Breaded Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
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CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH…These breaded, baked chicken drumsticks are crunchy on the outside and super tender on the inside. The garlic mustard sauce takes these over the top. There’s no need to marinate or wait since the breading seals in all of the amazing flavor so it basically bastes itself.
This is a no-nonsense recipe and these drumsticks also re-heat really well. I tossed them onto a lightly oiled skillet the next day and toasted over medium heat until they were crisp again. Seriously just as good as the moment they came out of the oven. My son devoured his drumstick without prompting and told me he loved it. Serves 8-12; because
I think most people buy large packs of drumsticks (and it’s perfect for game day!) but it can easily be cut in half to feed a smaller crowd.
Ingredients for Breaded Baked Chicken Drumsticks:
4-4.5 lbs. chicken drumsticks (about 14-16)
Sea Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup dijon mustard (grey poupon is my favorite)
1/2 cup real mayo or vegenaise
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cups seasoned italian-style bread crumbs (I used Progresso brand)
How to make the tastiest Breaded Baked Drumsticks:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil if you want to save yourself some clean-up time.
1. Rinse chicken in cold water then pat dry with paper towels and season both sides of the drumsticks with salt and freshly ground black pepper
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup dijon with 1/2 cup mayo and 4 pressed garlic cloves.
Take a whiff of this sauce. Oh. Yum.
3. Place 2 cups seasoned breadcrumb in a separate bowl with a wide enough base to accommodate a drumstick. Now you have your assembly line ready.
4. Roll or Brush your mustard mixture onto all sides of the drumsticks and double roll each of them into just the bread crumbs to get a nice coating on them.
5. Transfer breaded drumsticks to a baking sheet keeping them somewhat spaced (don’t crowd them or they won’t crisp on the bottom like they should; for extra crispness on all sides, bake on a wire rack set inside of a rimmed cookie sheet) and bake at 350˚F for 50-60 min (mine were in there 55 min + 3 min broiled).
Bake until chicken is cooked through. If you want the skin crispy, put it under a hot broiler 3 min or so or until desired crispness (not blackness) is achieved.
Crunchy on the outside; super tender and bursting with flavor on the inside.
Breaded Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-4.5 lbs. chicken drumsticks, about 14-16
- Sea Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard, grey poupon is my favorite
- 1/2 cup real mayo or vegenaise
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 cups seasoned italian-style bread crumbs, I used Progresso brand
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil if you want to save yourself some clean-up time.
- Rinse chicken in cold water then pat dry with paper towels and season both sides of the drumsticks with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup dijon with 1/2 cup mayo and 4 pressed garlic cloves.
- Place 2 cups seasoned breadcrumb in a separate bowl with a wide enough base to accommodate a drumstick. Now you have your assembly line ready.
- Roll or Brush your mustard mixture onto all sides of the drumsticks and double roll each of them into just the bread crumbs to get a nice coating on them.
- Transfer breaded drumsticks to a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 50-60 min (min were in there 55 min + 3 min broiled) . Don't crowd drumsticks or they won't crisp on the bottom like they should; for extra crispness on all sides, bake on a wire rack set inside of a rimmed cookie sheet). Bake until chicken is cooked through. If you want the skin crispy, put it under a hot broiler 3 min or so or until desired crispness (not blackness) is achieved.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I followed your cooking instructions for this recipe.
I altered the ingredients slightly.
I used plain bread crumbs but added 2 tablespoons essence of emeril seasoning to the bread crumbs.
I also added 1 tablespoon essence of emeril to the mayonnaise/Dijon mustard/garlic wet mixture. I used 8 large drumsticks and hardly had any wet mixture After rolling in the wet mixture;
SO my advice is to Double the wet mixture ONLY IF people are going to make the Full 14-16 drumstick recipe on this blog!
Tasted as I made them and flavor was AMAZING!
I am dubious on Your baking temperature and baking time to be 100% honest with you. I will back these per the instructions for this initial trial run.
I tend to always cook chicken which is NOT being roasted in a pan or closed pan; at a HIGH oven temperature for a shorter time.
I cook massive chicken breasts on a sheet pan at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until 165 internal temperature A LOT! And the chicken ALWAYS always comes out superior to any restaurant. Juicy moist and full of flavor!
SO my prior experience with chicken has left me to WANT to cook these drumsticks at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until internal temperature is 165. Next time I will do this to keep the chicken moister and possibly help to crisp the skin/breading faster easier.
Thank you for sharing with us, Emmi.
I truly wish the reviews were divided into using the recipe “as is” and reviews for the recipe with major alterations. Just followed recipe for 4 1/2 pounds of legs. Cooked mine on a rack on a tray. Even after broiling a tad too “raw” pale crumb finish, but the breading is crunchy and legs moist! Yum! Now made a second batch for 4 1/4 pounds of thighs. Following recipe again, baking on rack, but this time I am followed your suggestion and very lightly sprayed the tops of the thighs with olive oil cooking spray before baking. Did the trick. Nice and evenly brown and crispy. No pale breading. By the way, my husband came by and tried the mustard mixture before I used it and loved it. So, I am making a small recipe as a dipping/drizzle sauce. He loves raw garlic and mustard!
Hello Carolyn, thank you for your detailed comments and feedback. We appreciate it!
Hi Natasha,
I’m baking mine as we speak on a drumstick rack, hanging. Anxious to see how it turns out. I’ll let you know. Love your recipes!
We would love to know how it turned out, Susan. Please update us on how it goes!
Delicious and moist, but how do i keep the breading from falling off? It’s delicious but was flaky when eating and wasn’t sticking to the chicken
could you use this coating for shrimp and bake it?
Hi Carol, I haven’t really tried that yet but I think it’s worth experimenting with!
Was wondering if these freeze well?
Hi Shoni, I haven’t tried that to be honest so it would be an experiment. I do know that the Moroccan chicken recipe freezes well. Have you tried that one? I know it’s a completely different recipe, but at least I know that one works in the freezer ;). If you experiment with freezing this one, let me know how it works out!
Thanks Natasha. I will let you know! Fingers crossed!
I’ve made this a few times. It works much better on a rack placed over a sheet pan. Spray the rack with cooking spray. I use 350 convection and they come out crispy and tender after about 60 minutes. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Steve! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hello… mayed this recipe yesterday, didn’t have drumsticks so used chicken breast bone in. Delicious along with fresh green beans, and a garden salad.
That sounds like the perfect dinner! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Easy and delicious, will be making again🍗
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Gene! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
You said to double roll. Do you mean to do the mayo mix, bread crumbs, mayo mix bread crumbs? Planning to make this tonight. Thanks!
Hi Heather, I double roll just in the bread crumbs, otherwise you will run out of sauce.
These drumsticks are so delicious!! I only had panko bread crumbs, so I added garlic salt and some thyme to the crumbs. Will make again and again!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Diana! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hey Natasha I followed your recipe but added some reaper mustard hit sauce I got from new Orleans last month plus a little fresh ginger and garlic paste… we’ve been cooking in our instant pot a lot but this recipe is the absolute truth!!! Crazy there’s no eggs in it… so crispy a lot of people can’t even try chicken this good! Thanks again ☺
YUM! I’m glad to hear the recipe was such a success. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
Mayo is oil and EGGS
tried this it was good
replaced mustard with sriracha and blue cheese dressing
I’m glad you enjoy it Jeni! Thanks for sharing your review and delicious suggestion with other readers!
Just made these for dinner tonight, they were so good! They came out just perfect, crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, great flavour. Will definitely make them again!
I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe as much as I do Emma! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
Can i use something else besides dijon mustard….
Hi Paula, you might try a different type of mustard like a honey mustard or grainy mustard.
Hey also if I don’t have bread crumbs can I still bake them without it ?
I haven’t tested it that way but I think that should work fine and now I honestly want to try it to! 🙂 It would result in drumsticks similar to my Mom’s drumsticks in onion marinade. I hope you love it! Let me know if you try without the breading.
Hi Natasha ,
When baking do I need to drizzle some olive oil over the the breaded drumsticks ?
Hi Fatima, it is not necessary to drizzle olive oil with this recipe 🙂
We made this for dinner tonight. I only have one word – DELICIOUS. Thank you for the easy and tasty recipe!
You’re welcome Yvonne! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe as much as I do! 🙂
Would it work to grind up oats in a coffee grinder (to a near powder) and use that instead of the bread crumbs? I have a container of oats in my pantry and I’ve been trying to find recipes to use up the oats. I thought maybe I could substitute bread crumbs with oats.
Hi Carina, I haven’t tried that but from what I’ve read online, it sounds like it could work to grind it up and use as a substitute, although the texture might be a little different. Are they rolled oats? I think that would work better than something like steel cut oats which would be too coarse. Also since the bread crumbs I used were seasoned bread crumbs, I would suggest adding a seasoning such as garlic salt or your favorite seasoning so it’s not too bland on the outside. If you try it out, let me know how you liked it! 🙂
Hi, Natasha)
i usually soak the bone in chicken parts in salty water to get rid of blood. do you have another method of how to get rid of blood in the meat? cuz if i dont soak it, the nasty chunk of blood comes out while it bakes.. ewwww…
thanks)
HI Viktoria, pink juices in chicken can be seen but blood is not normal. You should always bake your chicken until the juices run clear for food safety. I can’t recall experiencing seeing what you’ve described. Do you have this issue from a particular source that you purchase your chicken? You might talk to your butcher about that. You normally should not have to do that extra step if a chicken is prepared properly.
hmm….
so you basically take the drumsticks out of the package , rinse and prepare as is?
same thing with previously frozen drumsticks?
Yes, but make sure that the meat is fully thawed.
Can dijon be substituted with honey mustard instead?
I think that would be a good substitute.
Hi Natasha!
I am making this as I type and my oven`s temperate is off so I think this will take longer than 60 minutes. My chicken is at 140 degrees right now and it has been 65 minutes. The drumsticks were also half way frozen but I thawed them out in cold water prior to prepping them and baking. How will I know when it`s done ??? Should I just go by the internal temp instead of time cooked? By the way, everything I`ve made from your website has been a major success. Thank you!
Another thing; I am using Lawrey`s Southern chicken bread crums instead of Italian. We love the seasoning in these instead
Thanks for sharing that with me! I haven’t tried that one but I’ll see if I can spot it in the store next time 🙂
If they were still at all frozen, it would take a little longer to bake. If they were thawed, that should have been plenty of time for them to cook through. If you are at all concerned, test one by cutting into it. If juices run clear and it looks cooked inside, they are good to go 🙂
What’s the cut down for just 4 drumsticks???
I would suggest making 1/4 of the recipe.
Hi! Did you turn the chicken over halfway through cooking? I didn’t know if this was part of the recipe, so the bottoms of my drumsticks became golden brown but the tops were kind of… dry and breadcrumby (looked a lot like they did when raw)!
I did not have to turn it. Did you bake them in the center of the oven? Also, did you put it under the broiler to get it crisp? If you want the chicken to brown more, you can spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or bake on a wire rack, but mine browned without needing to do that. I hope that helps! 🙂
I made this! I substituted honey mustard and panko breadcrumbs because that’s what I had on hand, but everything else the same, and it was super tasty! I also had the soggy bottom problem though, might adjust my cooking method next time I make this, but so good anyway!
Thank you Natasha for the awesome recipe!
We all loved it will make it again.
That’s so great! Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I just got the thumbs up from all three kids – Miss 6, Master 4 & Master 3 (the tough one!). Makes dinner time so much more calm :> Thanks again!
I love how you refer to your kiddos. That’s adorable 🙂 I’m so happy they all enjoyed it 🙂
I tried this because my friend asked for breaded chicken dark meat and I tried an extra piece. It was amazing! My friend loved it as well. It’s a new favorite – I highly recommend!
Hi Karen! Thank you so much for the great review 🙂
not so good and followed the recipe perfectly-better recipes out there
Mona, what didn’t you like about? Did something not work out?
Hi! I plan on trying this for dinner tonight but I had a question….Can I use regular mustard or does it have to be dijon. ( I only have regular mustard.)
Thanks
I have only tested it with dijon and that is the mustard that I would strongly recommend. Regular mustard has a very distinct and different flavor and is very different from dijon. If you do use regular mustard, you might try using a little less of it.
Hey! 🙂 I’m having a party so I want to make these today to reheat tomorrow. Microwave should be good to reheat (party wings).. U think? Less hassle=better for me 😉
We re-heated these on the skillet to keep them crisp. I’ve always been sensitive to how the microwave changes the taste of chicken so I try not to reheat chicken in the micro, but I think it’s do-able.
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I both LOVED these drumsticks! Thanks for sharing! I just figured the recipe for two people and it turned out so tasty.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
What would you suggest to use instead of Dijon mustard? I don’t have any on hand.
Do you have any kind of mustard? You could omit it but it will taste completely different.
Yes i have regular mustard…
You could try regular mustard and just use half as much since it’s a stronger flavor than dijon.
Natasha, thank u for the amazing recipes! I’m having so much fun trying out new dishes 🙂
I was wondering if u cover these drumsticks with foil when bake them or do u leave them uncovered? Thank u!
I leave them uncovered so they crisp up. Don’t worry they aren’t dry at all when they’re done. The breading keeps them juicy inside 😉
Wild this recipe work as a freezer meal, if I coat the drumsticks and freeze, then bake at a later time?
Hm… I haven’t tried that to be honest so it would be an experiment. I do know that the moroccan chicken recipe freezes well. Have you tried that one? I know it’s a completely different recipe, but at least I know that one works in the freezer ;). If you experiment with freezing this one, let me know how it works out!
I was all ready to try freezing it, then ran out of food, so had to make it right away. :).
Had the chicken marinating in the mustard mixture for 2 days. It came out delish! Both my hubby and our 4-year-old gave it thumbs up. This recipe definitely is a keeper- thank you!
Thanks for recommending the Moroccan chicken recipe- will try it next!
You’re so welcome! Thank YOU for the amazing review! 🙂
Looks DELICIOUS!! If i want to do only half the amount of chicken drumsticks, would the measurements of the sauce stay the same?
I’d cut everything in half 🙂 That’s what I’ve done in the past.
I’ve made this dish 3 times already! It’s so easy and hubby keeps asking for it 😉
Thank you Natasha for the recipe!
Thank you for the great review Vika and you are welcome :).
Made this for supper but used homemade bread crumbs with some leftover bread I made last week (just seasoned and toasted it in the oven before pulsing in the food processor) & used half mayo half plain yogurt with seedy Dijon and my family ate it all up!! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Thank you for a great review Alana and you are welcome :). Great way to use up some leftover bread.
HI Natasha! Your recipes never fail me, but this didn’t turn out as expected. Maybe it was something I did, IDK, When the chicken was done most of my breading was soggy on the bottom or stuck to the foil, the skin was flappy under the breading and not appetizing. I am not a fan of drumsticks either way but decided to give this a try, unfortunately it didn’t work for me….
If you crowd them on the pan, they can get more moist on the bottom (I’ll add that note to the recipe). If you bake them on a wire rack over a baking sheet, the bottom will be extra crispy. It also helps to put them under the broiler for a few minutes in the end to give them that crisp effect. Hope that helps!
I removed the skin on half of mine to do a taste test and the skinless ones were better IMHO 😉 Also I drisled some olive oil to the bottom of my glass baking dish and they turned out nice & crispy although still stuck a bit so required some spatula scraping 🙂
I’ll have to give that a whirl next time! They didn’t turn out dry at all without the skin?
Made it today and really liked it. Thank you!!!
That’s wonderful! I was just telling my Mom about this recipe today; how it’s so much better than fried chicken and healthier 🙂 I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Mayya
Natasha, I tried this recipe today and it was so delicious!! Thanks for your never-ending recipes. Hubby calls me a “хазяйка” lately because of all the new things I’m trying from NatashasKitchen. Thank you 🙂
That’s cute: “хазяйка” 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hello Natasha,
I was wondering if I could use the same recipe on the pork chops?
Thank you,
Katie
I bet you could and it would be delicious! What a great idea! 🙂
mmmm, these sure look delicious!! will definately try this recipe, i love drumsticks! but I was wondering if you know the diffenece between regula Vegenaise and the grapedseed oil you r using here? becuase I always buy the original and I love it, but never tried the grapeseed oil?
I think it’s just a difference between the main ingredient: Grapeseed oil versus Canola oil in the original vegenaise. Grapeseed oil is a healthier oil 🙂 But I’m sure they are both better than regular mayo 😉
Hey Natasha! I usually buy skinless chicken. You think it will be ok?
That should be fine, but you might have to bake them for a shorter time :).
Ohhhh, I think these would be great for Game Day. I was thinking of trying the smaller version (wings) so the kids can easily pick them up and eat as well. We’re excited here in Seattle for game day 🙂
All my cousins in Washington are big fans too :D. Smaller version will work as well, but you might bake them for a shorter time.
Natasha – Thank you for the appetizing recipes! Would you consider grainy mustard or dijon is the only way to go? Thanks again!
I think grainy mustard would work. 🙂 Enjoy!
Love drumsticks and dark meat in general. I posted very similar recipe recently sans the breadcrumbs. Garlic + Dijon mustard = amazing, right?!
It is amazing! Have you tried adding mayo or vegenaise? I wonder if that same mixture would be great on a whole roasted chicken?
Whole roasted chicken? Can you bake it uncovered? As much as I’m a chicken expert, I have roasted whole chicken um once in my life maybe LOL. If you cover it, then the coating might be mushy?! I wonder. I should try it as the whole chicken is on the menu this weekend. No, I haven’t tried the sauce with mayo. I know mayo makes everything taste good but I avoid it for health reasons. I might add a tbsp here or there but that’s it. A jar lasts me a year or two.:)
Not even vegenaise? Yeah I need to improve my whole chicken roasting skills as well. It is however very tempting to pay $5 for one at Costco 😉
Like the plate but LOVE the chicken recipe…..this would make a great new way to serve wings, too! (Superbowl, anyone?) Thanks for sharing and never apologize for making a great buy via thrifting…one gal’s trash is another gal’s treasure!!!
Ha ha! So true. Although it is hard to find those treasures, but I guess they wouldn’t be called treasures otherwise 😉
Looks great for dinner. I love all your recipes and your site.
Thank you Vera! I hope you love these as much as we do 🙂
Sounds really good. Thanks Natasha and have a Wonderful Day!
Thanks Liz! You too!
Looks yummy! I think I’ll try this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breast and reduce the bake time. Thanks again for sharing.
Oooh sounds even healthier! 🙂 I think the sauce and breading would taste incredible on chicken breast!
These look really good! Do you think I could throw other pieces of chicken in there, like wings & thighs?
You totally could and what a great idea! I bet this would work for any part of the chicken 🙂
That is great to know! Because I love drumsticks, my husband loves thighs, and my daughter is partial to wings lol. Thank you!
Natasha, wow! on the pics. I love that plate! Where is it from?
I, uhh,,.. uhm,.. ahem(thrifted)… lol. Thanks for your sweet compliment 🙂
Oh really?!! Sorry for putting you on a spot, lol 🙂 So far I had no luck with thrifting. They probably have cool stuff for pics.
No, not at all! I am not ashamed. lol. It’s actually really hard to find stuff there for pictures. I went with my hubby a couple times and it’s tough. But it’s tough anywhere even at antique stores. I guess I need to train my eyes better to find more treasures 🙂
Is the recipe the same for chicken breast?
Hi Ashley, I think the sauce and breading would taste incredible on chicken breast!