Baked Chicken Drumsticks With Potatoes

This easy oven baked chicken drumsticks and potatoes recipe is delicious for family dinners and requires only a little prep time. Add potatoes and carrots for a simple and classic and juicy sheet pan meal that even picky eaters will love.

 

Why We Love Baked Drumsticks And Potatoes

• Cozy Low Prep Dinner – Sometimes you just want a cozy dinner in the oven that doesn’t require much prep time or hands on time. Enter this easy sheetpan meal, where dinner is cooked on one pan and you can pop them in the oven and walk away for a bit. Everything just roasts until tender and the prep work on this recipe is really easy and simple!
• Flexible Recipe – This recipe is also super flexible. Have nine chicken drumsticks? Not feeling like carrots but want the potatoes? It’s super easy to adjust.
• Set And Go, Then Do Something Else – This recipe does have a longer cook time, but it doesn’t need much babysitting and the prep time is so fast. You can run off to do your laundry, take care of the kids, or just doing something else while the flavorful chicken is cooking. Once you place the pan in the oven, it doesn’t need a lot of babysitting. Just flip the potatoes and the drumsticks come out delicious.

Ingredients For Roasted Chicken Drumsticks And Potatoes

• chicken drumsticks
• paprika
• ground thyme
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• salt
• olive oil divided
• yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes will cook easiest in this recipe. Baby potatoes also work well for the roasted potatoes. I don’t recommend Russet potatoes for this recipe.
• carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

Sometimes I also add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice, but it’s optional

How To Make Baked Chicken Legs And Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray pan generously with spray cooking oil. I don’t recommend using pyrex or glass baking dish at this temperature safely.
2. Trim chicken drumsticks on a cutting board. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels really well to help the skin get crispier. Set to the side.
3. Wash and dry carrots and potatoes. Peel carrots and chop into 1 inch chunks. Cut the potatoes into 1 inch chunks and place in a large bowl.

4. In a medium bowl add paprika, thyme, garlic salt, pepper and oil. Mix well until combined.

5. Addthe chicken drumsticks to a large bowl or large gallon sized zip-top bag. Add half of the oil and spice mixture. Mix well to coat the chicken evenly, then place the chicken drumsticks evenly on the pan.

6. Pour the remaining oil and spice mixture over the potatoes and carrots. Mix well until the vegetables are evenly coated with oil, then place vegetables on the sheet pan.

7. Bake chicken drumsticks and vegetables for a total of  45 to 60 minutes, flipping once halfway through to help cook evenly. Drumsticks should be crispy brown and register 165 degrees with a meat thermometer in the meaty part of the drumsticks when done. Be careful not to touch the bone with the thermometer as it can affect the temperature. Once cooked through, serve and enjoy!

Is This Your First Time Cooking Chicken Drumsticks?

The first time you cook chicken and potatoes, the hardest part is making sure the chicken cooks long enough. Try not to get discouraged, it’s normal the first time to wonder if your chicken is done cooking!

To cook your chicken safely it needs to be at least 165 degrees inside with a meat thermometer. Chicken drumsticks taste juiciest when cooked to 185 degrees. Once you’ve cooked chicken drumsticks once or twice, it becomes easy as you adjust to your own oven.

Will My Picky Eater Like These Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks With Potatoes?

Every picky eater is different of course and there are no guarantees with kids. BUT lots of kid like oven-baked chicken drumsticks because it has a built-in handle which they find fun.

Carrots have a natural sweetness when roasted, and potatoes are often a winner with kids too. This is a good classic dinner to try with picky eaters. Mine also loves when I make broccoli cheese stuffed potatoes as a side dish with drumsticks.

We also like cooking this Quick Roasted Chicken Sausage And Veggies recipe at our house. It’s another great sheet pan meal, and it’s even easier to make.

How Long Do I Bake This Chicken Drumsticks With Potatoes Recipe?

Chicken drumsticks bake for a minimum of fifty minutes at 400 degrees. If the drumsticks are larger, this recipe may take up to sixty minutes to cook.

Always check how done the chicken is with a meat thermometer if you can. The temperature inside should minimally reach 165 degrees to be safe. For the best flavor, I like it when my chicken drumsticks reach 185 degrees.

If you don’t have a thermometer you can slice open the chicken legs to ensure doneness.

If you have any leftovers, you can pull the meat off the bone and turn it into my super easy Chicken Noodle Soup.

How Do I Know If These Easy Baked Chicken Drumsticks Are Done Cooking?

To know if the chicken is done, check that the internal temperature is up to at least 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. (according to the FDA). Chicken near the bone can sometimes look darker or even slightly pink when cooked.

A meat thermometer will guarantee your chicken is cooked safely. I’ve found that drumsticks are actually juiciest if they are cooked to about 185 degrees. That’s what I aim for!

I usually start checking the chicken drumsticks for doneness after 45 minutes of cooking in the oven. The time can vary between 45-60 (and took as much as an hour and 15 minutes with bigger or frozen drumsticks.) Cook time can vary depending on the hotness of your oven and how big your drumsticks are. After cooking chicken drumsticks once, the recipe is MUCH easier to know what to expect for your oven the second time because you’ll know what to expect in your oven a little more.

Be careful to poke your meat thermometer into the meat but not to touch the bone. Touching the bone with the tip as this can change the temperature reading.

If you don’t have a meat thermometer slice a little off the drumstick and check that all juices run clear. Chicken should be mostly white, though meat right next to the bone may vary from darker to slightly pink.

What Temperature Should I Cook Chicken Drumsticks At?

Cook time of your chicken can depend on the oven temperature and the size of your drumsticks. Use these times as an estimate.

Preheating the oven to a higher temperature also helps your chicken to have a crispier skin.

• Chicken drumsticks at 350°F convection or 375°F conventional will cook 50-65 minutes
• Chicken drumsticks at 375°F convection or 400°F conventional will cook 45-60 minutes
• Chicken drumsticks at 400°F convection or 425°F conventional – will cook 40-55 minutes

If your drumsticks are extra large you may find it may take up to an hour and fifteen minutes. Many chicken packs in a regular grocery store have oversized chicken these days which can make it harder to estimate.

I cook mainly with medium-sized drumsticks. Every now and then I’ve run into a chicken pack that seems extra large and takes longer.

How Do I Get A Crispy Skin On My Chicken Drumsticks?

The trick to getting a crispy chicken skin that is golden brown is:

1. Dry the chicken well. Patting with a paper towel reduces moisture and produces a crispier skin.
2. Cook your chicken at a high temperature.

Patting the chicken dry will help to get the skin crispy. You can also toss it in a sauce or other flavors like parmesan cheese we do in the garlic parmesan chicken wings. Or for another super juicy chicken dinner, try making brined chicken drumsticks.

How Do I Know The Potatoes And Carrots Are Done Cooking?

To make sure the potatoes and carrots are done, gently poke them with a fork. They will be soft inside and crispy outside.

How To Make This Recipe Into BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

Turning this recipe into BBQ chicken drumsticks is easy! In the last 5 minutes of cooking brush a little BBQ sauce on to your chicken with a basting brush.

Teriyaki sauce (Or buffalo sauce for the spicy lovers!) is also delicious brushed on at the end. You can even do just a few pieces of chicken this way! It’s a great way to mix up any leftovers another night.

I often mix up my crockpot pork loin this way by adding a sauce like BBQ or teriyaki the second night.