This easy oven baked chicken drumsticks 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.
Sheetpan Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks With Potatoes And Carrots
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Sometimes you just want a cozy dinner in the oven that doesn’t require much prep time or hands on time. Enter the sheetpan meal, where you can shove dinner in the oven and walk away for a bit. Everything just roasts until tender!
I’ve gone through phases of making lots of sheetpan meals. It’s perfect for those days you want something cozy and even healthy, but you have other things going on too. The prep work on this recipe is really easy and simple!
This recipe is also super flexible. Have nine chicken drumsticks? Not feeling like potatoes but want the carrots? It’s super easy to adjust.
This recipe does have a longer cook time. The upside is this recipe doesn’t need much babysitting and the prep time is so fast. You can be doing something else while the chicken is roasting.
Is This Your First Time Cooking Chicken Drumsticks?
The first time you cook chicken drumsticks the hardest part is making sure your chicken cooks long enough. Don’t 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?
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.
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 Chicken Drumsticks?
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 The Chicken Drumsticks Are Done?
- 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.
- 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?
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:
- Dry it well. Patting with a paper towel reduces moisture and produces a crispier skin.
- Cook your chicken at a high temperature.
Love chicken? You have to try my: Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe!
Can I Cook Drumsticks From Frozen?
You can cook drumsticks from frozen! I usually expect to add at least fifteen to twenty minutes on my cook time for the chicken.
To cook frozen drumsticks, I start by adding just the chicken to the pan. I let it cook for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then I add the vegetables after about ten to fifteen minutes to the sheet pan and follow the recipe as listed.
Potatoes and carrots are pretty forgiving when roasted. If you’re concerned your veggies will be overcooked you can place the veggies and chicken each on their own pan.
Then when the veggies are finished cooking, you can take them out of the oven.
This especially helps if you think your drumsticks are on the larger side and will need more time.
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.
Can I Make Marinated Chicken Drumsticks In The Oven?
Yes you can make marinated chicken drumsticks with this recipe. Mix up your olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder and other spices. Now split the mixture in two and save half.
The chicken can marinate for up to twenty for hours before cooking in half of the oil and spice mixture. Wait to add the oil and spices to the veggies until right before you put them on the pan.
How To Make BBQ Chicken Drumsticks In The Oven From Leftovers
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.
Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Oven-baked chicken drumsticks are roasted until crispy, juicy and delicious with optional potatoes and veggies. This recipe is great for kids for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare two baking sheets (with a rim!) . I add either aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Spritz pans with cooking spray.
- Mix together oil, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl. Divide in half.
- Trim chicken pieces with a knife. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel to help the skin get crispier.
- Rub one half of the seasonings and oil on the chicken drumsticks with your hands or a silicone basting brush. Place chicken drumsticks on sheet pans evenly and wash hands.
- Place vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining olive oil and seasoning. Mix well until the vegetables are evenly coated with oil. Divide vegetables between the sheet pans.
- Bake chicken drumsticks and vegetables for 45 to 60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Notes
Coating the chicken drumsticks and vegetables separately ensures both have an even coating of spices and oil. I've tried mixing everything in one bowl, but it just doesn't mix evenly.
Make sure to check your chicken for doneness and color. Chicken should be cooked through to an internal temperature of 165. Potatoes and carrots can be pricked with a fork to make sure they are tender.
You can easily adjust the number of chicken drumsticks you add. This recipe can be made with between six and ten drumsticks before you would need more oil and spices.
I like to add an extra pinch of salt to both pans before adding to the oven. This ensures the salt is divided evenly on the vegetables and chicken and brings out the flavor just a little more. A pinch is no more than 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt.
Chicken can also marinade in the oil and spice mixture for up to 24 hours before, but I recommend waiting to pour oil over veggies until just before cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 341Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 243mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 25g
Nutrition amounts are an estimate for your convenience and may vary based on the individual ingredient brands used in your kitchen.
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