs and thighs in the freezer for another recipe I usually make, but wanted to try something different and stumbled across your recipe. So quick and simple and so tasty. The family loved it. And I made gravy from the juices, which was delicious! This will definitely become a household regular.
Awesome! Thanks Derek. It’s my family favorite recipe 🙂
Should I bake with or without lid over the ovenproof dish? Appreciate your advise.
No lid needed here.
Hi. This guide was really useful, thanks. However, I like crispy skin on my thighs and drumsticks, so I grilled the chicken on a cast-iron grill pan before putting it in the oven (~5-7 minutes total). Whe I did, I found that the chicken was finished about 10 minutes early (which I verified with a meat thermometer). It could be that these cooked quicker because they were smaller than a typical drumstick, but I think it’d be helpful if you note whether frying ahead of time affects the cooking time in that section.
Thank you. That information will definitely be useful 🙂
The chicken was full of flavour and the skin so crispy. Yum. I used thighs. It didn’t need the butter but I’m sure it’d taste lovely with it too.
The only problem I had with this recipe is that the oven in my new apartment is apparently not even close to what temperature it’s supposed to be. When I took these out at around 42 minutes, the chicken read 200 degrees. Obviously not great, but good to know in the future.
But that’s a me problem. As far as this recipe goes, holy cow! About 15 minutes into cooking, my apartment was filling with the most appealing roast chicken smell that I’ve ever experienced! This combination of spices was just blowing up. And even though the chicken itself was a little over cooked (not your fault), the flavor was incredible! This page has been bookmarked, and I’m definitely going to be coming back to it.
Could I add quartered potatoes to this? I’m Just learning cook.
I would roast potatoes on a separate sheet in the same oven so the chicken can create the juice at the bottom but also not be overcrowded to nicely bake.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m actually trying this out tonight, but I’ll be using an air fryer instead of an oven. I’ll let you know how it goes! But I’ll be using your spices & recipe.