Description
This Crispy Baked Chicken Legs recipe delivers juicy, flavorful chicken with a perfectly crispy skin achieved by using baking powder and poultry seasoning. The chicken is air-dried in the refrigerator before baking, which enhances crispiness without frying. It’s a simple, healthy, and delicious way to enjoy classic chicken drumsticks baked in the oven.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks, cleaned, with excess fat removed
Seasoning & Coating
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning (or seasoning of choice)
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more if desired
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more if desired
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Dry the chicken: Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet and layer with paper towels. Arrange the chicken drumsticks on top of the rack and tent with additional paper towels. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight to dry the skin for better crispiness. If short on time, pat the chicken legs dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Preheat and prepare rack: Preheat the oven to 400 ℉ (204 ℃). Remove the paper towels from the cooling rack and spray it with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Season the chicken: In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, poultry seasoning, salt, black pepper, and baking powder. Add the chicken legs and gently mix, preferably with your hands, to evenly coat each piece with the seasoning and baking powder mixture.
- Bake the chicken: Arrange the seasoned chicken legs on the prepared wire rack spaced out evenly to allow air circulation. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 ℉ (74 ℃) when measured with a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the drumstick.
- Rest and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute and keep the meat moist.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- For extra crispy skin, do not skip the drying step in the refrigerator.
- Adjust seasoning amounts based on taste preference.
- Use poultry seasoning or any favorite herb and spice blend as an alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drumstick (approximately 100g)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
