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?
What a great cook you are!
I used thighs and this was even better the second night reheated in a toaster oven, the potato was crispier and the thighs delicious. I am going to have to try your other crispy potatoes. Very yum and very easy, maybe will add more garlic next time because I am a garlic fiend 😂. You can never have too much garlic IMHO.
Nagi. I answered my own question. I made this with chicken tenders. It was absolutely delicious. I cooked them for about 35 mins. I love how the mustard/honey sauce ends up mixing up with the juice of the chicken. Beautiful flavors. Now I wonder how this would be with fish?
One question: If I was to add cooked leftover chicken into this dish, when you suggest I add it during the cooking process?
Oops! Please ignore that question. I meant to post it for a different recipe.
This was delicious! Thank you, Nagi, for helping me consistently put great meals on our dinner table. Just do me a favor and don’t tell my family where I get my recipes from though. It’s great to have them think I’m turning into a genius master chef. 🙂
Nagi just curious if I could do this with chicken tenders. Any advice?
Just made this dish for our Sunday supper. Delicious and breeze to make. Another keeper. Thanks!
I love that this was your Sunday supper! 😍 N xx
Hi Nagi, i cooked just the drumsticks, so tasty, so easy ! We both loved them. Another quick and easy meal, love your recipes. Thanks so much and of course Dozer is just dreamy 😊
I’m looking down at a furry golden face smeared with mud as I write this (raining here this morning and he’s already rolled in mud) and thinking – Dreamy? More like dirty rotten scoundrel! 😂
Smashed potatoes using the microwave and oven…..GENIUS!!!!!!!!!
You know how much I love those potatoes…so pretty cool we can make them with the microwave!
Although the microwave and I are not friends when it comes to potatoes!
My brother and his family visited recently and I usually microwave my jackets for 15 minutes and then just give them 15 minutes in a hot oven to crisp.
HAHAHA don’t know what went wrong but they were still like bullets.
He know calls me the food blogger who can’t cook a potato!!! DOH!
(Ps sat in the Air New Zealand lounge waiting for my flight to the US….see you in SLC in 10 days 😀 )
WHAAATT!!!!?? You’re going to EFC??!!!!!! OMG! Email me – what’s your number!!!
Yup, having a week in Napa/San Fran first then heading over to SLC for EFC next Monday.
Emailed you 😀
Simply delicious! Thanks Nagi for another tasty recipe, complete with your usual detail 😊
Regards, Helen from Arrowtown
Arrowtown! Now there’s a familiar name 🙂 I was at Lake Hayes earlier this year, my friends all took a trip out to Arrowtown which I unfortunately could not make but I wish I did! They said it was beautiful 🙂 N xx
Just tried this Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks and smashed Potatoes tonight for a birthday dinner – it was delicious and so easy to make. Thank you Nagi.
Will certainly be cooking this again.
So great to hear Mike!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Every recipe of yours has been perfect and delicious. I have shared with so many as we happily eat our way through your site.
This post however, is your funniest yet! Love your charm and humour almost as much as your cooking.
Ha ha!!! Glad you are enjoying my site Andrea!! N xx
Taste was amazing for this! But I had some issues with the sauce. It thickened up a little too fast and ended up caramelizing to the foil. Maybe it’s because I spread the drumsticks out too much? I baked the drumsticks and the potatoes separately since I had 10 and I was worried about crowding the pan. Or maybe it’s because I used maple syrup instead of honey, and tapioca starch instead of cornstarch? I don’t know, but the flavor was still superb.
Hi Kemi! Unfortunately yes, spreading out the drumsticks is the cause for the sauce drying out, they need to be snug in the foil (I specifically wrote this in the steps for that reason 🙂 ). Do you mean you scaled up this recipe for 10 people?? I will add a note in the recipe re: scaling up. Hope it helps! N xx
Oh my bad! I totally missed that part in the steps somehow! No, scaled up using 10 drumsticks instead of 8. But now that I know that have the drumsticks actually need to be close together, I’ll probably just squeeze everything in one pan like the recipe says. 🙂
Nagi – I’m so hpppy I came across your blog. Your stories and writing are charming and recipes are consistently spot on. Thank you for letting us into your kitchen!
Thank you for the lovely compliment Sarah! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes 🙂 N xx
What a wonderful easy & delious meal my entire family loved it thanku
Great to hear Kaye!! Your family are lucky to have such an amazing cook spoiling them! 🙂 N xx
Great yummy recipe as always. .
Dozer..I am proud of you..I will put a poppy on Luca’s collar this year for remembrance day.
Gillian xo
And I will on Dozer’s collar too 🙂 N xx
Forgot to say that Dozer looks the absolute part for “ANZAC DAY” with his little sprig of rosemary. Bless his heart, he’s so gorgeous. Gotta love that boy.
The only time my friends didn’t tease me when I took him out for a walk with something attached to him! 😂
Hi Nagi, You know how to tease a person, but I’m hanging on to this one for that day when we CAN eat an “non Keto” meal once in a blue moon. It sounds and LOOKS just sooooo YUMMY! there’s no way I can sub anything in this, so it’s just going to have to wait for us.
Mustard! I didn’t even think of that – high carb??
Thank Nagi for another delicious recipe. Made this tonight with chicken thighs I had I need my freezer. I had all the other ingredients so was a very cheap meal. So delicious 😋
Great to hear you enjoyed this Valerie! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x
Bought the ingredients today and am going to try this recipe for dinner tonight. It sounds soooo simple and most importantly DELICIOUS!! Wish me luck, I am not great in the kitchen 🙂
Oooh I hope you loved it! And no putting yourself down, you will be fine. This is real easy and forgiving too! N xx