Easy Teriyaki Baked Crispy Chicken Legs

This Teriyaki crispy chicken is a perfect back to school recipe. The teriyaki sauce is cooked in minutes and the crispy chicken legs are easy too, plus it’s healthier than fried chicken because it is baked.  Just a couple of steps to prep the chicken and then pop it into the oven and let it bake until it’s crispy, tender and juicy then slather on the sweet sticky savory teriyaki sauce!  Both kids and adults will love this oven baked crispy teriyaki chicken!

I love fried chicken but let’s be real, frying chicken is messy and eating fried foods all the time is not too healthy. I fry chicken every now and then but I prefer baking my chicken in the oven. The baked chicken still comes out nice and crispy without all the greasy mess. Baked chicken is so much easier and faster cleanup.

I use an easy method to get the skin of my chicken to crispy up and you can read about my method below in the recipe.

Summer is coming to an end and school is either back in session or about to start.  If life is getting in your way right now you are probably looking for an easy and delicious weeknight meal so I’m sharing my go to baked chicken recipe with you. I am sure you have most of the ingredients ready to be used.  I absolutely love teriyaki sauce. It’s so versatile that it can be used on meats and vegetables.

My teen started school on Monday and he came home hungry as usual. I made extra teriyaki chicken the night before so that when he came home from school, he’d have something quick to eat. We had it for dinner too.  I still can’t believe I like chicken legs now. I actually disliked them as a child but now I’m all for them now because they make pretty great easy dinners, they are inexpensive and I usually have leftovers. I like to cook 2 packages of drumsticks and that will usually last about two days.  Things tend to get hectic on weekdays, so I’d rather not worry about dinner too much.

Teriyaki sauce:
1 cup water
1/2 apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
3 tbs flour or cornstarch
Pinch or two of garlic powder (optional)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers (optional)
salt for taste
pepper for taste

Crispy chicken legs: 
3 tbs oil
3.5 lb chicken legs
1 1/2 tbs onion powder
1 tbs garlic powder
salt for taste
pepper for taste
3 tbs vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken legs with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Add chicken to a bowl and add oil to the chicken and coat the chicken well with the oil. Line a baking sheet/jelly roll pan with foil then place a wire rack/cooling rack on top. Place the chicken on to the wire rack/cooling rack with the jelly roll pan on the bottom and place into the oven. Bake each sides for 20-25 (basting every 10 minutes) or until cooked through.  Alternatively, you can add the sauce to a cast iron skillet or any large pan you have over medium heat until it comes to a boil then simmer (I like how the cast iron skillet coats the chicken). Add the chicken legs to cast iron skillet and toss until nicely coated with the teriyaki sauce. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds (optional).

Add all of the sauce ingredients (except cornstarch and water) to a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add cornstarch and water in a bowl. Once the sauce mixture starts to boil add the cornstarch mixture stir well then simmer for 5-10 minutes.

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Teriyaki Crispy Chicken Legs

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

This Teriyaki chicken is a perfect plan B recipe. The easy teriyaki sauce cooks up in minutes and the chicken is simple too! Just a couple of steps to prep the chicken and then pop it into the oven and let it bake until it's crispy, tender and juicy then slather on the sweet sticky savory sauce!  

Course: Chicken

Author: April

Ingredients

Teriyaki sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbs flour or cornstarch
• Pinch or two of garlic powder optional
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers optional
• salt for taste 
• pepper for taste

For the crispy chicken legs: 

• 3 tbs oil
• 3.5 lb chicken legs
• 1 1/2 tbs onion powder
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• salt for taste
• pepper for taste 
• 3 tbs vegetable oil 
• 1 tsp sesame seeds optional
• 1 green onion sliced thinly. green parts only optional

Instructions

1. Crispy chicken legs:
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken legs with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Add chicken to a bowl and add oil to the chicken and coat the chicken well with the oil. Line a baking sheet/jelly roll pan with foil then place a wire rack/cooling rack on top. Place the chicken on to the wire rack/cooling rack with the jelly roll pan on the bottom and place into the oven. Bake each sides for 20-25 (basting every 10 minutes) or until cooked through.  Alternatively, you can add the sauce to a cast iron skillet or any large pan you have over medium heat until it comes to a boil then simmer (I like how the cast iron skillet coats the chicken). Add the chicken legs to cast iron skillet and toss until nicely coated with the teriyaki sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
3. Teriyaki Sauce:
4. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except cornstarch and water) to a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add cornstarch and water in a bowl. Once the sauce mixture starts to boil add the cornstarch mixture stir well then simmer for 5-10 minutes.