These baked chicken drumsticks are the perfect weeknight dinner recipe! With an easy marinade packed with fresh lemon flavors, this baked chicken recipe will quickly become a family favorite.

I am always looking for easy recipes that I know my family will devour. Chicken is always a favorite in this house and this recipe for lemon basil baked chicken was a hit too. And, with a recipe this simple, I will never mind making it over and over.

The recipe combines a few simple ingredients to make the marinade for the chicken legs. From there, you can marinate the chicken for as little as 30 minutes up to overnight. I love the flexibility because it means I put the chicken in the marinade the night before and then just bake the chicken drumsticks when I’m ready to cook dinner.

Making this baked chicken recipe is so easy! Once you are done marinating the chicken, you simply add it to a baking sheet and pop it into the oven. One quick flip halfway through cooking and that is it. The perfect hands-off cooking recipe for a busy night!

I typically serve these lemon basil baked chicken drumsticks with a quick side salad and roasted potatoes but the possibilities are endless. Just pick your favorite sides and you’ve got dinner on the table easily.

A few notes on this recipe for lemon basil baked chicken:

I use large chicken drumsticks for my recipe testing. You can substitute with smaller drumsticks, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
I use a basil paste (similar to this one) in the marinade but you can easily substitute with dried basil.
I line the baking sheet with nonstick foil for easier clean-up but it is option.

If you like this recipe for oven baked chicken, be sure to try these other great options for easy, weeknight meals:

If you make this recipe for lemon basil baked chicken legs or any other recipe from the blog, I’d love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment or snap a photo and tag it #mysuburbankitchen on Instagram or Facebook.

Yield: 4 servings

Lemon Basil Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Name: Lemon Basil Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs chicken drumsticks (about 6 large drumsticks); 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 tsp dried basil; 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional); Nonstick cooking spray

A quick and easy dinner recipe that is packed with flavors. This one is sure to be a family favorite fast.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

2.5 lbs chicken drumsticks (about 6 large drumsticks)
2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together oil, garlic, basil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add crushed red pepper, if using. Whisk to combine. Reserve 1/4 of the marinade.

2. Add chicken drumsticks to large bowl or Ziploc bag. Pour
remaining 3/4 of marinade over the drumsticks and toss to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and marinate for 30 minutes (up to overnight) in the fridge.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from the fridge while the oven preheats.

4. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken, skin side down, and brush with reserved marinade. Discard marinade from bowl or Ziploc bag.

5. Bake chicken in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Flip chicken over and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees.

6. Switch oven to broil and broil chicken for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Notes

1. Recipe is written for large drumsticks which can be replaced with chicken breast, thighs, or smaller drumsticks. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.

2. I recommend lining the baking sheet with nonstick foil but it is optional. Lining the pan makes cleanup much easier.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 569Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 360mgSodium: 966mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 69g

This nutrition information is an estimate only. A lot of the marinade ends up on the pan which would impact the overall nutrition values.