Dump raw chicken into the baking pan with 4 other simple things and get a dinner so good your friends will be asking for the recipe all week.

This 5-ingredient oven chicken is exactly the kind of weeknight dinner I lean on when work runs late and I still want something that tastes like I actually tried. You literally dump raw chicken drumettes into a baking pan with four pantry-friendly ingredients, slide it into the oven, and an hour later it tastes like you marinated it all afternoon. It’s the kind of no-fuss, no-skillet, minimal-dishes recipe that somehow still feels special enough to share with friends—and yes, they will ask for the recipe.

These drumettes are super versatile. I like to serve them with a simple green salad and roasted broccoli if I’m keeping things light, or with buttered rice or mashed potatoes to soak up the extra garlicky, herby juices from the pan. A crusty baguette is perfect for swiping through the sauce, and if you’re feeding a crowd, a tray of raw veggie sticks with ranch on the side turns this into an easy game-night spread. Leftovers are great tucked into a wrap or served cold over mixed greens for lunch the next day.

Servings: 4

2 1/2 pounds raw chicken drumette pieces

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a medium-to-large ceramic baking pan that’s big enough to hold the drumettes in a mostly single layer. No need to grease it—there’s enough olive oil in the mixture.

Add the raw chicken drumette pieces directly into the ceramic baking pan, spreading them out as evenly as you can so they’re not stacked too deeply.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, and garlic powder until the honey is mostly dissolved and everything looks combined. This is your all-in-one sauce and seasoning.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the raw drumettes in the pan. Use a spoon or clean hands to toss and turn the chicken right in the pan until every piece is coated. Arrange the drumettes back into a mostly single layer so they cook evenly and brown nicely on top.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Don’t cover the pan—leaving it uncovered helps the tops caramelize and get that pretty, golden color.

After 25 minutes, carefully pull the pan out and use tongs to flip each drumette so both sides get a chance to brown. Spoon some of the pan juices over the top of the chicken for extra flavor.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until the drumettes are deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part (not touching the bone). The juices should run clear, not pink.

Once done, let the chicken rest in the pan for about 5 minutes so the juices settle a bit. Give the drumettes one last toss in the garlicky, honey-soy juices, then transfer to a serving plate or bring the pan straight to the table for a casual, family-style dinner.

You can tweak this 5-ingredient base a bunch of different ways without making it any harder. For a little heat, add 1–2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha to the sauce before pouring it over the chicken. If you like more of a barbecue vibe, replace the soy sauce with your favorite bottled BBQ sauce and keep the garlic powder and olive oil the same (you can skip the honey if your BBQ sauce is already sweet). For a lemon-herb version, swap the soy sauce and honey for 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, and add a pinch of salt to taste. If you’re cooking for gluten-free friends, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and double-check labels on all ingredients. To make cleanup even easier on a busy weeknight, you can line your ceramic baking pan with parchment paper, but make sure the paper is trimmed so it doesn’t hang over the edges and risk touching the heating elements. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed chicken—if your drumettes were frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator, never on the counter. Keep raw chicken and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods, and wash your hands, cutting boards, and any utensils that touch the raw chicken or marinade with hot, soapy water. Use a clean plate and clean tongs for serving the cooked drumettes (don’t reuse anything that touched them when they were raw). Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 3–4 days; reheat until steaming hot before serving.