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Create a flavorful meal with these Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks! Combine a few fresh ingredients with the chicken legs and bake in the oven in 30 minutes to create one of the best chicken drumstick recipes.
No boring chicken recipe here! Chicken sometimes has a bad reputation for being too bland and too boring for weeknight dinners. But, we love chicken because it’s versatile, easy and flavorful. Combine the right ingredients and create a flavorful dinner that the entire family will love. Lemon pepper is always a favorite seasoning so combine fresh lemon with ground black pepper and few additional spices to create these chicken drumsticks. The drumsticks bake in 30 minutes and taste great with a variety of side dishes. Save leftovers and reheat throughout the week!
How long do you cook lemon pepper chicken legs in the oven?
After prepping the chicken, you can place the legs in a shallow baking dish or place on a large baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes. Flip the drumsticks and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees when checked with an instant read thermometer.
Tips and suggestions for lemon pepper chicken
- For additional crunch or texture, add 1 cup of breadcrumbs to the spice mixture and coat the chicken generously.
- Baking at 425 degrees like this recipe calls for, you’ll only need to cook for 25 minutes. If you cook at 350 degrees, cook the chicken for 40 to 45 minutes.
- To make grilled chicken legs, heat a grill for 350 degrees F. Place the chicken on the grill and cook, flipping occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when checked with an instant read thermometer.
What goes good with baked lemon pepper chicken?
Simple sides are the best to serve with baked lemon pepper chicken. A few of our favorite side dish recipes are below.
- Garlic Green Beans are sautéed on the stove in 20 minutes!
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic is a simple sheet pan recipe. You can even combine these two recipes and cook the vegetables on the sheet pan with the chicken. Add the vegetables during the last 25 minutes of baking.
- Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes with Chives is a classic side dish recipe that is perfect for the entire family.
- Grilled Peppers and Onions are a simple vegetable side dish made on the grill in less than 10 minutes.
Baked chicken drumsticks are a versatile dinner for any day of the week. The recipe requires only a few ingredients and comes together easily. Try it and let us know what you think!
Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 10 chicken drumsticks, (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablepoon unsalted butter,, melted
- 1 lemon,, juiced and zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place on the baking sheet.
- Whisk together the olive oil, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl. Rub the olive oil mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken, rubbing to coat well.
- In another small bowl stir together the pepper, salt, garlic powder, oregano, basil, black pepper and onion powder. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the chicken.
- Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kitchen tools needed for lemon pepper chicken legs
- Baked the chicken legs on a high quality baking sheet.
- Fresh lemon juice is so much better than bottled lemon juice. Juice lemons at home with a handheld lemon juicer.
- In addition to a juicer, a citrus zester is a must in any kitchen.
Amazing recipe! Will definitely be making this more than once, the family absolutely loved it. Thank you 🙂
My lemon legs were great, really loved that tangy taste of lemon.
So glad to hear you loved these, Rene!
I had drumsticks in the freezer and was looking for an easy recipe. This was it! Easy AND delicious! The whole family gave it rave reviews.
Hi, Liz! It’s amazing how easy this recipe is. Thanks so much for your feedback!
We love chicken in our home too so this is a tasty addition to our busy week!!