Easy Stove Top Chicken Legs Recipe

This easy chicken drumsticks recipe is not only a delicious meal but a low-cost dinner as well! If you love to cook chicken legs on the stove, you can make this recipe in under 30 minutes!

You will love this simple chicken drumstick recipe because it has simple ingredients and cooks together in just one pan. I usually cook chicken in two ways, on the grill or my stove. Chicken cooked on the stove is easy, and the flavors cook into the chicken.

One thing I remember about this recipe growing up is that you can use any vegetables that you have in your refrigerator.

This is one of the easiest drumstick recipes to make. If you love chicken as much as we do, you will want to check out ALL of my delicious Gluten Free Chicken Recipes.

Why Make This Recipe:

1. These stove top chicken legs are quick and easy to make in a skillet, or you can bake them in the oven if you are not in a hurry for dinner.
2. They are so fun for kids to hold to eat. This recipe is great for picky eaters!
3. This is a great budget recipe! Drumsticks cost much less than other parts of the chicken, even organic! If you need to feed a crowd, serving this easy chicken legs dinner is a great way to do it.

I love using fresh herbs in my recipes. If you love fresh herbs, here are some tips for using fresh herbs in your cooking.

Allergen Information:

This recipe is perfect if you have food allergies. It is gluten free, dairy-free, paleo, and whole30. Use and avoid using any vegetables you want. The flavor comes from the fresh herb flavors that cook into the chicken legs.

Tips For Sucess:

• Always check the internal temperature of the meat before you eat it. Chicken should always be 165º F to ensure it is thoroughly cooked.
• Don't add the vegetables too early or they will get mushy and overcooked.

Ingredient Notes:

• Chicken Legs - I used chicken legs, but this recipe will taste great with any chicken cut.
• Chicken Broth - Low-sodium or regular chicken broth.
• Vegetables: Onions, Carrots, Zucchini
• Garlic - Minced fresh cloves or jarred garlic.
• Basil - Fresh is my favorite, but dried is okay too.
• Olive Oil - I use olive oil, but avocado and other types of oil also work well.
• Seasonings like salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, etc.

Again, use the vegetables you have on hand. I think of this recipe as a way to avoid food waste because I use the oldest vegetables in my refrigerator.

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How To Cook Chicken Drumsticks On The Stove:

This recipe for cooking chicken legs on the stove is one of my easiest recipes on the blog.

I love using a cast iron pan to make this recipe for the best results. It disperses heat evenly and helps get the chicken skin a little crisp. You can also use other pans; just be sure to use the proper heat settings for the type of pan you use.

Step 1: Heat the oil in a 12-inch pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to become clear.

Step 2: Sprinkle seasonings over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add in the vegetables and broth and continue to cook.

After about 10 minutes, I flip the chicken legs and cover it with a lid. Cook until your chicken is at an internal temperature of 165º F. 

If you are looking for another great chicken legs recipe, give this easy Slow Cooker Curry Chicken Legs recipe.

Serve With:

• This Kale and Apple Salad is delicious with this stove-top chicken legs recipe.
• You can make this Roasted Fingerling Potatoes recipe in the air fryer, stove-top, or oven.
• Everyone loves these creamy Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese, even my picky eater.

If you like bread with your meal, try these Gluten Free Cornmeal Biscuits or Gluten Free Garlic Knots.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:

More Ways to Cook Chicken Legs:

I have so many easy recipes with chicken drumsticks!!

• Bake them! You can bake this recipe in the oven. Use a 9x13 baking dish or sheet pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes and check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer.
• You can also toss the chicken legs into a slow or pressure cooker!
• Cook the drumsticks in your air fryer!

More Gluten Free Dinner Recipes:

• The whole family loves this Gluten Free Fried Chicken recipe because it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!
• I love to use fresh herbs when cooking; the flavor stands out in this Herb Roasted Chicken recipe.
• If you love using a skillet to make chicken, you will love this delicious Cast Iron Chicken recipe!!

📖 Recipe

Easy Stove Top Chicken Legs Recipe

Sandi Gaertner

How to make a one pan easy chicken legs dinner. This is a kid-friendly deliciously easy dinner that is great for busy school nights.

4.94 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Meal Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 6 drumstikcs

Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 drumsticks * see note
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 2 teaspoons basil fresh or 1 teaspoon dried
• ▢ 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup carrots chopped
• ▢ ½ cup zucchini chopped
• ▢ 1 onion chopped

Instructions

 

• In a large cast iron skillet, add olive oil, garlic and onion over medium heat. Saute until the onions become clear.
• Add chicken legs and seasonings, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over, cover, and cook on the other side.
• Pour in chicken broth and add vegetables.
• Continue to cook in the pan, or move the pan to the oven and bake at 375. (You can cook these either way!)
• The chicken legs are done when their internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Notes

1. You can use any chicken part. If you use chicken thighs, it will take less time to cook.
2. This is a great recipe to avoid food waste. Use the vegetables you have on-hand.
3. For this recipe, you can use dried herbs or fresh.
4. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 14gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 481mgPotassium: 274mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1837IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

This post was updated from an older March 2017 post with more recipe details.