Easy Teriyaki Baked Chicken Legs
Teriyaki chicken legs are a perfect back-to-school dinner. The sauce comes together in minutes, and the chicken bakes until crispy, juicy, and finished with a sweet, sticky teriyaki glaze the whole family will love.For a savory, cozy dinner option, try my Chicken and Bok Choy recipe next.
I love fried chicken but let’s be real, frying chicken is messy and eating fried foods all the time is not 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 chicken skin perfectly crispy, and you can read more about that method in the recipe below.
With busy schedules and long days, this is the kind of easy, comforting weeknight meal many of us rely on. This baked chicken recipe is one of my go-tos, and chances are you already have most of the ingredients on hand. I also love how versatile teriyaki sauce is—it works just as well on vegetables as it does on chicken.
After school often means hungry appetites, and having extra teriyaki chicken on hand makes an easy, satisfying meal. It works just as well for a quick bite as it does for dinner, and baked chicken legs stay tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe :
I first shared this baked teriyaki chicken legs recipe years ago, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. The sauce is sticky-sweet with just the right balance of savory, and the chicken always bakes up juicy. Readers love it, too, it’s quick, easy, and always a hit at the dinner table. That mix of big flavor and simple prep is exactly why I keep coming back to it.
Baked chicken legs weren’t always a favorite, but these days they’re a go-to because they’re affordable and incredibly versatile. Teriyaki chicken legs are especially easy to make, and cooking a larger batch helps take the stress out of busy weekdays. For this recipe, 7 drumsticks were used.
Pro Tip:
Drying the skin helps it roast up beautifully. Once baked, spoon the thickened teriyaki sauce back over the legs for a sticky, lacquered finish
Teriyaki sauce:
6 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp minced garlic cloves
1/2- 1 tsp crushed red peppers (optional)
2 tsp fresh minced ginger
Slurry:
4 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp water
Chicken legs:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
6 chicken legs
1 tsp garlic powder
salt for taste
pepper for taste
Garnish:
one green onion sliced thin
sesame seeds
Directions:
Step-by-Step: How to Terkyaki Baked chicken Legs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towel. Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add chicken legs to a bowl and coat with oil.
(pic 1) - Line a baking sheet with foil then place a baking rack on top. Spray the rack with oil. Place the chicken on the rack. Bake chicken for for 20-25 flipping halfway and basting with the teriyaki sauce until chicken is done.
(pic 2) - Add all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients (except cornstarch and water) to a small sauce pan over medium high heat.
(pic 3-5) - Add the cornstarch and water to a bowl and mix until the lumps are gone. Once the teriyaki sauce mixture starts to boil add the cornstarch mixture stir well often until the sauce has thickened.
(pic 3-5) - Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with broccoli and rice
(pic 6)
Pro Tip:
Here’s another way to coat the chicken in the sauce.
Instead of basting, after the chicken is done, add the teriyaki sauce to a cast iron skillet or any large pan you have over medium heat. Let it come to a boil then set to simmer. Next, add the chicken legs to the cast iron skillet and toss until nicely coated with the teriyaki sauce.
Teriyaki Baked Chicken Legs
Ingredients
Teriyaki sauce:
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers optional
- salt for taste
- pepper for taste
For the crispy chicken legs:
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 chicken legs
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- salt for taste
- pepper for taste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds optional
- 1 green onion sliced thinly. green parts only optional
Slurry
- 4 tsp water
- 4 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
Teriyaki sauce
- Add all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients (except cornstarch and water) to a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add cornstarch and water to a small bowl and mix until the clumps are gone. Once the sauce mixture starts to boil add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until the sauce has thickened stirring often. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the sauce for serving.
Crispy chicken legs
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken legs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the chicken to a bowl with the oil. Coat with oil.
- Line a baking sheet pan with foil then place a baking rack on top. Place the chicken on to the rack.
- Bake each side of the chicken for 25-30 mins basting occasionally with the teriyaki sauce in the sauce pan. Drizzle the remaining sauce over each chicken leg and serve immediately.
- Here's another way to coat the chicken in the sauce. Instead of basting, after the chicken is done, add the teriyaki sauce to a cast iron skillet or any large pan you have over medium heat. Let it come to a boil then set to simmer. Next, add the chicken legs to the cast iron skillet and toss until nicely coated with the teriyaki sauce.
Notes
If you think this oven baked chicken with teriyaki sauce looks good, save it to your Pinterest Board or share it on Facebook. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest too.
You may also like these other chicken recipes:
Bulgogi Chicken (An easy chicken marinade)
Asian Cucumber and Carrot Salad
This recipe is INCREDIBLE.. no chicken needed, just a spoon for the sauce… so ridiculously good! I could have marinated an opossum in it and loved it! the combo of flavors are perfection. thank you for this!
Haha this made me laugh! So happy you enjoyed the it. The Teriyaki sauce is my favorite part too. Thanks so much for the love!
Follow instructions to the letter, I messed up the teriyaki sauce the first time but it came out perfect!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Hi, can we use the ready made teriyaki sauce available in the store?
Hi there. You can use whatever sauce you like but I’ve always made mine homemade.I don’t see why store brand sauce wouldn’t work. You should be fine.
So sorry about the error Arielle. I updated the recipe to show only one cup of water is needed for the recipe.
Actually the recipe still says 2 cups of water – it’s confusing so I’m glad I read the comments before making
The recipe mentions one cup not two. I’m not sure where you’re seeing 2 cups.
OMGosh! I’m salivating over here. These gorgeous images of your completed recipe look amazing! I can hardly wait to make these teriyaki chicken legs.
Thank you Denay!
I am drooling over my laptop. Those chicken legs looks absolutely delicious, the sticky sauce is amazing. This is a perfect game day appetizer.
Easy, delicious and nice-looking – this recipe is incredible. I think I have my new favorite now when it comes to chicken legs 🙂
Thanks Danielle!
Ah, aren’ these chicken legs amazing?! They look exactly how I like to prepare chicken legs over the week. Yum!
Oh my that beautiful sauce! I wish I could reach into my computer screen and grab one of these delicious chicken legs! This is a great weeknight meal!