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)
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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?
This was amazing and the whole family loved it!
That’s great Nicki! N x
Hello, thanks for the recipe. I enjoyed the chicken, I had to cook it longer than 20 minutes (after turning the drumsticks), it was too pale for me, but after cooking it longer, the drumsticks looked just like the picture on Pinterest. Not sure where I went wrong with the potatoes, though. I used the smaller Yukon potatoes, and I boiled the potatoes, and used a potato masher, then I tried with a fork, but it created a mess. Otherwise, it was a good meal, I would make the chicken again and a different way to make potatoes, or a different side.
Easy to make. Potatoes are AMAZING! Chicken was so yummy.
I’m so happy you loved it Liz! N x
Why do your recipes, when I try to print to PDF, print “Another great recipe by recipetineats.com on the bottom of the first page, rather than the bottom of the last page as shown on the print preview when one selects the print button on your recipes???
Hi David, sorry I’m unsure why this is happening to you – I’m not having any issues here! N x
Honey mustard chicken, great recipe, so tasty & easy to make. Just a few ingredients. Thankyou
You’re so welcome Ann! N x
No recipe for mustard honey sauce??
Can you provide please as I’m not good at judging from the video.
Thank you
Hi Denice – it’s all there in the recipe 🙂 N x
Yum just made this. I used 4 clovers of chopped up garlic and put more honey mignon through out the cook 3 x stirring in the cooked honey on top of chicken. My picture makes them look so good. Nice thick and sticky. I’ll try and Instagram the photo
Made it last night and loved it! A little higher temp or putting it on the top rack of the oven would speed up the browning of the chicken or finish with the broiler for the last 3 minutes. Delicious! Great idea for the potatoes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Paul!!
Can I use chicken breast instead of the drumstick?
Hi Emily, you can – however they won’t take as long to cook. I would cut them or bash them out thin and add them to the pan with abut 20 minutes time left to cook – N x
Can I make day before and reheat in oven or microwave
Thanks
Hi Mary, you can make the day before – I’d reheat covered in the microwave so they don’t dry out – N x
I made this but all i had was normal frenches mustard and i made a double batch and added two ounces of kraft hickory bbq sauce.It was really good with a little bit of a smokey flavour.
Sounds great Thomas!
Easy and super delicious! Thanks, Nagi!
You’re so welcome Jas!
Everything I have cooked from your recipes has been delicious including this one. This is now the first place I look for dinner inspiration because I can’t go wrong!
I’m so glad you loved it Carla!
Hi! Can this be made with maple syrup in place of honey and arrowroot powder in place of corn flour/starch? Food allergies.
Made this tonight and it was finger licking good! Hubby and kids enjoyed it and it was so easy to make. Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Hazel, I haven’t tried but would love to know if it works! – N x
Maybe my Mister’s reaction to this dish tonight will tell you how it went:
At 7p: “I need to take my pants off for this meal.”
At 7:20: “There aren’t going to be any leftovers!”
This will be in heavy rotation for sure! 😍
😂 Love it!!!
I lived this recipe. I love food but I am don’t like to cook because it’s time consuming. THIS RECIPE WAS REVELING. I surprised my boyfriend with this. Easy and delicious.
Next time I’ll double the sauce and set the oven temperature a lit bit higher.
Wahoo, thanks so much for the feedback Isa!
Amazing, hubby loved it. So cheap and easy to make. Will definitely have again
Perfect, thanks Chris!
Thank you once again Nagi! I have cooked so many of your recipes and they are always so delicious so I knew this one would be too.
I also marinated the chicken for a few hours in the sauce while it was defrosting.
This recipe is super delicious and super easy which is always a winner in my books. My 15 month old whose favourite food is roasted potatoes (which I served on the side) was too busy devouring the chicken that she left most of her potatoes.
I can’t wait to make it for my next dinner party.
This is yummy and easy! I had time so I did marinade and it was yummy. Smashed potato was he best and the brocollini in the honey mustard juices was delicious!
Perfect Katie!
These were truly fantastic I made these delicious drumsticks for my family dinner yesterday and everyone was a huge fan and they are so easy to make very convenient!
Winner winner chicken dinner!!