Nutritional Yeast: The Secret Ingredient for a Savory, Cheese-Like Flavor
We lovveee these Crispy Baked Chicken Legs! First, you dunk those bad boys in some melted butter. Then, you roll them around in a delicious combo of potato flakes, nutritional yeast (yes, it’s a thing, and it’s awesome, if you don’t have it on hand now, I have substitutions below) and parsley to give them that perfect crunch and a burst of flavor. You toss them in the oven, and voilà—you’ve got crispy chicken legs with a satisfying, golden crust.
These are ridiculously easy to make—because who has time for complicated recipes? Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free. Oh, and did I mention kids LOVE them? No complaints, no fights, just happy little faces and empty plates. Crispy chicken legs, coming at you—crispy, buttery, and seriously delicious. These are perfect to serve alongside Crispy Baked Asparagus Fries or Roasted Parmesan Garlic Green Beans. If you like this quick chicken recipe, sure to check out the Easy Sweet Chili Chicken & Veggies Sheet Pan Meal!
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Ingredients
Chicken Legs
Potato Flakes-365 by Whole Foods & Bob’s Red Mill both only have ONE ingredient-dehydrated potatoes. No added emulsifiers or preservatives….no mono/diglycerides!
Nutritional Yeast- There are a plenty of great brands, we use a lot of the Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast. More about nutritional yeast below.
Butter
Parsley
Garlic Salt
Pepper
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What is nutritional yeast?
If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast-it isn’t just tasty—it’s also packed with health benefits!
It’s loaded with B vitamins, and is also a fantastic source of protein, with all the essential amino acids your body needs for things like muscle repair and boosting your immune system. Plus, it’s full of fiber, which helps with digestion and can even keep your blood sugar in check.
On top of all that, nutritional yeast has antioxidants like zinc and selenium, which help protect your body from damage. So, whether you’re sprinkling it on your popcorn or adding it to a recipe, nutritional yeast is a great way to pack in some extra nutrients while enjoying a cheesy, umami flavor!
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375′ F. Prepare a baking sheet to bake the chicken legs on. If you have a wire rack to set the chicken legs on, it will help the bottom to have air flow and keep the chicken from getting soggy. I wrap my sheet pan in foil for easy clean up, and then set the wire rack on top of it. This is a great stainless sheet pan/wire rack combo.
- In a shallow dish, melt your butter. In a separate, slightly larger shallow dish combine the potato flakes, nutritional yeast, parsley, garlic salt, & pepper.
- Now, take each chicken leg and roll it in the melted butter, then coat it in the potato flake mixture. I recommend using the ‘wet hand/dry hand’ method to keep things tidy. One hand handles the wet ingredients (the butter), while the other touches only the dry ingredients. This trick keeps things less messy and prevents the wet and dry ingredients from mixing together! Put them on your prepared sheet pan or rack if using.
- Bake at 375’F for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your chicken legs. We also air fry them at 350′ for 15-20 minutes.
- They are done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165’F and the outside is golden and crunchy! You can use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the chicken leg (without touching the bone) to ensure it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
Substitutions
You can use hand grated Parmesan cheese or seasoned breadcrumbs in place of the nutritional yeast.
Other cuts of chicken can be used but the bake time will vary.
Variations
You can play with lots of seasoning combos here, lemon pepper would be great!
I also like to add hot sauce to the butter and replace the garlic salt and parsley with smoked paprika and seasoned salt. If you’re feeling spicy, add a bit of cayenne!
Easy Crispy Baked Chicken Legs with Potato Flake Crust (Gluten-Free)
We lovveee these crispy, golden chicken legs. First, you dunk those bad boys in some melted butter. Then, you roll them around in a delicious combo of potato flakes, nutritional yeast (yes, it’s a thing, and it’s awesome), and parsley to give them that perfect crunch and a burst of flavor. You toss them in the oven, and voilà—you’ve got crispy chicken legs with a satisfying, golden crust.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Legs
- 1/2 cup Potato Flakes
- 1/8 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 6 to 8 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375' F. Prepare a baking sheet to bake the chicken legs on. If you have a wire rack to set the chicken legs on, it will help the bottom to have air flow and keep the chicken from getting soggy.
- In a shallow dish, melt your butter. In a separate, slightly larger shallow dish combine the potato flakes, nutritional yeast, parsley, garlic salt, & pepper.
- Now, take each chicken leg and roll it in the melted butter, then coat it in the potato flake mixture. Put them on your prepared sheet pan or rack if using.
- Bake at 375'F for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your chicken legs. We also air fry them at 350' for 15-20 minutes.
- They are done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165'F and the outside is golden and crunchy! You can use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the chicken leg (without touching the bone) to ensure it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
Notes
If you don't have nutritional yeast, hand grated parmesan or seasoned breadcrumbs would also work!
For another variation, I add some hot sauce to the butter and replace the garlic salt & parsley with smoked paprkia and seasoning salt. Add a dash of cayenne if you don't mind some heat!
Other chicken pieces can be used, but this will change the baking time.
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Wow, this chicken was super crispy and delicious!! My family loved the flavor and I can’t wait to try it on chicken breasts, too.
This crispy baked chicken legs is delicious I have made it, love the idea of potato flakes.
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