Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks

You can bake these chicken drumsticks in a short time. The 3-ingredient spice blend adds a wonderful flavor and color. Baking powder is the key to getting crispy, lovely skin. You don’t believe me? You can read the reviews of my Truly Crispy baked chicken wings, which use the same trick.

Crispy Baked Legs of Chicken

On a scale of sheer munchability, chicken drumsticks are the best. I would rather chomp on a drumstick’s meaty flesh with my fingertips than delicately nibble a chicken breast using a fork and knife.

Maybe it’s just me.

If you are in my camp (or even if not), then you should try this recipe. Here’s an easy recipe for chicken drumsticks that you can use every day. The drumsticks are seasoned with a simple BBQ-like rub made from paprika and onion powder. (I bet you have all three in your pantry!) The legs are coated with flour and then seasoned.

What about a trick to make the skin crispy? Just a little baking powder. Yep, really. Continue reading!

Baked chicken legs with seasoning. Crispy skin and juicy insides. Don’t you want to reach out through the screen and grab a piece??

Seasoning for Crispy Baked Drumsticks

What you’ll need to make drumsticks. The secret to crispy skin is baking powder. The flour in the seasoning mixture is used to thicken it up so that we can coat all the chicken legs.

• Chicken drumsticks: While I used chicken legs in this recipe, you can also use chicken wings or skin-on, bony chicken thighs.
• Baking Powder (for crispy skin!) DO NOT confuse baking powder with bi-carb or baking soda! Baking powder has been used for years to crisp up the skin of chicken wings. It’s not hard to understand why this works.
• To be completely transparent, the skin on this recipe doesn’t crisp up as much as the wings. The wings are just plain, whereas the legs have been coated with seasoning. This inhibits crisping. Drumstick skin without baking powder is borderline soggy. If you are baking drumsticks in a glaze like my Sticky Honey Soy Baked Chicken or Honey Mustard Baked Chicken drumsticks, then a non-crispy skin is perfectly fine. For this recipe, the skin will be SO much better when it’s a little crispy!
• Spice mix – We are using a mixture of smoked paprika or plain, along with onion and garlic powder. This classic American-style seasoning is used in a variety of dishes, including my rub for baked chicken breasts and pork chops. If you do not have both, substitute more of one spice for the other.
• Flour is used to thicken the seasoning and coat the chicken legs evenly.

By adding flour to the seasoning, we can coat all the legs with the same amount.

Crispy baked chicken drumsticks

To get crispy drumsticks, stretch the skin as much as you can over the drumsticks (because the flesh will not crisp!) Then, coat the skin with the flour.

• Mix spices and flour in a large bowl. Use a shallow dish to make it easier to cover the chicken legs with the seasoning.
• Drumsticks should be coated in oil. The oil helps the seasoning to stick and also browns the skin as the drumsticks bake. It’s easier to coat each drumstick by rubbing it with my hands.
• Stretch the skin. The crispier the drumsticks, the more skin you can stretch. Pull and stretch the skin as much as you can to cover the flesh. The skin will shrink some as the drumstick bakes, but you can skip this step and end up with mostly naked drumsticks.
• Dip legs into the seasoning, then turn them and sprinkle on top with your fingers. Shake off any excess pastry coating, or you will end up with a very thick layer on your chicken legs.
• The rack on the tray: Place the legs in a rack placed on a tray lined with foil. Why foil-lined trays? This makes cleaning easier. Why rack? For crispy undersides! You don’t have a rack. Instead, line the drumsticks with paper and turn them halfway. You may need to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes in order to get the top crisp.
• Spray the legs with oil. Be generous! This makes them crispier and more golden. It’s almost like frying!
• Rotate the baking tray to ensure even cooking. Bake at 200degC/390degF for 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes at 220degC/430degC, or 200degC fan. Depending on how evenly your oven distributes heat, you may need to bake the skin for an additional 5 minutes.
• Serve them immediately when they are hot.

What to serve Crispy Baked Drumsticks

The drumsticks have a universal character that makes them compatible with many other dishes. As shown above, serve these drumsticks alongside a simple Garden Salad and Fried Rice. Make a large batch of Macaroni Salad or Potato Salad. These are both great sides to keep in the refrigerator for several days. There’s also my Vegetable Pasta Salad, which is a great starch and veg dish. Or a Quinoa Kale Salad. or a big Sweet Potato Salad.

Browse my Side Dishes collection for more ideas (potatoes, pasta, rice, salads and vegetables! ).

Let me know if this is something you’d like to try!