Description
This Crispy Baked Chicken Legs recipe delivers perfectly seasoned, juicy chicken drumsticks with a delectably crisp skin. Using a combination of baking powder and poultry seasoning, these chicken legs bake in the oven to a golden perfection, ideal for a family-friendly dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks, cleaned, with the excess fat removed
Seasoning Mix
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon poultry seasoning, or seasoning of choice
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more if desired
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more if desired
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Dry the Chicken: Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet and layer it with paper towels. Arrange the chicken drumsticks on top of the wire rack and tent with more paper towels. Transfer this setup to the refrigerator for at least two hours or ideally overnight. If you’re short on time, pat the chicken legs as dry as possible with paper towels to remove moisture for crispier skin.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Rack: Preheat your oven to 400 ℉ (204 ℃). Discard the paper towels from the cooling rack and spray the rack lightly with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Season the Chicken: In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, poultry seasoning, salt, black pepper, and baking powder thoroughly. Add the chicken legs to the bowl, and gently mix using your hands or tongs to coat each piece evenly with the seasoning mixture.
- Bake the Chicken: Arrange the seasoned chicken legs spaced apart on the prepared wire rack over the baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick registers 165 ℉ (74 ℃), ensuring they are fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the chicken legs from the oven and let them rest on the rack for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and the skin to crisp up even more before serving.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- For extra crispy skin, ensure the chicken is thoroughly dried before seasoning.
- You can customize the seasoning by substituting poultry seasoning for your favorite spice blend.
- Using a wire rack allows air to circulate around the chicken for even crisping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken drumstick (about 4 oz)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
