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Home » Recipes » Chicken Dinners

Sheet Pan Honey Chicken Legs

By Laura Fuentes Updated May 26, 2025

5 from 24 votes

Recipe

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Baked in the oven, these sheet pan honey chicken legs are juicy and delicious. This is one recipe both kids and adults will love.

For nights when you don’t want to man the stove and would rather let the oven do the work, these easy sheet pan chicken legs with carrots are the perfect meal solution!

overhead view of honey chicken legs on a plate with carrot fries

Honey Chicken Drumsticks on a Sheet Pan

Chicken drumsticks have been around forever, but until recently, my children insisted on not eating “chicken with bones.” Their refusal led me to be stuck on making chicken breasts. These sheet pan chicken legs are for anyone who needs a delicious change.

Chicken legs are more affordable, making this meal ultimately budget-friendly. Without the skin, drumsticks are low in fat, high in protein, and full of flavor. The dark meat gets a crispy crust without the meat drying out, which is why I wanted to use them for this recipe.

Let’s take a minute to give credit where it is due, the honey, Dijon curry sauce- it’s incredible! Not only does it provide an extra layer to prevent the chicken from drying out, but it adds flavor from all angles! Savory, sweet, and tangy!

step by step process, on the left: mustard, honey and spices being mixed in a bowl to form a basting sauce, on the right: brush basting chicken legs on a sheet pan

Ingredients

Perfectly juicy and golden brown chicken legs are what you are getting with this sheet pan recipe and you only need a few simple ingredients:

  • Honey: adds the sweet note that makes these chicken legs delicious.
  • Dijon mustard: balances the sweetness from the honey while adding more epic flavor.
  • Seasonings: salt, black pepper, and curry powder (or cumin).
  • Chicken legs: with the skins removed to lower the fat.
  • Carrots: I’ll bake them with the chicken for a tasty one-sheet-pan meal, but you can serve any other side.
  • Olive oil: for coating the carrots.
honey chicken legs on a plate with carrot fries

How to Make Sheet Pan Chicken Legs

Chicken legs are easy and forgiving to bake in the oven. Unlike chicken breasts, which can easily dry out, baked chicken legs retain more moisture at higher temps. Here is how to cook them:

  1. Preheat the oven
    While I usually bake chicken at 375F to 400F, stick to 350F to avoid undercooked chicken with a burnt coating. 
  2. Prepare the sauce
    In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, salt, curry powder, and black pepper until smooth and cohesive. 
  3. Sauce up!
    Using a basting brush or the back of a spoon, generously brush the sauce over each chicken leg, making sure they are completely coated. 
  4. Bake the chicken
    A solid hour ensures the meat reaches an internal temperature of 175F, ideal for dark meat, and the sauce has that golden-brown caramelized glow. 
  5. Prep the carrots
    While the drumsticks bake, wash and cut the carrots into strips and season them with oil and salt.
  6. Bake the carrots
    You’ll turn up the oven temperature for 10 minutes to cook the carrots while the chicken finishes baking.

In this quick video, I show you how to make this recipe step by step, and give you some pointers in case you want to prep the recipe ahead of time:

What Temperature to Bake Honey Chicken Drumsticks

350F is on the lower end for chicken legs baking temperatures, and it takes a full hour for the chicken to cook through thoroughly. However, after the first bite, you’ll see why it’s worth the wait!

Thanks to the honey glaze, the chicken meat stays moist and tender while the outside gets crispy on the outside thanks to the honey glaze- it’s really the best of both worlds. Learn more about the best temperature to bake chicken legs.

What to Serve with Sheet Pan Drumsticks

I cook the chicken legs with carrot fries for a complete sheet pan dinner, but other healthy sides that go great with baked chicken are roasted green beans, roasted root veggies, or carrots and radishes.

Did you ever try my Southern mashed potatoes? No? Then you’re in for a treat! It’s the ultimate comfort food side and you just can’t imagine how good it is! If you want to stay on the lighter side, you’re going to love these caramelized Brussels sprouts.

honey chicken legs on a plate with honey on the side

Sheet Pan Honey Chicken Legs

overhead view of honey chicken legs on a plate with carrot fries
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Baked in the oven, these sheet pan honey chicken legs are juicy and delicious. This is one recipe both kids and adults will love.
5 from 24 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon curry powder, or cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 chicken legs, skin removed
  • 1 pound carrots
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

Prep the oven:

  • Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Coat:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, curry powder, and black pepper. Scoop a couple of tablespoons of the mixture in a small ramekin for basting the chicken legs.
  • Place the chicken legs into the bowl and toss to coat with the honey glaze. Transfer the chicken legs onto one of the lined baking sheets.

Bake the chicken:

  • Bake them in the preheated oven, for 1 hour, basting and turning them over half way through, until the chicken is browned and the internal temperature has reached 175F. Remove them from the oven when finished, cover in foil to keep warm.

Prep the carrots:

  • While the chicken is cooking, wash, peel, and cut carrots into strips. Toss carrots with olive oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.

Bake the chicken:

  • Turn oven up to 450F and bake the carrots for 10 minutes, until the thickest slices are golden and the tops are crispy.
  • Serve the carrots with the chicken legs.

Equipment

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 12663IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

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Comments

    5 from 24 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Ashley S says

    October 24, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    I am making this now..but I don’t have any curry powder! I don’t even have the ingredients to make my own .i do have taco seasoning, or cumin. I wonder if I can use one of those..or maybe chili powder. Lol.just thinking what curry smells like and those spices seem to remind me of curry.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      October 24, 2016 at 3:53 pm

      Ashley, if you have 1/2 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp ground cumin powder + 1/2 tsp ground coriander powder + 1/2 red chili powder, you can make your own curry powder. Otherwise, substitute 1/2 tsp cumin + 1/4 teaspoon chili powder in this recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Lisa F says

    October 24, 2016 at 10:07 am

    5 stars
    So, how do you cook them in the oven at the same time?? This reads like you first bake the drumsticks, and then you remove the chicken, up the temp, and bake the carrots on their own.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      October 24, 2016 at 3:51 pm

      When you remove the legs the first time, it is to flip them over, put back in the oven for the last few minutes to brown. The carrots will be on a separate pan or dish and will be cooking at the same time towards the end. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  3. Rebecca Thorne says

    October 24, 2016 at 5:46 am

    5 stars
    My kids won’t touch the bones but as a kid my mom used to always make dark meat marinated in a jar of Italian dressing. Throw on the grill or in the oven, it was my go-to favourite dinner between ages 10 and 25. I can’t find the dressing in the UK so need to find a new alternative and this looks amazing!!

    Reply
  4. Pauline says

    October 21, 2016 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    My family loves chicken drumsticks (especially the kids!) Always love to try new recipe. This one is next.

    Reply
  5. Tiffany says

    October 21, 2016 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    Love the carrot fries! They look amazing!

    Reply
  6. Jenner says

    October 20, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves my Buttermilk Roast Chicken with Garlic or Garlic and Paprika Chicken. We love chicken drumsticks.

    Reply
  7. Haley says

    October 20, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    5 stars
    Buffalo Ranch Chicken Drumsticks!!

    Reply
  8. Daniela says

    October 20, 2016 at 11:25 am

    5 stars
    Honey Balsamic Drumsticks. My kids love it.

    Reply
  9. Gabriela says

    October 20, 2016 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    I usually marinate the drumsticks in maple-dijon and add a chili-garlic sauce.

    Reply
  10. Madison says

    October 20, 2016 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    Ginger Garlic baked chicken drumsticks are my favorite! Will for sure try this recipe too. It looks delicious with the carrot fries.

    Reply
  11. Kristin says

    October 20, 2016 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    My kids love eating drumsticks (and usually making a huge mess). I usually make them with a lemon sauce or with bbq.

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

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