Name: Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 12 chicken legs (drumsticks); 2 tablespoons oil; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons mustard (I used whole grain, but Dijon or yellow work well too); 2 teaspoons paprika; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; ½ teaspoon salt

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You're going to love these easy Honey Mustard Chicken Legs! They're quick, simple to make, and full of great flavor. Methods give to air fry or roast the drumsticks in the oven.

Baked chicken legs on a plate with green beans. — Honey Mustard Chicken Legs

Take your roasted chicken legs to the next level!

Forget about plain roasted chicken. You can easily give it tons of great flavor with just a few simple pantry ingredients!

My whole family absolutely loves these roasted Honey Mustard Chicken Legs.

We often have them for a quick weekday dinner with a green salad and some side dishes. We also bring them along to parties, potlucks, and picnics (the three P's!).

I not only love the taste of these drumsticks, but also how adaptable the recipe is. For these ones I used whole grain mustard, but if I only have French's yellow mustard it works with that too!

If I'm feeling fancy, maybe I'll add Dijon or Grey Poupon! Any firey mustard kick balances perfectly with the honey and makes these chicken legs sooooo good.

Serve them up with Greek Pasta Salad or KFC Macaroni Salad. Or try them alongside Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Buttered Cabbage!

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Why Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook's Tips
Food Safety Tips
Variations
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Why Make This Recipe

Everyone loves roasted chicken legs, amiright?!

You can cook them in the air fryer or oven baked (both methods given below in the recipe card).

The honey mustard sauce is absolutely delicious!

You can leave the chicken to marinade overnight, or cook them right away if you're short on time.

You can easily scale up the recipe and cook it for a crowd.

Ingredients

Chicken Legs (also called chicken drumsticks). You can use fresh or frozen (thaw first in a container in the fridge). I love that chicken legs are tasty and are a budget-friendly cut of meat.
Honey: Honey adds sweetness and caramelizes on the roasted chicken.
Mustard: I used whole grain, but you can use yellow, English, Dijon etc...
Oil: I use canola but any mild cooking oil will work.
Paprika: optional, but adds great flavor.
Dried rosemary: also optional but adds nice herbal notes.
Salt: to bring out all the flavors in the dish.

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full quantities.

Instructions

Wondering how to make this Honey Mustard Chicken Legs recipe? It's easy!

Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.

Prep the chicken legs:
Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel and add the legs to a large bowl with the oil, honey, mustard, paprika, rosemary, and salt.
Toss gently so the chicken legs are coated. You can alternatively do this in a large ziplock bag to save the mess. Ensure you wash any hands or surfaces that touch the raw chicken.

TIP: You can then cook the chicken legs right away, or marinate the chicken by covering the bowl and refrigerating for 30 minutes or up to overnight.

To oven bake: Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the coated chicken legs to a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast in the oven 40 minutes or until the chicken legs are cooked through and the skin is lightly browned and golden.

TIP: To check the chicken legs are done with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 165 degrees F).

Raw chicken legs in the air fryer basket ready to cook.

To air fry: Place the chicken legs into the basket of the air fryer (cook in batches if the basket is small). Cook at 380F for 10 minutes, then use tongs to flip the drumsticks and cook for 7-8 more minutes or until they are cooked through. (Check that the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer is 165 degrees F.)

Cook's Tips

If you want the chicken skin to be crispier you can put it under the broiler on high for a minute or two at the end of cooking.

You can marinate the chicken in the seasonings up to a day in advance. Store covered in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is cooked through. The safe internal temperature for chicken legs is 165F.

Chicken safety: Wash hands, surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after handling raw chicken. Before serving, ensure the chicken is piping hot and thoroughly cooked, juices run clear and no pink color remains.

Food Safety Tips

Before cooking, wash your hands and countertops.
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that has touched raw meat.
Always wash your hands after touching raw meat.
Never leave cooking food unattended.
Keep those pot/pan handles turned in away from the front of the stove.
When cooking at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point, to avoid harmful compounds.
Ensure you have good ventilation when cooking on gas.
Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking. Reduce this to within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
Safely thaw food in the fridge, under cold running water, or in the microwave.
To ensure food is cooked through, it's best to use a food thermometer. Be aware that you can’t always tell by looking.

Cook to safe temperatures:

Beef, Pork, Lamb: 145 °F
Fish: 145 °F
Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb: 160 °F
Turkey, Chicken, Duck: 165 °F

Variations

Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave.

Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the sauce for an even sweeter taste and more caramelizing.

Add some spice with a little horseradish or hot sauce.

Broil your chicken legs for a few minutes to get the skin extra crispy.

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