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Baked Chicken Drumsticks marinated in a zesty herb-garlic blend with lemon, vinegar, and a kick of chili—crispy, juicy, and bursting with flavor! 🍗🌿
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Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Baked Chicken Drumsticks marinated in a zesty herb-garlic blend with lemon, vinegar, and a kick of chili—crispy, juicy, and bursting with flavor! 🍗🌿
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Chicken Drumsticks, Drumsticks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 1 cup slightly packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 4 green onions root ends trimmed, cut into thirds
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tabelspoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tabelspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or season as desired
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 large 3.5 lb to 4 lb chicken drumsticks (bone-in skin-on)

Instructions

  • Add the parsley, green onions, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes to your food processor. Give it about 10 quick pulses—just enough to get everything roughly chopped.
  • Next, pour in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Blend it all together for about 5 to 10 seconds, just until the herbs are finely minced and everything looks nicely combined. Don’t forget to stop and scrape down the sides if needed!
  • Scoop out 1/4 cup of that herby goodness into a small bowl, add a few pinches of salt, give it a quick stir, then cover and pop it in the refrigerator to chill.
  • Now take the remaining herb mixture (you should have about 3/4 cup left) and season it with 1½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper—give it a quick mix so it’s ready to work its magic.
  • Place your chicken legs in a large resealable bag. Pour in the 3/4 cup of seasoned herb mixture, seal the bag while pressing out any extra air, then gently massage the marinade all over the chicken until it’s coated nice and evenly.
  • Stick the bag in the fridge and let the chicken soak up all that flavor for at least 1 hour—or leave it up to 24 hours if you’ve got the time for max flavor!
  • Move your oven rack up just one level from the center position. Then preheat the oven to 400°F so it's ready to roast.
  • Grab a rimmed 18x13-inch baking sheet (a dark-coated one works best!) and give it a good spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place the marinated chicken legs on the sheet and roast them in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then take them out, flip each leg over, and pop them back in.
  • Continue roasting for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until they’re cooked through and the thickest part reaches 165°F. Golden, juicy perfection coming right up!

Notes

Here’s a handy tip while baking: If the chicken legs aren’t browning as much as you’d like, switch on the broiler for the last few minutes to give them that perfect golden finish. On the flip side, if they’re getting a little too dark, just loosely cover them with foil near the end to prevent over-browning.
For that crispy, flavorful skin, you can serve the chicken as is, or take it up a notch by brushing on that reserved 1/4 cup chimichurri herb mixture (the one that never touched the raw chicken!). And if you don’t end up using it on the chicken, don’t let it go to waste—toss it with a tasty veggie side like roasted red potatoes or sweet corn. Yum!