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?
Hello Nagi
My name is Venetta and I just want to say how much I love your recipes informative and tasty
Love it ❤️
I have made this recipe multiple times because my family loves it so much.
Thanks Nagi. Great recipe, as usual! Is it meant to be 180C conventional oven? I did it at 180C fan forced and it turned out well.
I love the one tray dinner idea and the smashed potatoes were so easy and yummy! The honey mustard sauce was delicious. Will definitely be making this again!
Love the recipe as easy to make & tasty.
So glad I found this recipe and this website. Thank you. Easy to cook, only one pan, super tasty and my husband loved it. And love that it is Australian, no more US conversions. Love your web site. And your dog. ❤️
Another great recipe, Nagi, to go with all the rest. We now have a recipe folder dedicated to you. Would like to, but don’t know how, to send you the front cover – almost as good as the recipes!!
Love all your recipes. Become my go to when I need fresh ideas. You’ve never let me down. Thanks Nagi 🙂
My family loved this dish. I was requested to make it again within the same week!
WOW!
Delish, and so easy.
Now I know why there was a drumstick missing from the pan.
Thanks. 🙂
It’s a winner! Thanks Nagi
Omg! I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious 😋 I was a bit nervous about the mustard serving it the kids but you wouldn’t even know it’s in there! I ate 7 drums 🙄 I couldn’t get enough! Bonus today I’m having left overs for dinner! Thank you for this great recipe
Absolutely delicious! The whole family loved this recipe. I will definitely be adding in to the rotation! Maybe this is written somewhere and I’ve just missed it but for the nutritional information is a serving considered one piece of chicken and one potato? Thanks 🙂
Hi Zoe, the whole recipe is for 4 servings, so the nutrition is per serving (150g potatoes) N x
Delicious!! Easy and enjoyable mid week meal! 🙂
Thank you
You’re so welcome Breanne! N x
Thanks Nagi, great chicken drumsticks and so easy. I probably oversmashed the potatoes but looking forward to the next attempt 😊
delicious and so easy
Oh my giddy Dozer, Nagi! This is a winner! When everyone’s scraping the pan to get any leftover sauce and have inhaled the chicken and potatoes, it’s pretty telling. Thank you for an easy, easy, delicious weeknight meal. Next time, I’m making double!
Woah what a compliment – I’m so glad it was a hit Josie! N x
Made this for first time tonight, did it with the smashed potatoes too. Huge hit in with the family, yumo!
The perfect combo Samantha, I’m so glad it was a hit! N x
Thank you Nagi, my son suggested this recipe, so I cooked it – for 4 people. The absolute best recipe with mustard & chicken I have ever cooked and/ or eaten.
I cooked this quickly in the morning, using just what I had in the fridge and pantry. I’m not a fan of mustard usually, but I love this dish because it’s so different to our usual chicken dishes. Another great yummy meal! Thanks again Nagi x