Honey Garlic Chicken Legs are a fast and easy dish that’s loaded with flavor. Chicken legs are coated in a sweet and savory glaze and baked until tender and juicy. Perfect for a simple dinner!
Easiest Chicken Legs Recipe
I’ve got to tell you…these baked Honey Garlic Chicken Legs are my new favorite around here. And the hubster’s, too, which is saying a lot!
Can you tell that I’ve been cranking out the easy chicken recipes lately? This creamy parmesan mushroom chicken and this honey balsamic chicken thighs are just a few of my latest dinner recipes.
I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll say it again, chicken is often boring to me (too plain, too dry) so I love to experiment with flavors and different cuts of chicken. While I like chicken breasts for convenience, bone in, skin on chicken thighs and legs are my favorite. Now that is where the flavor is at!
And these easy baked drumsticks are not only loaded with flavor, but they’ve got that tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone quality. No plain jane chicken here, friends. And just incase you’re looking for another favorite recipe, these bbq chicken legs are very popular!
Honey baked drumsticks are coated with the most delicious glaze made up of honey, garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar. It’s sweet, savory, and just about the best chicken marinade.
Ingredients for Honey Garlic Chicken Legs
I promise this will be one of the BEST chicken legs recipes you ever make! Here’s what you’ll need to prepare it:
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- Salt and pepper
- Honey
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
How to Cook Chicken Legs
With just a few ingredients, you can have these baked garlic chicken legs ready in no time!
- To start, preheat the oven and season about 10-12 drumsticks with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken glaze: honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and some Italian seasoning.
- Brush half of the mixture over the chicken legs and then bake for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, brush the rest of the mixture over chicken, and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For extra flavor and crispiness, broil the chicken for 3-4 minutes under high heat. This is completely optional, but a good way to get even more delicious results!
What temperature to bake chicken legs?
For this savory chicken leg recipe, you’ll need to bake the chicken at 400ºF.
How long does it take to cook chicken legs at 400°F?
All ovens will vary, but it generally takes chicken legs anywhere from 20-30 minutes when cooked on the center rack. The chicken should be cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
How do you know if chicken is done cooking?
The best (and easiest) way to tell when chicken is cooked is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, without touching the bone. The temperature should reach 165°F.
Are chicken drumsticks healthy?
The way you prepare chicken drumsticks depends on how healthy it can be. Breaded or fried chicken is less healthy than this baked chicken, as it contains more fat and cholesterol. Chicken is a good source of protein and amino acids.
What to Serve with this Chicken Drumsticks Recipe?
The great thing about chicken is that it pairs perfectly with so many different sides. Some of my favorite sides to serve along baked chicken drumsticks are:
- Instant Pot Garlic Herb Potatoes
- Baked Cheesy Cauliflower
- Lemon Parmesan Asparagus
- Roasted Garlic Cauliflower
- Garlic Herb Rice
Looking for more easy chicken dinners? I’ve got you covered!
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken
- Instant Pot Pesto Chicken with Pasta
- Baked Salsa Chicken
- One Pan Chicken and Spinach Gnocchi
- Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
Honey Garlic Chicken Legs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10-12 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Glaze
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray. Place chicken legs on pan and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning until combined. Brush half of mixture over chicken.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove chicken from oven and brush remaining glaze over chicken. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- If desired, broil chicken legs under high heat for 2-4 minutes to get the skins extra crisp. Serve immediately.
Notes
- See my tips and tricks for making these chicken legs above recipe box
Heather says
I made this recipe on a whim one night because I had chicken legs to make for dinner and was tired of just throwing bbq sauce on them. They came out amazing!!! The only thing I changed was I literally doubled the glaze. I used all of it the first time I glazed the chicken and just made a second batch for when I put the legs back in oven for the last 15 minutes. The chicken legs came out really tasty and had a sweet juicy taste to them! I was worried when i made the glaze because honestly it didnt smell too good! The recipe was absolutely great though and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a different way to cook their chicken legs!
Gayle says
I’m so happy to hear that, Heather! Doubling the glaze is a great idea, too! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out!
Cherokee truitt says
This recipe is amazing! I want it to try something new and it won my tummy. Thank u for sharing
Gayle says
I’m so happy to hear that, Cherokee! Thanks for stopping by!
Reighns says
Be careful not to get any on the pan. The sauce is basically syrup and burns really easily. I ended up having to pull mine out at about 10 minutes because it was burning. We’ll see how it goes now that there isn’t sauce on the pan
Gayle says
Good tip! I always line my pan with parchment paper so that doesn’t happen. Aluminum foil works well, too!