Baked Chicken Drumsticks are juicy and tender on the inside while having a perfectly golden brown, crispy skin on the outside. They’re full of flavor and made with just a few minutes of prep and six simple ingredients!

A chicken dinner is a no-brainer in our house because everyone loves it, and it can be made with just about any seasonings or sides!

If I’m making skin-on, though, it has to be super crispy—I’m a sucker for that juicy crunch!

These Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks are the best way I’ve found to get that crispy skin every time.

Plus, it’s the perfect hands-off way to make a chicken meal for the whole family.

I love these Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Legs, but if I’m cooking more than 6 pieces of chicken, I want an oven-ready recipe that can bake away while I make the rest of the meal.

Try my Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs: Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe, Baked Monterey Chicken, Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks, or check out this list of Easy Baked Chicken Recipes for some delicious chicken dinner ideas!

Ingredients Needed:

• Chicken: I’ve used chicken drumsticks with the skin on. I love the crispy skin, as it’s so full of texture and flavor! You can remove the skin before seasoning if you prefer not to eat it.
• Oil: use any neutral cooking oil with a higher smoke point, as we’ll be cooking the chicken at high heat.
• Brown Sugar: it won’t make the chicken very sweet, but it does help caramelize the chicken skin and adds lots of flavor.
• Seasoning: I’ve used a simple mix of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for a full flavor. Feel free to experiment with different seasonings or a seasoning blend.

How to Make Baked Chicken Drumsticks

This recipe is quick to prep and mostly hands off! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Season chicken: Rub oil over drumsticks, and add a combined seasoning mix of brown sugar, seasoning salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika.
2. Cook chicken: Place chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a large, lightly greased baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 425°F, until done.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Dry the chicken. To ensure you get crispy outer skin, pat the chicken drumsticks dry of excess moisture with paper towels before adding oil and seasoning.
• Meat thermometer. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to make sure your chicken is fully cooked.
• Browning too quickly. If the skin is browning too quickly, you can cover it with foil.
• Burning fat. If the fat is burning at the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water.
• Clean up. You can use aluminum foil or parchment paper on the bottom of the baking dish if you like. You can also season the chicken by putting the drumsticks in a plastic bag and pouring the oil and seasoning into the bag to shake it all up!

Baked Chicken Drumsticks Variations

• Use a different kind of chicken. This recipe will work for most cuts of bone-in chicken around the same size. Try chicken legs, chicken thighs, or chicken wings! You can use this recipe for any cut as long as you reduce the cooking time for smaller chicken pieces or increase it for larger pieces.
• Flavor. Add some onion powder for a stronger savory flavor, or add some other herbs and seasonings to change the flavors. Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, a Chinese Five Spice Blend, or an all-purpose seasoning will go a long way to adding extra flavor.
• Spice. Add some heat with cayenne pepper, chili powder, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes!

Serving Suggestions

Use this chicken to add protein to any meal, or add some side dishes to make it a full meal.

Have it beside this Baked Cheese Risotto, my Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe, or this Instant Pot Jasmine Rice for your main carb.

Then try this Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes and Carrots Recipe, my Cheesy Baked Asparagus, Homemade Stuffing Recipe, or this Broccoli Casserole with some veggies like my Air Fryer Green Beans or Roasted Carrots.

We also love having bread with dinner, so try my Cheesy Garlic Bread, these Homemade Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls, or my Mom’s Homemade Buns!

More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try

Dinner

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Dinner

15 Chicken Casserole Recipes

Dinner

Marry Me Chicken

Dinner

JUICY Air Fryer Chicken Breast

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Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Baked Chicken Drumsticks are juicy and tender on the inside while having a perfectly golden brown, crispy skin on the outside. They're full of flavor and made with just a few minutes of prep and six simple ingredients!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 318cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone in skin on chicken drumsticks (about 8-10)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Rub chicken drumsticks with oil.
• Combine brown sugar, seasoning salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika in a small mixing bowl. Rub evenly over the drumsticks.
• Place chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a large, lightly greased baking dish (it's okay if they touch slightly – they will shrink as they cook) and bake for 30-40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Tip: If the skin is browning too quickly, you can cover it with foil. If the fat is burning at the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water.
• Serve hot with sides as desired.

Notes

Storage

• Store: Store the drumsticks once they have completely cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking them to keep them as fresh as possible.
• Freeze: I’d recommend removing the meat from the bone and shredding the chicken first. Put the shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag then freeze it for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on top of foil on a grill.

Nutrition

Calories: 318cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Baked Chicken Drumsticks appeared first on The Recipe Rebel.

Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks are a simple, 6-ingredient sweet and spicy meal that’s perfect for summer grilling! An easy and flavorful way to make grilled chicken drumsticks!

We are gearing up for summer over here and one of the things we love to do is cook and eat outside!

These grilled chicken drumsticks are one of our favorites because they are so easy to make.

I LOVE a sweet and sticky glaze, so decided on this combination of maple syrup and chili sauce because it has the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

I also love the simple ingredient list: maple syrup, chili sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, and chicken. I already had everything I needed in my pantry, so that was another win. Simple is where it’s at these days!

Try my Homemade Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken, this Sweet & Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken, or any of these amazing Grilled Chicken Recipes for more grilling inspiration.

Got more drumsticks? Try these Baked Chicken Drumsticks or these Air Fryer Chicken Legs next!

Ingredients Needed:

• Chicken: I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe. You can cook it with the skin or without, it’ll work and taste amazing either way. You could use chicken thighs too for similar results.
• Maple Syrup: a good quality, pure maple syrup will give you the best of the classic warm sweet flavor!
• Chili Sauce: chili sauce is a seasoned tomato sauce with extra kick! Do not mistake it for hot sauce.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: adds extra tang and makes the chicken super tender.
• Garlic: freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor.
• Salt: use to enhance all the flavors.

How to Make Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

This recipe is quick and easy to make! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Make marinade in bag. Combine maple syrup, chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, and salt in a large resealable plastic bag or a large Ziploc bag.
2. Put chicken in bag. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag with the sauce in it.
3. Marinate chicken and make glaze. Seal the bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate. Make the thickened glaze.
4. Grill and glaze. Cook the chicken, turning it every so often until done. Remove from the grill and brush the cooked chicken with the glaze before serving. 

Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Paper towel to serve. Serve these sticky chicken drumsticks with a small bowl of water on the table with paper towels, or some kind of wet wipes, because they can get messy!
• Aluminum foil. You can cook the chicken on top of tin foil sprayed with non-stick on both sides, or directly on the grill. I actually found that the chicken didn’t stick to the grill either way. Chicken cooked directly on the grill will char much more quickly, but it will also get those great grill marks!
• Grilling on Foil. If you grill the drumsticks on foil, you can move them to cook directly on the grill to get a bit of caramelization on them.
• Grilling directly on the grill. If you grill directly onto the grill, you’ll want to move them to indirect heat once they are charred so they don’t burn. The sugary nature of the marinade makes it prone to burning, so be careful to watch your chicken as it cooks.
• Skin. You can cook drumsticks with the chicken on or off, this chicken recipe tastes amazing both ways. If you like a crispier outer with a bit of extra texture, then leave the skin on. If you prefer skinless pieces, then you can buy them skinless from the grocery store, or just pull the skin off before marinating them.
• Slice to marinate. You can make a long incision in the thickest part of the meat before marinating it to allow the marinade to seep into the chicken for a deeper flavor.

Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks Variations

• Mix up the seasoning. Use different seasonings depending on your flavor preferences. Cajun, paprika, turmeric, chili, and cumin are all great spices for chicken for this marinade to give a sweet and spicy flavor. You can also use a store-bought chicken spice mix if you like.
• Herbs. You can use dried herbs in the marinade as well if you like. Marjoram, oregano, cilantro, or parsley would work well.
• Garnish. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or finely chopped green onions for an added burst of freshness.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks with pretty much any BBQ side to make an amazing BBQ spread. Check out my list of The Best BBQ Sides for Summer for ideas.

Some of my favorite BBQ sides are Grilled Potatoes in Foil, Maple Bacon Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, and my Homemade Coleslaw!

A BBQ isn’t complete without a refreshing drink, so try my Strawberry Lemonade, this Easy Homemade Pink Lemonade or this Berry Lime Slush Recipe for something extra tasty!

More Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes

Dinner

Hawaiian Chicken Recipe

Dinner

Greek Chicken Marinade

Dinner

Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Dinner

Grilled Chicken Recipes

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Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Maple Glazed chicken Drumsticks are a simple, 6-ingredient sweet and spicy meal that's perfect for summer grilling! They are always a big hit!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 353cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 8-12 chicken drumsticks
• ½ cup + ¼ cup maple syrup divided
• ½ cup + ¼ cup chili sauce divided
• ¼ cup + ⅛cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp + ½tsp minced garlic divided
• salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Add chicken drumsticks to a large resealable plastic bag (skin on or off as desired). Combine ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup chili sauce, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp minced garlic, and salt. Pour over drumsticks into a bag. You can also do this in a large bowl, and stir to coat, but it is easiest in a bag.
• Seal the bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-8 hours (I marinated mine for just a couple of hours).
• Preheat grill to about 400 degrees F (I had 2 sides on, and one side off so I could move them to indirect heat if need be). Either grease the grill with oil or non-stick or spray a piece of tin foil with non-stick spray and place it on the grill over the heat (*see post for additional explanation). Place drumsticks on the grill, and cook, turning every so often, for 20-25 minutes or until meat starts to fall away from the bone. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn! Move to indirect heat if need be.
• While drumsticks are cooking (or you can do this ahead of time if you need to), combine ¼ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup chili sauce, ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar, and ½ tsp minced garlic in a small pot. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until reduced and thickened (about 10-15 minutes). Turn off the heat and keep warm until the chicken is done.
• Brush drumsticks with thickened glaze before serving.
• Store: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking it.

Notes

Store: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking it.

Freeze: Maple glazed chicken drumsticks can be frozen after cooking them very easily. I’d recommend removing the meat from the bone and shredding the chicken. Put the shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on top of foil on the grill.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 353cal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 557mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 271IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

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These Air Fryer Chicken Legs are tender, juicy and flavorful with a crispy exterior! The easiest way to cook those drumsticks!

If you’ve been hanging out around here over the last couple months, you know we are newly obsessed with the air fryer!

Our favorite things to cook are anything meat — it just comes out so perfectly juicy! This Air Fryer Chicken Breast and these Air Fryer Meatballs are two of our favorites, but these chicken drumsticks are quickly moving up the list.

They are juicy on the inside (hello bone-in, skin on dark meat!), with a crispy and flavorful skin.

The kids love these Air Fryer Chicken Legs because it’s basically dinner on a stick, but we love them because they only take 5 minutes to prep and you can cook them from fresh or frozen!

Love crispy coated chicken? Try these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or Air Fryer Fried Chicken!

Looking for more drumstick recipes? Try these Baked Chicken Drumsticks or these Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks next.

Tips and tricks!

• Preheat your air fryer — throwing the chicken in when the air fryer is hot means a quicker cook time and more even heat!
• Season well — I borrowed our favorite chicken seasoning from these Pan Fried Chicken Breasts, but you can use a variety of your favorite spices or seasoning blends
• Bring your chicken legs out of the fridge while you prepare your seasoning — letting the chicken warm up, even a little, will mean it cooks through more quickly and evenly
• Let them rest — letting your chicken drumsticks hang out a little before serving them isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it allows the juices to redistribute before you bite into that crispy skin!

How long do you cook air fryer chicken legs?

All chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, and the thermometer should not be touching the bone as it can lead to an inaccurate reading.

For me, this usually takes about 12-15 minutes but it will depend on how large and thick your chicken legs are.

You might also find that even though your chicken is cooked through, you want to give it a few extra minutes for extra crispiness!

This is fine, since the skin keeps the meat juicy even if it is cooked a little longer.

Can you cook frozen chicken drumsticks in the air fryer?

Yes!

This is one of other things we love about this recipe. On those days when we haven’t thought ahead for dinner, we can throw some frozen chicken drumsticks in the air fryer and the cook time is pretty much hands off.

Chicken drumsticks will take about 25-30 minutes to cook from frozen, but always be sure to check for doneness with a meat thermometer.

It’s an easy, stress free dinner we all love.

Make ’em saucy:

We love to have a variety of sauces to dunk our chicken in!

A bottle of ranch or store bought barbecue sauce is great, but if you have a few minutes while your chicken is cooking, try this Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce or this Homemade BBQ Sauce to take things up a notch.

More air fryer recipes!

• Air Fryer Baked Potato — with the perfect crispy skin!
• Air Fryer Pork Chops — so juicy!
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings — perfect for game night

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Air Fryer Chicken Legs

These Air Fryer Chicken Legs are tender, juicy and flavorful with a crispy exterior! The easiest way to cook those drumsticks!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, canadian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 chicken legs

Calories 318cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 6 chicken legs or drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
• Rub 1 tablespoon of oil over chicken legs. Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika and rub evenly over all chicken legs.
• Brush remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on the air fryer rack in the basket.
• Place seasoned chicken legs in the basket and cook at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking for 6-7 minutes until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached (make sure the meat thermometer is away from the bone). You can cook a few extra minutes if you want them crispier.
• Remove from the air fryer and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 318cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

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This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is the easiest way to cook your chicken for any summer barbecue! It’s juicy and tender every time, make ahead friendly and can be tossed on the grill to crisp it up!

If you’re not in the thick of summer barbecues yet, it’s really only a matter of time.

Memorial Day is next week (our long weekend was this week in Canada!), and it seems like once we get past that point, it’s all about barbecues, long weeks in the sunshine (or the rain or even the snow here in Manitoba — fingers crossed that doesn’t happen this year), popsicles, and flip flops.

I’ve been loving on my Instant Pot for more than a year now, and I wanted to figure out the best ways to get the most use out of it this summer.

This Instant Pot Potato Salad is happening on repeat here — it’s perfect with any grilled meats, cold sandwiches, you name it!

And these Instant Pot Chicken Tacos are another of our favorites for the summer — so easy to throw into a taco salad, wrap, or sandwich for on the go lunching!

Today we’re adding this Instant Pot BBQ Chicken to our family of suitable Instant Pot summer eats, and it’s going to be one we make over and over and over again (burgers and hot dogs? No. Thanks. I don’t love my Instant Pot that much).

What kind of chicken works best with this pressure cooker bbq chicken?

I was debating how to go about making this recipe — whether I wanted to use boneless chicken breasts, which I knew would probably end up being shredded with the sauce, or going with bone-in cuts that can be slathered in sauce and crisped in the oven or on the grill.

In the end, I knew it would actually be pretty easy just to dump some bbq sauce on this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken you all love, so I wanted to do something different.

I opted for bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks because I think they’re perfect for getting a little messy at a summer cookout, and the flavor and juiciness just can’t be beat.

Plus, kids love chicken drumsticks!

You can also use chicken breasts with this recipe if you like — I recommend a cook time of 8-10 minutes depending on how large they are.

How to make Instant Pot BBQ Chicken:

1. First, we cook our chicken in the Instant Pot with some chicken broth or juice or other clear liquid until it is super juicy.
2. Then remove it from the Instant Pot, slather with your favorite barbecue sauce (or try one of my favorites: Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce or Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce), and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes until the skin is crispy and caramelized, or (my favorite) pop it on a hot grill, skin side down, until crispy.
3. Devour!

How to make this bbq chicken ahead:

I think one of the best things about this pressure cooker bbq chicken is that you can pressure cook the chicken ahead of time, then pop it in a container in the fridge for up to 24 hours before saucing and grilling.

This makes it the perfect recipe for a big barbecue because you know the chicken is cooked and juicy, and all you need to do is finish it off.

It takes out so much of the guesswork to getting perfect grilled chicken!

What to serve with Instant Pot BBQ Chicken:

• Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
• Easy Potato Salad Recipe
• Creamy Ranch Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe
• Layered Broccoli Salad

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Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

This Instant Pot BBQ Chicken is the easiest way to cook your chicken for any summer barbecue! It’s juicy and tender every time, make ahead friendly and can be tossed on the grill to crisp it up! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 24 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 480cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 6 skin on, bone in chicken drumsticks (or skinless)
• 6 skin on, bone in chicken thighs (or skinless)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried onion
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water (chicken broth, juice, or soda works, too)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

• Place chicken in 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
• Combine salt, garlic powder, paprika, dried onion, black pepper and sprinkle over chicken, turning to coat all sides. 
• Pour water (or other liquid) and liquid smoke into Instant Pot — feel free to experiment with different flavours as long as they are clear liquid!
• Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook, high pressure, for 10 minutes (12-15 minutes for frozen or partially frozen).
• It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build and the cook time to begin counting down. When the cook time is over, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes, then open the valve and remove the lid.
• Remove chicken, brush with barbecue sauce, and either broil for 3-4 minutes until the skin begins to crisp up, or place on the grill for 4-5 minutes.
• *This chicken can be made ahead of time, cooked and stored in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before grilling or broiling.

Notes

*Note: one serving equals one drumstick and one thigh

Nutrition

Calories: 480cal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 827mg | Potassium: 520mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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