Baked Rooster Legs

These baked rooster legs are simply begging to be eaten! This scrumptious recipe makes essentially the most flavorful rooster drumsticks with an additional crispy pores and skin that’ll make your mouth water.

Juicy Rooster Drumsticks Recipe

You’ll be able to’t go fallacious with straightforward baked rooster legs! They’re easy to make, cook dinner shortly, and are loaded with juicy taste. 

On this recipe, we used our home made seasoning mix that’s simply heavenly. Nonetheless, there are such a lot of methods to taste this household favourite — so be happy to get artistic with it!

Pair your baked rooster legs with our crispy air fryer potatoes, sautéed inexperienced beans, and Caprese quinoa salad to make it a scrumptious AND nutritious meal.

Why Bake Rooster Legs?

If you happen to’ve had our crispy baked rooster thighs, baked spatchcock rooster, and baked all the pieces bagel rooster wings, then precisely why it’s best to make these baked rooster legs!

Right here’s the deal: rooster legs have darkish meat, which suggests they’ll come out extra flavorful and tender as they’ve a better fats content material in comparison with the chicken of a rooster breast. 

However don’t let this fattier meat scare you away! They’re wealthy in vitamins like niacin, selenium, and nutritional vitamins and minerals reminiscent of vitamin B6, iron, zinc, pantothenic acid, and phosphorus.

What sort of rooster legs ought to I purchase?

We all the time advocate going natural/all-natural and free-range when attainable. Sure, they price just a little bit extra, however I promise you the flavour and texture will make up for it! Plus, typically, rooster legs are one of many extra cheap elements of the rooster (compared to the breast), so going natural isn’t really that dangerous cost-wise.

A few of our favourite humane rooster manufacturers embody:

• Simply BARE Rooster
• Gold’n Plump Rooster
• 365 (Entire Meals model)

This grilled rooster leg recipe requires 1 lb. of rooster legs, and you’ll seemingly get round 6 medium/massive rooster legs per pound. As all the time, you possibly can simply double and even triple this recipe by multiplying it by 2 or 3.

Easy Components Wanted

• Do-it-yourself rooster seasoning: on this baked rooster legs recipe, we’re utilizing our all-purpose rooster seasoning. You may also marinate your rooster legs as a substitute.
• Rooster legs: rooster legs are the star of the present. You’ll want round 1.25 lbs. for this recipe.
• Olive oil: olive oil is used to assist the dry rub persist with the rooster legs.

The BEST All-Function Rooster Seasoning 

Each rooster leg deserves a yummy in my tummy seasoning to make it additional crunchy and crispy on the surface and oh-so flavorful. This rooster seasoning is made with fairly widespread dried herbs and spices that you just seemingly have available already. Right here is all the pieces you want:

• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Dried thyme
• Floor mustard
• Dried basil
• Floor pepper
• Crimson pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• Paprika
• Brown sugar

Different Strategies of Cooking

Need scrumptious rooster legs, however don’t wish to use the oven? Attempt both of those rooster legs recipes:

The way to Make Oven-Baked Rooster Drumsticks

PREHEAT OVEN

Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set a wire rack on prime of a baking sheet. Spray the wire rack with non-stick cooking spray.

Professional Tip: Generally, a number of the rooster seasonings fall onto the baking sheet and burn. To keep away from burning, pour ¼ cup of water onto the baking sheet. 

SEASON CHICKEN

Subsequent, pour the all-purpose rooster seasoning onto a plate and roll every rooster leg within the seasoning combination till it’s fully coated in spices. 

DRIZZLE + BAKE

Switch the rooster legs to the wire rack and drizzle the rooster legs with olive oil. Bake the rooster legs for 40 minutes, flipping midway by means of the cooking time. 

SERVE + ENJOY

Take away the rooster from the oven when the inner temperature is 165ºF and let the rooster relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than serving. Get pleasure from your tasty baked rooster legs!

Taste Variations

SEASONINGS

Whereas we expect our all-purpose rooster seasoning is epic, you should utilize numerous home made seasonings, too. Use round 2-3 tablespoons per pound. Listed below are another concepts:

MARINADES

Wish to use a rooster marinade as a substitute? Take a look at a few of our favourite straightforward rooster marinades beneath.

Prime Ideas for Oven Baked Rooster Legs 

• Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray for much less mess and straightforward clean-up.
• We wish to bake our rooster legs at 425°F to get the crispiest skins. Be sure to flip your rooster midway so that each facet is good and crispy!
• One of the simplest ways to inform in case your rooster is completed cooking is by utilizing an prompt meat thermometer. Cooked rooster ought to learn at 165°F. However with legs, you possibly can cook dinner them a bit longer when you’d moderately not have crimson spots by the bone. Both method, your rooster legs will nonetheless be juicy and tender!

Storage

Let the rooster legs cool fully. Then, retailer crispy rooster legs in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-5 days.

Freezer Directions

After Cooked: Let crispy rooster legs cool fully. Then, switch them to a freezer-safe gallon-size bag and take away as a lot air as attainable. Seal and freeze for as much as 3 months.

Earlier than Cooked: Place all uncooked elements right into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag. Take away as a lot air as attainable and seal. Freeze for as much as 3 months.

If you end up prepared for cooking, enable the frozen rooster thighs to thaw absolutely earlier than baking.