Baked Crispy Chicken Legs

Crispy Baked Chicken Legs fresh from the oven are insanely good

A few simple tricks deliver crispy baked chicken drumsticks with tender, juicy meat. Insanely flavorful chicken is quick, easy, paleo, and gluten-free with only 10 minutes of prep time!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 363kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

3-3½ pounds (1.3-1.5k) chicken legs
1 tablespoon (6g) dried Italian herbs
1¼ teaspoons (7g) salt
1½ tablespoons (9g) onion powder
1½ tablespoons (8g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (2g) white pepper
½ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon (3g) bouillon powder (or replace with salt)

Instructions

Wash the chicken legs and place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Then let them sit in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight to air-dry. (You can skip this part and proceed with the spices, but they won't be quite as crispy).
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F (220℃).
Place the chicken in a large bowl, add the spices, and drizzle with oil. Mix well to coat the chicken.
Line a baking pan with foil, and top with a wire rack. Arrange chicken legs in a single layer. While the chicken legs are baking, the oil will slowly drip to the bottom of the baking pan.
Bake chicken legs until cooked through and skin is crispy (45-50 minutes). Rotate chicken legs halfway through, at roughly 20 minutes. (Actual bake time depends on your oven and altitude, but a meat thermometer should read an internal temperature of 165℉/75℃).
Take the crispy chicken legs out of the oven and serve with African pepper sauce.

Notes

Taking the chicken legs out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before baking will help them cook more evenly.
If you'd like even crispier skin on the chicken legs, turn the broiler on for a minute or to crisp them even more. Keep an eye on them, though, because the broiler cooks fast.
Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking for super juicy, tender meat.
These golden beauties are delicious baked in an air fryer, as well. Air fry them at 400℉ (205℃) for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Enjoy!
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition