The secret to these juicy, flavor-packed baked chicken drumsticks is in the marinade! Loaded with Mediterranean flavors including lemon, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil. This easy chicken dinner is makes weeknights a snap.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The meat is tender and juicy; never dry.
- It’s easy and mostly hands off.
- It’s affordable. Drumsticks are one of the least expensive parts of the chicken to buy.
Chicken legs are of the most convenient, inexpensive ingredients for an easy dinner, no matter if you’re grilling or baking them like in this recipe. And you’ll love how versatile this baked chicken drumsticks recipe is.
These lemon garlic chicken legs with a pop of earthy spices including oregano, coriander, and cumin, is something you find in a Mediterranean kitchen. Pair it with an easy side like Greek fries, baked zucchini or a big three bean salad and dinner is done (probably with leftovers for lunch.)
Key Ingredients
The secret to juicy, flavor-packed chicken drumsticks is in the marinade, which is made of some Mediterranean pantry essentials like extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lots of fresh garlic and a few spices.
- Chicken Drumsticks: You’ll need 10 to 12 bone-in, skin-on drumsticks for this recipe.
- Spices: Greek oregano gives it that citrusy flavor paired with black pepper, coriander, sweet paprika, and cumin for earthiness and a little depth.
- Extra virgin olive oil: slathering your chicken drumsticks in olive oil will keep them moist while cooking. I use Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil because it has a rich taste that I just love wiht this chicken.
- Lemon Zest and Juice: Lemon makes the marinade bright and fresh tasting.
- Garlic adds a little kick and pairs well with lemon, oilive oil and oregano.
How to Make Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Prepare the drumsticks. Pat 10 to 12 drumsticks dry. Season with kosher salt both ontop of and under the skin. If you have the time, arrange the chicken on a tray or a shallow dish and chill in the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight. Air drying is optional, but it does create really crispy skin. If you have the time it’s worth it.
- Prepare the marinade. Place the drumsticks in a large ziptop bag. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Add the spices to the bag with the chicken, along with 12 garlic minced garlic cloves, the zest and juice from 2 lemons, 1 medium yellow onion cut into wedges, 1/4 cup olive oil. Zip the bag shut.
- Heat the oven. When ready, heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a baking dish and arrange the chicken drumsticks. (Yes, include the onions and the marinade.) Arrange lemon slices in between.
- Bake. Bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and its juices run clear (internal temperature of chicken should register 165°F using an instant read thermometer). If you like, broil for just a few minutes until skins are crispy to your liking.
Tips for Making the Best Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Even if you choose to remove the skin before eating the drumsticks its best to cook them with the skin on to help keep the meat tender and juicey. Crisping up the skin before serving is also looks nice.
- This recipe doesn’t require a long overnight marinade. Even if you only have 30 minutes for the chicken to sit in the marinade, it will impart the chicken with flavor and help tenderize it. If you have time to let it marinate for 3 hours that works too.
- Alot of recipes call for coverin the chicken in the oven, but I don’t find it necessary. The marinade and the chicken skin protect the meat so it doesn’t dry out, but the skin gets nice and crispy.
- When salting chicken always lift the skin and salt the meat under the skin and on top for maximum flavor.
- For extra crispy skin, arrange the chicken in a baking dish or tray and keep uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. We use this same trick in our Whole Roasted Chicken recipe.
- Allow at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours for the chicken to marinate. Make sure to shake the bag and flip it on different sides from time to time to distribute the marinade evenly. No drumstick left behind!
- For even crispier skins place the chicken under the broiler briefly, but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Make it a Meal
This chicken drumsticks recipe goes with almost everything. A fresh salad? Yep! Crispy roasted potatoes? Absolutley! Here are a few of my favorite pairings:
- Stovetop sides like: Sauteed Green Beans, Sauteed Asparagus or a Mediterranean vegetable medley.
- Fresh Salads: Greek salad works great with the lemony flavors in this chicken drumstick recipe, but you could also go with something really simple like maroulosalata.
- Get Saucy: If you’re like me a creamy sauce with chicken is practially a requirement and Greek tzatziki is the logical choice for this drumstick recipe.
The secret to these juicy, flavor-packed baked chicken drumsticks is in the marinade! Loaded with Mediterranean flavors including lemon, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks bone in, skin on
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 head garlic, about 12 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into wedges
- 3 lemons, Zest and juice of 2 lemons + 1 lemon sliced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil I used Private Reserve Greek olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Pat chicken dry and season with kosher salt on top of and under the skin. If you have the time, arrange the chicken on a tray or a shallow dish and chill in the fridge uncovered, for a few hours or overnight (optional).
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a large zip bag. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, black pepper, coriander, paprika, and cumin. Add the spices to the bag with the chicken.
- Finish the marinade. Add the garlic, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil. Zip the bag shut. Toss chicken around and massage it to make sure it is well coated in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes, or if you have the time, refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven. When ready, heat the oven to 450°F.
- Arrange the chicken. Lightly oil a baking dish and arrange the chicken drumsticks. (Yes, include the onions and the marinade.) Arrange lemon slices in between.
- Bake. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and its juices run clear. The internal temperature of chicken should register 165°F using an instant-read thermometer. If you like, broil for just a few minutes until skins are crispy to your liking.
Video
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: For the best flavor, allow the chicken legs to marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours, or 30-minutes at room temperature.
- Make Ahead: To save time, you can absolutely work ahead (one night in advance) on this chicken legs recipe. One of the things I like to do is prepare the chicken and allow it to marinate in the fridge overnight; that way, it’s ready to bake after a long workday. It helps to take it out of the fridge for a bit before baking so it’s not too cold and so it cooks more evenly.
- Leftovers: If you have leftovers, let the chicken cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. If you want to freeze the cooked chicken drumsticks, place them in a freezer bag and put them in for up to 6 months. Thaw before re-heating.
- Visit our Online Shop to browse Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils, spices and more!
Nutrition
Calories: 155.6kcalCarbohydrates: 4.1gProtein: 11.7gFat: 10.5gSaturated Fat: 2.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.7gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 67.3mgPotassium: 206.1mgFiber: 1.1gSugar: 0.9gVitamin A: 127.1IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 27.5mgIron: 0.9mg
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I hope this is still good,
Please mention in your notes that you should use a metal or an aluminum pan as mine just shattered it the oven.
Sounds great but cooking for one or two the measurements become difficult. Any suggestions. .13tsp is what??? Or if making say for the 1x amount of just the dried spices will it sore well and then use portions as needed?
Hi, Jo! When you break a recipe down that much, you may end up having to eyeball the spices a bit. This one does freeze well, so, yes, you could make the entire recipe and portion/freeze what you don’t eat.
450 ‘ F ??????? really ???? our oven, at that temperature, would burn the chicken to a crisp. I would suggest 375’F
Hi, Richard. Ovens do vary, so if you know yours runs a bit hot, then, yes, you may want to reduct the temperature a bit.
Delicious! So juicy, so much flavor. I usually doctor recipes that I find online quite a bit, but I did not and would not change a thing!
Awesome! Thanks, Heather!
I have not tried this recipe yet but plan to if the sodium is not too high. I see you give nutritional value to the recipe but did not include sodium. What is the sodium level for these marinated drumsticks per serving? Thank you.
Hi, Dottie. There is 66.5mg of sodium per serving here. Keep in mind… with sodium numbers, it really will vary for individual taste and the kind of salt and amount used, so it is tricky. Like most recipe websites, the nutritional information you see here is our best estimate using on online program that’s based on entering the recipe’s ingredient list.
Excellent! I used 8 drumsticks and 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts to see which we would prefer. They were equally delicious. A definite keeper!
I made this last night and it was delicious. It will be a regular meal.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have made it many times
Am I able to Marinate and freeze it ? Or does it need to be cooked
Thank you!
Hi, Sheliza. Either way will work here! Enjoy!
I made this with chicken thighs instead of drumsticks and it was easy and so delicious!
I love lemon with Chicken ever since I age in Greek restaurants in NYC. My question here is may I substitute chicken thighs, which I prefer, for legs?
Sure, Susan. That’ll totally work here.
That baking dish is beautiful!! Where can I find one like that? Love your site!!
Hi, Susan. Suzy purchased that baking dish a few years ago from Crate and Barrel.
Made it. Loved it. Will make it again. My second tried recipe and it’s a keeper! Even the leftovers which we had the following night, were to die for!
I made this for the first time yesterday, and it was so delicious. i thought my children wouldn’t eat it. I was honestly worried about the amount of lemon the recipe called for. This has so much flavor! I woke up expecting leftovers, and there isn’t any. I just recently found you, your site and recipes, thank you so much. I feel this is the start of making healthier meals for my family.
Oh, wonderful!!
I made this recipe last night. Delicious, well cooked but juicy and full of flavor. I served it with rice and fresh green beans steamed.
I made these along with the Italian roasted vegetables for dinner tonight! Yum. So delicious. I love your recipes. 😍
Thanks, Anne!
Chicken with Lemon and Garlic was very delicious. I used thighs instead of drumsticks and cooked them in the airfryer. Perfect quick dinner!
Thanks for sharing your adaptations, Bobbie!