Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Roasted chicken drumsticks, flavorful with herbs and spices, are nestled in a bed of cubed sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and onions in this easy sheet pan dinner. This is a go-to weeknight recipe; simply add a salad or green vegetable and you’re golden!
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large bowl, sheet pan
Servings: 4
Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks
Perfect for a weeknight meal. This crispy baked one pan chicken dinner is healthy and a cinch to make. The chicken is juicy and flavorful with an easy herb rub. Two kinds of potatoes, sweet potatoes and russets, roast right along with the chicken and melt in your mouth. My husband thinks it’s the best chicken ever.
Chicken drumsticks are economical, flavorful, and fun to eat. I love my recipe for super easy air fryer drumsticks and soy and honey glazed drumsticks are finger lickin’ good. Grilled chicken shawarma drumsticks with homemade tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce) are yummy when it’s grilling weather.
A one pan dinner! When I’m wanting a really convenient one pan dinner (and when isn’t it a good time for that)? I’ll take these roasted chicken drumsticks with potatoes any day! Pick up a package of drumsticks the next time you shop and look forward to a great dinner.
“Great recipe, especially for fall. I did a mix of thighs and legs with fresh herbs from my garden. Delicious and a huge hit!”
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Drumsticks: If you prefer, substitute thighs or breasts. Keep in mind cooking time will change slightly.
- Potatoes: We like a combination of sweet potatoes and russet potatoes but you can use all of one or the other if you prefer. Try Yukon gold potatoes, baby potatoes, or red potatoes. They all work great in this recipe, too.
- Onion: A yellow onion is fine but red onions, Vidalia onions, or halved shallots all work as well.
- Seasonings: This recipe uses a combination of fresh herbs and warm spices to give so much flavor to both the chicken and the potatoes. You’ll need fresh rosemary and thyme (check out the recipe notes if you only have dried), and then from your spice cupboard, you’ll need paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You can substitute my all purpose seasoning to make it even easier.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil ties everything together and helps the herbs and spices stick to the chicken and potatoes. Avocado oil also works well here.
How To Make Roasted Chicken Drumsticks
Preheat the oven. This is an easy sheet pan chicken dinner. Get a nice big rimmed sheet pan out and preheat the oven to 450°F. You want that oven good and hot to get crispy results.
Prep the veggies. Simply dice the potatoes and an onion and put them into a big bowl with a tasty spice/herb/olive oil mixture. Toss the veggies around until they’re coated and spread them in the sheet pan.
Prep the chicken. Put seven or eight drumsticks in the same bowl, and coat them with the same oil mixture. Nestle the drumsticks on top of the potatoes and stick the pan in the oven. Wash your hands and let the oven do the rest of the work. Your job is pretty much done.
Roast for 30 minutes. Give the potatoes a stir once during the cooking time so they brown evenly. It isn’t necessary to flip the drumsticks but you can if you want to. The chicken is done in about thirty minutes, or when an instant read thermometer reads 165°F. Make sure the tip of thermometer is inserted in the meatiest part of the leg and not touching the bone. Juices should run clear, not pink or red, at this temperature.
Serve. Clap your hands, dinner is served! Serve a simple green arugula salad or a vinegar based coleslaw for a nice contrast of flavors.
Change It Up
- Chicken legs and thighs can be used interchangeably. However, if they are connected (leg quarters), the chicken will take longer to roast, about forty minutes. I really don’t recommend using leg quarters for this recipe because the potatoes tend to burn with the longer roasting time.
- Roast a whole chicken. Prefer to roast a whole chicken with all the fixings? Try this fail-proof roasted chicken. Oven roasted bone-in chicken breasts are a great alternative, too.
- Choose your potato. Use all sweet potatoes, or all russet potatoes, if you prefer. Yukon gold potatoes, baby potatoes, or red potatoes are good choices, as well.
- Change up the seasoning. Try different mixtures of spices or herbs for a different flavor profile on your roasted chicken drumsticks. Chili powder, five spice powder, or smoked paprika are good choices. I often use my all purpose seasoning.
- Try pork instead. If you happen to be more in the mood for pork chops instead of chicken drumsticks, try sheet pan pork chops with sweet potatoes and apples.
If you have extra time in the morning, prepare the potatoes ahead of time and submerge them in water. Dry them thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe. Wet = steam = not crispy.
Refrigerate: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator tightly covered for two to three days.
Reheat: For best results, reheat in a single layer in the oven at 350°F for ten minutes or so until the drumsticks are heated through. You can reheat single portions in the microwave until warm. The chicken and potatoes won’t be as crispy with this method, and the chicken may dry out more.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this sheet pan recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #3 or Meal Plan #31. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners
Herb Roasted Chicken Drumsticks & Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped (see note #1)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 ½ lbs.)
- 1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces (½ -¾ lb.)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 chicken drumsticks, about 3 pounds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In large bowl, toss potatoes and onion with olive oil and half of the spice/herb mixture. Spread evenly in large rimmed sheet pan, about 13 x 18 inches.2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces, 1 medium yellow onion, chopped, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- In same bowl, toss drumsticks with remaining spice mixture. Position the drumsticks on top, or nestle them into the potatoes, whichever you prefer.8 chicken drumsticks, about 3 pounds
- Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir potatoes. Return pan to oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg reads 165°F.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Using dried herbs: If you don’t have fresh herbs, substitute dried herbs but use half as much (1 teaspoon crushed rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme). Feel free to vary the spices and/or herbs if you’d like a different flavor profile.
- Pro tip: Try to cut the potatoes into fairly uniform ¾ inch cubes. Cubes that are approximately the same size will roast more evenly and get done at the same time.
- Chicken: If you prefer, substitute chicken thighs or roast a combination of thighs and legs.
- Storage & reheating: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator tightly covered for two to three days. Reheat in a single layer in the oven at 350°F for ten minutes or until the drumsticks are heated through. Single portions can be microwaved but the chicken and potatoes won’t be as crispy and the chicken may dry out more.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I made this recipe last night. I have to agree with Anna about the cooking time, although I did not have carrots with mine, it was still way undercooked. I just added time to baking, and it turned out great! Just thought other people might want to know about the baking time.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thanks for the feedback!
I made this meal according to the directions. The cooking time wasn’t enough, as the chicken was rubbery and under cooked, and some of the carrots were not cooked. The potatoes came out great. I think I probably should have cooked it for 40 min then turned the chicken over. I really don’t know what went wrong. The seasonings were great and I would love to make it again. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you,
Anna Marie
Hmm, this recipe doesn’t have carrots so I’m not sure what you’re referring to there. Were your drumsticks still slightly frozen? Did you cook at 450F for the full 30 minutes?
This was great, thank you!
So glad you liked it!
Great recipe, especially for Fall. I did a mix if thighs and legs with fresh herbs from my garden. Delicious and huge hit!
So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and share a photo!
amazing, looks so delicious. Curious about it’s taste.
Try it and let me know what you think!