I don’t think I truly appreciated how good baked chicken legs were when I was a child, but oh my goodness I am in love with them now! These Oven Baked Chicken Legs are juicy, super flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone tender! They are baked in a baking dish to really lock in those juices and a little bit of onion, bell peppers, and chicken broth are added to add even more delicious flavor. You can include this recipe in your Sunday dinner lineup or add it to your weeknight dinner rotation. Either way I’m sure your family will love it!
Out of all the ways you can cook chicken legs, I always come back to this recipe. It’s the way my mom has made them for years and they’re always so juicy with tons of flavor. And I love that chicken legs are still budget-friendly, so I can grab a large family pack for under $10 bucks and make them any day of the week.
Chicken Seasoning
After a whole lot of testing, I've finally created the perfect chicken seasoning for flavorful baked chicken drumsticks. Here's the herbs and spices that I use:
- Adobo All Purpose Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
- Smoked Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Salt and Black Pepper
This seasoning mix is very similar to the one I use for my Baked Chicken Breasts recipe, except I added Adobo seasoning for even more flavor! Mix all of these together with some olive oil and you will have the perfect seasoning mixture for your chicken legs!
How To Make Baked Chicken Legs
Let's make some southern baked chicken legs! The full measurements are listed in the recipe card below, but here's a quick step-by-step overview:
Step One: Gather all of the baked chicken leg ingredients: chicken legs, chicken seasoning, yellow onion, green bell pepper, chicken broth, olive oil, and flour*(flour not pictured).
Step Two: Clean the chicken legs and dry them well with paper towels. Mix the olive oil and chicken seasoning together. Add the seasoning mixture to the chicken legs. Mix together with your hands until all of the chicken is coated really well with the seasoning.
Step Three: Add the seasoned chicken legs to a buttered baking dish. Place sliced onion and bell pepper around the legs. Mix the chicken broth and flour together. Pour the broth into the baking dish. Do not pour directly over the chicken legs, just pour into the bottom of the dish.
Step Four: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake. Halfway through the cooking process, remove the foil, baste the chicken with the broth, and finish baking uncovered until tender and golden brown. That's it!
Extra Tip: Combine the olive oil and seasoning in a small measuring cup. Then use that same container to pour the broth. This way you don’t lose any of that flavorful seasoning mix and it’s less dishes! You can thank me later.😄
Baked Chicken Legs Video Tutorial
Watch as I show you how easy it is to make these juicy, tender, and super flavorful baked chicken legs!
How Long To Cook Chicken Legs
The time it takes to bake chicken legs will vary based on your oven temperature. I like to bake them at 375°F for roughly 75 minutes (covered with foil for half of the cooking time) until they are super tender. Technically they are done once they reach an internal temperature of 165°F, but cooking chicken legs a little bit longer, results in tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken meat. And of course you should always check the internal temperature of your chicken with a meat thermometer.
Make Them Crispy!
If you want crispy baked chicken legs here’s what you should do. Instead of using a baking dish, place the seasoned chicken legs on a parchment lined baking sheet, spaced apart, and omit the chicken broth, onions, and bell peppers. Bake for roughly 45-50 minutes. They won't be as juicy, but it will result in crispier oven baked chicken legs that are still super delicious!😉
Easy Serving Suggestions
We love having these chicken legs for dinner during the week with creamy mashed potatoes, a side of baked beans, and corn. They also taste great with sautéed zucchini squash or sautéed green beans. Honestly you can easily serve these delicious chicken legs with any of your favorite vegetables. And you’ll also love drizzling some of the pan drippings over some fluffy rice. So good!
Juicy Baked Chicken Legs
Video
Ingredients
Chicken Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Adobo all purpose seasoning*
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken Legs
- 8 chicken legs**
- ½ Tablespoon butter
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small measuring cup or bowl combine all of the chicken seasoning ingredients (olive oil, Adobo seasoning, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and black pepper). Mix well and set the seasoning mixture to the side.
- Now clean the chicken and remove any excess fat or small feathers that may still be on the chicken legs. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Add the chicken legs to a large bowl. Add the seasoning mixture on top of the chicken. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken with your hands until the chicken legs are coated really well.
- Next, coat the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter. Add the seasoned chicken legs to the baking dish. Then add the sliced onion and bell pepper around the chicken in the dish.
- Now mix the flour and chicken broth together until the flour is completely dissolved. Pour the chicken broth inside the bottom of the baking dish. Do not pour the broth over the chicken legs, just pour it in the bottom around the chicken.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, carefully remove the foil, baste the chicken legs with the broth, then place the baking dish back in the oven uncovered for another 30 minutes.
- Once the chicken is done, feel free to baste it again with the flavorful broth. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite side dish and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute Adobo seasoning with your favorite all purpose seasoning or with Creole or Cajun seasoning.
- Adobo seasoning already has a lot of salt in it, which is why I only added a little extra salt. If you choose to use a different all purpose seasoning, double check the sodium amount and adjust the salt measurement accordingly.
- Feel free to cook more or less chicken legs. Just adjust the seasoning based on how many legs you cook.
Nutrition
CHeryl says
THIS IS A FANTASTIC RECIPE! It is easy to prepare and baked perfectly. The chicken was tasty and juicy. I added potato cubes with the other veggies for a complete one pan meal. It was perfect! Highly recommend and will make again!
Marsha McDougal says
I'm so glad you loved it. Thanks so much Cheryl!😊
Kristin says
Hi Marsha,
I made this for lunch today. My daughter asked for the recipe and my husband said it’s his new favorite chicken! It’s simple to make. I folllowed the recipe with the exception of the Adobo (I used Cajun seasoning) and subbed an orange bell for green. Delicious, will put this in the rotation!
Katie says
Hi Marsha,
Do you have a best way to reheat these? They were SO delicious, but underestimated how spicy they’d be for a toddler (I added some Cajun seasoning since I was low on smoked paprika, that could’ve done it!), so we have unplanned leftovers that I’d like to freeze. Would you let them thaw in the fridge, then pop them back in the oven?
Thanks so much!
Marsha McDougal says
Hi Katie! It probably was the Cajun seasoning that gave them a nice amount of heat. And yes, I would let them thaw out in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 350°F until heated through. I'm glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Ernestine King says
Thanks for the wonderful and fantastic receipe
Marsha McDougal says
You are very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it!😊
Chunte says
This is probably the best chicken leg recipe I have ever had. It loved up to it's name of being juicy and flavorful. It'll be in rotation at my house.
Jesse Oliver says
I have to make this.
Lacey says
It turned out so tender and juicy! My family loved it. I had some thighs and drums. I made my own seasoning mix since I didn't have a premix of the adobo. Added flour to beef broth instead of chicken, since it's what I had.. And at the end of cook time I broiled it for a couple minutes to crisp up the top a bit. The onions and peppers didn't get too soggy on top, and it was full of flavor and we ate it with some rice and side of cauliflower.
Marsha McDougal says
Hi Lacey! I'm so glad your family enjoyed the recipe! And yes I love that you simply made your own seasoning mix. Cajun or Creole seasoning also works well with this recipe if you don't have Adobo. Thanks for sharing your feedback!😊