Crispy, crunchy and perfectly tender, this oven fried chicken legs recipe is an easy, mess-free way to make delicious fried chicken every time.
Oven-Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Fried chicken is totally irresistible—it’s crispy, savory, tender and crunchy. However, fried chicken can also be messy and tiresome to make. That’s not the case with this oven-fried chicken leg recipe. Tender chicken legs get coated in a tangy, zesty marinade overnight, then coated in flour and baked at 425°F. The high heat helps achieve a crispy, crunchy crust while developing moist, tender and flavorful meat inside. Baking it in the oven helps this oven-fried chicken legs recipe achieve perfect results with minimal effort and even less mess.
Ingredients for Oven Fried Chicken LegsÂ
- Greek yogurt:Â This tangy, creamy yogurt coats each piece of chicken to help add moisture and allow the flour, baking powder and paprika to adhere.
- Dijon mustard:Â Mustard adds even more tangy, zesty flavor to these chicken legs. The vibrant condiment helps balance out the rich fattiness of the chicken with bright, spicy notes.
- Garlic cloves: In this oven-fried chicken legs recipe, we grate the garlic cloves into the yogurt and let the chicken marinate in the mixture overnight. It helps add deep, fresh earthy flavor to every bite.
- Chicken drumsticks: Chicken drumsticks can be rich and fatty, so they’re one of the most flavorful parts of the bird. Be mindful to cook them until the center reaches 165°; dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat.
- Whole wheat flour:Â Flour helps create a super crunchy exterior on these chicken thighs. Though we’re using whole wheat flour here, you can absolutely use all-purpose flour instead.
- Paprika:Â Bright, zesty, sweet and spicy, paprika adds bold flavor and pretty pink color to the marinade in this recipe.
- Baking powder:Â Baking powder helps draw out moisture from chicken, which means it’s a great way to create crispy, crunchy texture.
Directions 
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl or dish, combine the yogurt, mustard and garlic. Add the chicken and turn to coat it. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
Step 2: Toss in coating and bake
Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In another bowl, mix the flour, paprika, baking powder, salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the marinade and add one piece at a time to the flour mixture, then toss to coat it. Place the chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet and spritz with cooking spray. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170° to 175°.
Oven Fried Chicken Variations
Use thighs instead: If you don’t have drumsticks on hand and want to use bone-in thighs instead, you absolutely can. Simply follow this recipe as outlined above, but allow more time for them to cook. Thighs are bigger and contain more meat than the drumsticks do so they’ll require more time in the oven. Be sure to cook these until a thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 170°.
Opt for a different marinade:Â While we’re using Greek yogurt in this recipe, you could absolutely use buttermilk instead.
How Do You Store Oven Fried Chicken Legs?
Any type of fried chicken is usually best enjoyed right away. Storing fried chicken overnight causes it to lose its freshness and get soggy. However, if you’d like to store it overnight in the refrigerator, you can do so in an airtight container. When ready to heat, warm the chicken thoroughly in an air fryer or the oven to help regain some crunch.
Can you make oven fried chicken legs ahead of time?
Oven fried chicken legs are best enjoyed fresh and hot, so it’s not an ideal dish to make ahead of time. However, you can absolutely prepare this recipe in advance by marinating the chicken overnight.
Oven Fried Chicken Leg Tips
Should I flip these chicken legs midway through the cooking process?
You can certainly flip these chicken drumsticks midway through the cooking process to achieve more even browning. However, since the chicken pieces will be cooking on a wire rack it’s not entirely necessary; a wire rack helps lift the chicken off the sheet tray to prevent it from sitting in the oil.
How can I prevent this chicken from drying out?
An internal thermometer is a great way to ensure that your chicken is cooked to the perfect doneness. Be sure to cook it for the amount of time outlined in the recipe; then test it using an internal thermometer to ensure it reaches the correct temperature.
What are some other good spices I can add to the marinade?
This marinade is really versatile, so you can absolutely add different spices if you would like. Dried thyme, rosemary or basil are all great options. If you like spice, dried chili flakes or dried cayenne are both great ways to add extra heat to this chicken.
Watch How to Make Oven-Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Oven-Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 chicken drumsticks (4 ounces each), skin removed
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
Directions
- In a large bowl or dish, combine yogurt, mustard and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 425°. In another bowl, mix flour, paprika, baking powder, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade and add, 1 piece at a time, to flour mixture; toss to coat. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet; spritz with cooking spray. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into chicken reads 170°-175°.
Nutrition Facts
2 chicken drumsticks: 227 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 81mg cholesterol, 498mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 31g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1/2 starch.
This fabulous recipe uses Greek yogurt to create an amazing marinade that makes the chicken incredibly moist. No one will guess that it's been lightened up and not even fried! — Kim Wallace, Dennison, Ohio
Recipe Creator
Community Cook
