The most delicious baked chicken legs marinated in buttermilk so they’re juicy and tender on the inside with perfect crispy skin and seasoned with lemon and thyme
You will love how easy these baked chicken legs are to make, not only is the recipe super simple but the flavor is incredible. The chicken is tender and juicy with the most delicious crispy skin and it’s all down to a few simple tips!
Using Buttermilk to Tenderize Chicken
If you’re not in the habit of cooking with buttermilk, I’d like the chance to convert you. This old-fashioned ingredient has a lot of hidden potential; it adds a tang to homemade salad dressings and dips, makes cake layers more tender, and makes a mean marinade for chicken.
Because it’s only lightly acidic, you can use it to marinate chicken overnight, which is just what that blank-canvas meat needs to help it pick up extra flavor. The buttermilk also gently tenderizes the meat and helps it stay moist during cooking, saving you from the perils of dry, overcooked chicken.
After the chicken has taken its overnight buttermilk bath, it’s essential to pat it dry thoroughly in order for it to get crispy during baking. To give it an extra little push to crispy perfection, I brush it with a little magic mixture of melted butter, honey, and extra buttermilk during baking. I added cayenne pepper for a little kick, but feel free to leave it out.
How to Make Baked Chicken Legs
- In a resealable plastic bag, place chicken, 2 cups buttermilk, garlic, 3 teaspoons salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and thyme. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil; top with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Pat chicken dry; place on rack, and spray with cooking spray.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together melted butter, remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Remove chicken from oven. Brush tops of drumsticks with butter mixture. Turn drumsticks, brush with butter mixture. Return to oven; bake 15 minutes more.
- To serve, squeeze lemon over drumsticks. Garnish with thyme, and serve with remaining butter mixture.
Pro Tip – to help this chicken get crispy all around, I like to bake it on a wire cooling rack set inside a rimmed sheet pan. This allows the hot blast of oven heat to circulate evenly around the chicken, guaranteeing maximum crispiness.
Be sure to spray the rack before adding your chicken to make turning the drumsticks easier.
What Can I Serve with Baked Chicken Legs?
The great thing about this baked chicken is that you can enjoy them as an appetizer or party food when entertaining or the most delicious and healthy entree.
If serving as an entree I recommend serving them with a fresh and light salad in the summer, maybe some grilled asparagus or your favorite veggies. If you’re looking for something a little more comforting them smooth and creamy mash would work perfectly!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover cooked chicken will last really well covered in the fridge for around 3-4 days. You can then serve them cold, pick the chicken of the bone and add to salads.
Alternatively, you can freeze the baked chicken legs in suitable bags or containers. To reheat from frozen first allow them to defrost completely and reheat in a hot oven until piping hot all the way through (around 20-25 minutes).
Extra Tips and Variations
- Not sure if your chicken is cooked through? Use a meat thermometer once the temperature reaches 165F it’s cooked.
- You can easily adapt this baked chicken recipe with different herbs and spices both in the marinade and the butter.
- Want to skip the butter? You can lightly brush the chicken with a little olive oil instead. Make sure to add seasonings (herbs and spices) as desired.
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before baking so the skin is extra crispy.
- To prep in advance simply add the chicken to the buttermilk marinade in the morning and it’ll be ready for cooking by dinner time.
More Easy Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
Baked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk divided
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 1/2 tsp. kosher salt divided
- 2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 Tbsp. butter melted
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 lemon halved
- Thyme sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a resealable plastic bag, place chicken, 2 cups buttermilk, garlic, 3 teaspoons salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and thyme. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil; top with a wire rack. Spray with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Pat chicken dry; place on rack, and spray with cooking spray.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together melted butter, remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove chicken from oven. Brush tops of drumsticks with butter mixture. Turn drumsticks, brush with butter mixture. Return to oven; bake 15 minutes more.
- To serve, squeeze lemon over drumsticks. Garnish with thyme, and serve with remaining butter mixture.
Recipe Notes
- Not sure if your chicken is cooked through? Use a meat thermometer once the temperature reaches 165F it's cooked.
- You can easily adapt this baked chicken recipe with different herbs and spices both in the marinade and the butter.
- Want to skip the butter? You can lightly brush the chicken with a little olive oil instead. Make sure to add seasonings (herbs and spices) as desired.
- To prep in advance simply add the chicken to the buttermilk marinade in the morning and it'll be ready for cooking by dinner time.
- to help this chicken get crispy all around, I like to bake it on a wire cooling rack set inside a rimmed sheet pan. This allows the hot blast of oven heat to circulate evenly around the chicken, guaranteeing maximum crispiness. Be sure to spray the rack before adding your chicken to make turning the drumsticks easier.
Leftover cooked chicken will last really well covered in the fridge for around 3-4 days. You can then serve them cold, pick the chicken of the bone and add to salads.
Alternatively, you can freeze the baked chicken legs in suitable bags or containers. To reheat from frozen first allow them to defrost completely and reheat in a hot oven until piping hot all the way through (around 20-25 minutes).
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