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Enjoy this healthier baked alternative to fried chicken, by following these simple steps for Chicken Drumsticks in the Oven!
A Healthy Twist to Love!
We are huge fans of chicken wings and drumsticks! We eat a lot of chicken recipes in general, but wings are the perfect appetizer or a finger-licking main dish.
Chicken drumsticks in oven have all of that crispy flavor with less guilt, just like our Baked Chicken Fingers!
Why we love these:
- Crispy! The batter coating the chicken is light, tasty, and just perfect enough to make you lick your fingers.
- Healthier option. The best part is that it tastes just like Kentucky Fried Chicken but they’re not fried at all – they’re BAKED!!
- Easy. These drumsticks require few ingredients and minimal prep time for an easy dinner idea the kids are going to love!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
- 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter – helps the chicken bake up golden brown and delicious as well as keeps the chicken from sticking to the dish.
- ¾ cup Bisquick mix – Bisquick contains fat, flour, leavening, and seasonings that allow it to crisp up nicely when cooked.
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper – add more flavor by adding spices like garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, or a favorite seasoning blend
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks (chicken legs) – You can use other cuts of chicken but adjust the baking times and temperature.
- spray butter – using spray butter makes it easier to coat the chicken, but you can also brush on melted butter.
Other Cuts of Chicken
Easily substitute other cuts, just adjust the bake times. Bake until the juices run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature reaches 165°F
- boneless chicken thighs: 400°F oven for about 20 minutes
- bone-in thighs: 425°F for about 40 minutes
- boneless chicken breasts: 400°F oven for about 20 minutes
- bone-in breasts: 375°F for about 35 minutes
- bone-in chicken wings: 400°F oven for about 45 minutes
How To Make Chicken Drumsticks in Oven
- PREP. Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt 2-3 tablespoons butter in a 9×13 baking dish in the oven. (For easy clean up, line the cooking pan with aluminum foil.)
- BATTER. While butter is melting, stir ¾ cup Bisquick, 1½ teaspoons paprika, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Coat each chicken drumstick and place in the baking dish with melted butter.
- Coat with butter before baking and once during baking.
- BAKE. Bake for 30 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 15-25 minutes. ENJOY!!
PRO TIP: For Crispy Skin
The chicken skin covers one side of the drumstick more the the other side. For the crispiest skin, start baking with the skin side down, then flip halfway so the skin side is up during the remainder of the baking time. You can also broil it for a minute or two before removing it from the oven.
Complete the Meal
- Side dishes: Roasted Broccoli, Easy Coleslaw, Homemade Mac and Cheese.
- Desserts: Strawberry Shortcake, Mud Pie, Lemon Sheet Cake
- More chicken dishes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Fried Chicken Breast Recipe, Baked Ranch Chicken
More collections: Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Dinner Ideas, Healthy Dinner Ideas
Chicken Drumsticks in Oven
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- While butter is melting, stir ¾ cup Bisquick, 1½ teaspoons paprika, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Coat each chicken drumstick and place in the baking dish with melted butter.
- Coat with butter before baking and once during baking.
- Bake for 30 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 15-25 minutes. ENJOY!!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to Store Chicken Drumsticks in oven recipe?
- Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Freeze?
- Place in a freezer-safe Ziploc or container and store for 4-6 months.
- To reheat, place baked chicken drumsticks on a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel, heat for 45 seconds flip and heat for 45 seconds more. To heat in the oven place the chicken in an oven-safe dish. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat the chicken with olive oil, and heat uncovered for 25 minutes.
For More Baked Chicken Recipes:
Adapted from bettycrocker.com.
I love this recipe and so do my kiddos!! My oldest daughter especially loves it. Their ages are 17, 12 and 2. Thank you, for your yummy recipes. Instead of using drumsticks, I use boneless/skinless chicken thighs. ????
Makes me so happy to hear!! I am so glad they like them 🙂 Thank you!!
i followed exact instructions & my chicken wasnt crispy at all… is it 425 or 450 to preheat oven… the temps are different in notes above..& chicken turned out good but not great.. i will attempt again… it was pretty moist
These sound great and I added them to my air fryer recipes. The coating sounds light and thin, and I will add some garlic powder. Try them in your air fryer and let me know how they turn out.
Thanks,
Sharon
I definitely will!! Thank you!
great idea. Also, at first I was going to skip the coating due to gluten trouble but then I realized i have gluten free bisquick like substances. Thanks for thE recipe.
You are so welcome!! Thank you for trying it!
as bad as it sounds, I could eat these drumsticks all day!
We all love this chicken!. The little ones and the adults. Since its all drumsticks its easy to eat and very easy to put toghether. It has a great tAste with a crunchy coating and no frying!
This chicken is amazing! my family devoured it. I loved how crispy it was & the taste was delicious! no need for kfc!
I don’t see how some of u guys are not getting the recipe It tells u to the t what to do.
I made this chicken tonight…..we had some legs left from the weekend. I was going to do my moms tried and true recipe but thought I’d try something new. Found this recipe which was exactly the same as moms except it called for bisquick vs flour. We were going to meet friends so I did timed cooking. Since we were going to be gone for a few hours, I cooked the chicken for 2 hrs at 300. All I can say is HOLY COW! BEST chicken EVER! My husband just kept raving about it! Tender, juicy, delicious!!!
I love, love, love to hear that!! I am so glad you all liked it!! Thank you for giving it a try!
Could these be air fried?
Haven’t tried, but I am sure they could 😉