25 Finger-Licking-Good Chicken Leg Recipes (2024)

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Whether they're battered and fried or smothered in your favorite barbecue sauce, these recipes for chicken legs are worth a little mess.

1/24

Oven-Fried Chicken Legs

This fabulous recipe uses Greek yogurt to create an amazing marinade that makes the chicken incredibly moist. No one will guess that it has been lightened up and is not even fried! — Kim Wallace, Dennison, Ohio

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2/24

Moist Drumsticks

I found this in my mom’s recipe box years ago. It is very quick to prepare and makes the house smell wonderful while it’s cooking. My daughter Molly just loves it! —Lianne Felton, Riverside, California

3/24

Filipino Chicken Adobo

My mom always makes her saucy chicken adobo recipe when I come home to visit. I think it’s even better the next day as leftovers —she says it’s because of the vinegar. — Michael Moya, New York, New York

4/24

Teriyaki Pineapple Drumsticks

We have a large family and throw big parties, so I look for ways to free my husband from the grill. Roasted drumsticks keep everyone happy. —Erica Allen, Tuckerton, New Jersey

5/24

Jalapeno-Lime Chicken Drumsticks

Bottled hot sauce isn’t my thing, so I developed a fresh pepper glaze for grilled chicken. These drumsticks practically fly off the plate. —Kristeen DeVorss, Farmington, New Mexico

6/24

Weekday Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken cooked “cacciatore” means a dish prepared “hunter-style” with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and seasonings. We add a touch of white wine to make ours northern Italian-style. —Lisa Bynum, Brandon, Missouri

7/24

Grilled Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks

When Mom makes grilled chicken thighs and drumsticks, this is the way we like it prepared. It’s juicy, has great barbecue flavor and makes a big batch, so it’s perfect for a summer picnic and family reunions. —Brenda Beachy, Belvidere, Tennessee. If you enjoyed this recipe, then you must try the fried chicken thigh recipe.

8/24

Dr Pepper Drumsticks

If you love Dr Pepper as much as I do, try it in my barbecue sauce for grilled chicken. It adds zip to the ketchup, bourbon and barbecue seasoning. —Shannon Holle-Funk, Venedy, Illinois

9/24

Sheet-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken

Everyone needs an easy meal. Try this sheet-pan chicken with roasted potatoes for a simple and tasty meal guaranteed to please the whole family. If you use fresh lemon juice, garnish each serving with a little lemon zest for bright flavor. —Andrea Potischman, Menlo Park, California

10/24

Cornflake Chicken

I took a recipe off a box of baking mix and altered it to make the prep easier. The result was this moist oven-fried cornflake chicken with a thick golden coating that’s a lot crisper than the original. —Angela Capettini, Boynton Beach, Florida

11/24

Roasted Lime Chicken

The subtle citrus flavor infused throughout this moist and baked lime chicken makes it a frequent request for family dinners. It's the ideal way to use fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley. —Kathy Lewis-Martinez, Spring Valley, California

12/24

Air-Fryer Chicken Legs

For years, I tried to find the perfect bottled barbecue sauce for chicken legs. After a few years, I threw in the towel and created my own using ketchup, honey and spicy brown mustard. It works perfectly with this air-fryer chicken legs recipe. —Kathleen Criddle, Lake Worth, Florida

13/24

Lemony Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This one-dish meal tastes like it needs hours of hands-on time to put together, but it’s just minutes to prep the simple ingredients. The meat juices cook the veggies to perfection. So easy. —Sherri Melotik Oak Creek, Wisconsin

14/24

Honey Thyme Grilled Chicken

For grilling chicken, I wanted a marinade different from barbecue sauce, so I pulled out some honey and thyme. If you have time, let the chicken marinate awhile to boost flavor. —Noel Bigelow, Alexandria, Virginia

15/24

New Orleans-Style Stewed Chicken

This New Orleans stewed chicken is like a gumbo but with far less liquid and bigger pieces of meat. Don’t let the long list of ingredients trick you into thinking it’s a difficult recipe to cook. Most of the ingredients are herbs and spices that coat the chicken. —Eric Olsson, Macomb, Michigan

16/24

Breaded Curry Chicken Drummies

These drumsticks are crispy with just the right amount of zing to get your mouth watering for more! They are super easy to make and are baked rather than fried so they save on fat but not on flavor. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or assorted chicken parts can be used instead of all drumsticks. —Lynn Kaufman, Mount Morris, Illinois

17/24

Mom’s Roast Chicken

This is the best way to cook a whole chicken. It roasts up super juicy with crisp, golden skin. This chicken is simply seasoned, but packs in so much flavor. —James Schend, Dairy Freed

18/24

Apple Barbecue Chicken

My husband and I had just moved to Dallas when I first made this recipe. Everything was new—new city, new home—but this dish felt familiar and comforting. —Darla Andrews, Schertz, Texas

19/24

Cazuela

I learned to make this dish while we were living in Chile for a few months. We grow extra butternut squash in our garden just for this recipe. —Louise Schmid, Marshall, Minnesota

20/24

Garlicky Chicken Dinner

Flavorful bone-in chicken is enhanced by herbs, lemon and hearty vegetables in this savory meal-in-one entree. —Shannon Norris, Cudahy, Wisconsin

21/24

Roasted Chicken with Potato Wedges

I grow herbs and dry them for use all year. Knowing that the rosemary and thyme are from our garden makes this cozy roast chicken dinner even better. —Tanya Borkholder, Milford, Indiana

22/24

Sweet Tea Barbecued Chicken

Marinades sometimes use coffee or espresso, and that inspired me to try tea and apple juice to perk up this sauce. —Kelly Williams, Forked River, New Jersey

23/24

Chicken Paprikash

Some recipes for chicken paprikash include vegetables like bell peppers and celery, but not my Grandmother Alta’s. Hers was a simple combination of chicken, onions, garlic, paprika and sour cream. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia

24/24

Tara’s Spanish Chicken

This recipe has simple flavors that take me back to Grandma’s house. She knew a million ways to cook a chicken, but this was my favorite. —Tara Imig, Fort Worth, Texas

Lisa is a formerTaste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.