This Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is a perfect, effortless way to make baked chicken legs in the oven. With a magical 4 ingredient sauce, no marinating required, these chicken drumsticks are golden, sticky and everyone loves them!
Plus an optional side of buttery, crispy smashed potatoes for a drumsticks dinner made on one tray!
Sticky Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe
This baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is one of those gems that you’re going to want to keep in your back pocket. Here’s why you’re going to love it and make it over and over again:
Unbelievably easy – just spoon sauce over the chicken legs and bake;
Magical 5 ingredient Honey Mustard Sauce
They roast beautifully so they’re sticky and golden;
The flavour is universally pleasing. It’s not too sweet, not too salty, it’s finger lickin’ good!
Difference between chicken legs and drumsticks?
Chicken legs and drumsticks are the same thing. Everybody’s favourite part of Roast Chicken!
What you need for Honey Mustard baked chicken legs
Here’s all you need – chicken legs, plus 4 simple ingredients for the magical Honey Mustard Sauce:
Dijon mustard (or other plain mild mustard)
Honey
Garlic
Cornflour / cornstarch*
There are very few sauces in this world that taste so great with so few ingredients. And it coats the chicken legs so well, making them beautifully sticky!
* Without cornflour, the sauce is super watery because of all the chicken juices.
How to make baked chicken legs
Pop the chicken legs on a tray, spoon over sauce and bake!
In this recipe, I’ve completed the meal with a side of crispy smashed potatoes made on the same tray. In order to do this, I’ve created a “barrier” between the chicken and potatoes using foil. This makes for easier cleaning up and stops the chicken juices leaking over to the potatoes which makes them soggy instead of crispy!
To prepare the potatoes quickly, I just microwave them. Then place on the tray, squish, drizzle with butter or oil. Together, the potatoes and chicken legs 50 to 60 minutes to bake to perfection – crispy potatoes and sticky chicken legs with tender flesh.
How long does it take to cook drumsticks in the oven?
Sticky drumsticks like this take 50 minutes to cook in the oven at 180°C/350F. This makes them caramelised on the outside with tender flesh.
Some recipes will say to bake them at a higher temperature (220°C/425F) for around 30 minutes. While they will cook through in this time, I find that the flesh is a bit too chewy for my taste.
Sticky drumsticks AND crispy potatoes!
And here’s how they come out – sticky and saucy drumsticks on one side, and crispy potatoes on the other side!
One tray winner winner chicken dinner!
Sticky baked chicken drumsticks;
Honey Mustard Sauce; AND
crispy smashed potatoes.
Throw on a side of steamed veggies of choice and dinner is done.
Active effort time: just over 10 minutes.
Marinating time: Zero
Deliciousness rating: Well, let’s put it this way. There’s a reason why there’s only 7 drumsticks in the photo above when the recipe calls for 8…. Honestly, I have the self control of a child. It’s a disgrace. ?
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More terrific baked chicken drumstick recipes
Greek Chicken (make this with drumsticks instead of thighs)
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Smashed Potatoes (optional):
- 4 x 150g/5oz potatoes (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp / 30 g olive oil or melted butter
Chicken:
- 8 chicken legs (about 1 kg / 2 lb) (Note 2)
- 2 tsp olive oil
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (or use more Dijon)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch (Note 4)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
For serving (optional):
- Fresh thyme leaves or chopped parsley
- Steamed broccolini
Instructions
Smashed Potatoes option:
- Microwave potatoes for 10 minutes on high or until cooked. (Note 5)
- Place on one side of tray. Squish using potato masher (Note 6) to about 1.7cm / 2/3″ thickness. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- If making smashed potatoes, fold up the edges of the foil the drumsticks are on
Sticky Baked Drumsticks:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Mix Sauce ingredients together with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Line tray with foil, then top with parchment paper.
- Place drumsticks on paper. If making smashed potatoes, fold up the edges of the foil so the sauce won’t leak into the potatoes (doesn’t need to be high – even 1cm / 2/5″ is enough, video useful).
- Spoon Sauce over drumsticks. Drizzle chicken with olive oil.
Baking
- Bake for 30 minutes. Turn drumsticks (not potatoes), spoon juices over drumsticks.
- Bake for a further 20 minutes, turn, spoon over juices. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until sauce reduces and the drumsticks are golden and sticky.
- Remove from oven. Squidge the drumsticks around in what should now be a syrupy sauce. (Note 7) Serve drumsticks with sauce, with crispy smashed potatoes and steamed broccolini on the side. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 25 April 2018. Post and recipe tidied up and updated for housekeeping matters. No change to recipe ingredients.
Life of Dozer
This recipe was originally published on ANZAC Day in Australia, on 25 April 2018. It’s a day when we commemorate the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (“ANZACs”) who served and sacrificed for our country in the first world war.
Dozer wears an Anzac rosemary sprig on his collar for (most of) the day and we make a donation to the ANZAC Appeal. A very small gesture. #LestWeForget?
Another cracker Nagi! This one will be a regular on our dinner menu. Winner, winner! Chicken dinner 🙂
Woot! Great to hear Rowena!
Going to try this recipe this weekend & I’m looking forward to it. I love your drumstick recipes but I also love to grill. Do you have any suggestions for adapting some of these for a smoky grill flavor? If I just used a grill pan to contain the sauces would that work?
I made it!!! They LOVE it!!!!!
Thanks so much!!!!!
Another delicious chicken recipe from this site! Made for the first time today, turned out so tasty, chicken and potatoes. Thank you so much.
I’m so happy you loved it Ila!
why does Dozer have rosemary in his collar
This post was originally posted on Anzac Day – Rosemary is traditionally worn on Anzac Day, and sometimes on Remembrance Day – N x
Perfect!! The only change I made – was a doubled the recipe, since I was planning on plenty of leftovers for lunches. They were perfect the first night, and the second day, and the third day… 🙂
I also made the smashed potatoes. I used red potatoes. They took about 11 minutes in my microwave. I added a little too much salt to a couple of the them – but the others were perfect and delicious!
I love Dozer’s support of veterans and his crimpy ears!
Sounds fabulous Sarah!
Oh girl, these were yummy. Family LOVED this! Even my sister who never gets excited over food the way I do. And I loved that I could share the pan with the crispy potatoes. So much easier and less clean up. Would like to see more pan sharing recipes 👍🏻
I didn’t realize the potatoes could be boiled OR nuked but I’ve tried both ways now and microwaved seems to work better for me.
I’m so glad it was a hit Cynthia! I’m such a fan of nuking potatoes, it’s just so easy!
Great recipe, Nagi! I salt&peppered the chicken beforehand, quadrupled the garlic, and added 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes… — delicious!
Yum!
I did it tonight and everybody loved it. THANKS
I love to try.this recipes
I hope you do, I’d love to know what you think!
Well I just love all your recipes,this time I didn’t have anything other then boneless skinless chicken breasts. Well I’m giving it a try… Started potatoes 20 ahead. Baked chicken breasts 20 minutes then basted 5 minutes flipped and baked additional 20 minutes. Basted chicken and broiled 1-2 minutes.I had to leave sauce to thicken once chicken breast were done. Delicious!
Happy New Year to you and your family 🐾
I’m so glad it worked! Thanks for the feedback Colleen!
A quick, easy and such a delicious dish..will be a regular for sure..thankyou..xx
Awesome Marcia, so glad you love it!
This was so so delicious! I boiled the potatoes for 20 mins but when I used the masher to smoosh them, they kind of disintegrated. Any advice on how to avoid this in the future?
Hi Muna, it depends on the type of potatoes, some that are more starchy tend to break apart where waxy stick together!
This recipe was easy to make and absolutely delicious. The family want it as a regular dish from now on.
Great to hear everyone enjoyed this Vicky!! 🙂 N x
Made this last night and it was a hit with the family! Good thing about this recipe is you won’t have a problem storing and reheating leftovers.😊 Will definitely make this again (and again and again). Thanks for sharing! 👍
Just finished eating this. Delicious sauce. I used chicken thighs, which I baked for 50 minutes at 375°F, then broiled for 3. My husband and I enjoyed the sauce so much, we were dipping our potatoes and baby string beans into it. I chopped up and roasted russet potatoes until they were crunchy, but next time I will make the smashed potatoes. Next I want to try the “One Pan Chicken Potato Gratin’ recipe. It looks amazing. I’ve never made potato gratin or smashed potato, but you make them sound easy. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Dee!!! Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂 N x
yum yum yum
I am making this tonight. Will that work with chicken legs with back attached? Same oven temp and time?
Thanks
Just made this for supper tonight and it was delish!
My 5 year old and 15 month old both devoured it as well! Hubby said he wants his potatoes smashed from now on!
That’s great Maria! So pleased this was enjoyed – N x
Hello Nagi, quick question. Can follow this same recipe but use sweet potatoes instead? Thank you. x
Hi Lillie! Unfortunately sweet potatoes won’t go crisp but yes you can make this with sweet potato! N x