Crispy baked chicken legs (drumsticks) are fast and easy, with about 5 minutes of prep time. Use a simple seasoning and then bake for about 35 minutes with convection—perfectly crispy, moist, and tender every time.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken Legs (drumsticks)
Seasoning—salt, black pepper, and garlic powder mixture (All-Purpose Seasoning) OR
Optional seasoning of your choice
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Featured Comment from Gillian:
"I'm so happy I found your recipe! I've never found a simple chicken recipe I liked very much, but this looks like The One!"
Everybody needs great chicken recipes, and this healthy baked chicken legs recipe is one of the easiest and best for the home cook. Even the pickiest kids love baked chicken drumsticks.
It's easy and quick to prep in only 5 minutes with simple seasoning. Then, cook at a high oven temperature for crispy skin without frying for about 35 minutes. Perfect for a healthy low-fat or low-carb diet.
👨🍳How to Bake Chicken Legs—Step-by-Step
1. Preheat oven to 425° convection. Pat dry the chicken legs with paper towels.
2. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and add a rack sprayed with PAM cooking spray. The rack allows all sides of the chicken to cook evenly out of drainage. You can cook without the rack but should flip halfway through cooking.
3. Trim off any extra skin and any loose joint pieces.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can use other seasonings if you wish. We use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2, which includes garlic powder.
5. Place the legs on a prepared sheet pan with the thicker part of the chicken legs towards the outside of the tray.
6. Cook to 185° to 195° internal temp—about 35 minutes. DO NOT STOP SHORT of 185° and use an instant-read thermometer. Let the cooked drumsticks sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to bake chicken legs (drumsticks)
It takes about 35 minutes at 425° to cook chicken legs in the oven to 185° internal temperature. The variables are the chicken leg size and the oven temperature.
- Chicken legs at 350°F convection or 375°F conventional – about 45-50 minutes
- Chicken legs at 375°F convection or 400°F conventional – about 40-45 minutes
- Chicken legs at 400°F convection or 425°F conventional – about 35-40 minutes
- Chicken legs at 425°F convection – about 35 minutes (I don't suggest 450°F conventional—instead, do 425°F conventional and add a few minutes)
The best cooking temperature is 400° or 425° for the most crispy skin. Lower oven temperatures, like 350° or 375°, will produce a slightly less crisp skin.
Always use an instant-read thermometer. COOK TO A FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE. PLEASE, NEVER BY TIME ALONE.
♨️Pro Tips—get it right every time
- DO NOT SKIP THE PAT DRY; you will remove excess moisture that prevents crispy skin. Please see Chicken: To Rinse or Not To Rinse?
- Oil is optional, and if used, brush on before seasoning. It will change the final texture of the skin from thin and crispy to a little thicker but moisturized.
- Cooking on a rack removes the meat from the baking sheet and the drainage. Then, with convection, all sides of the legs will be cooked evenly. But if you don't have a rack, flip about 20 minutes into cooking.
- Cook at high temp, and you must use an instant-read thermometer to be sure you get to 185°. Do not guess.
- Let the chicken legs set for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking. Fluid will form between the meat cells during cooking, and the rest will allow it to reabsorb for juicy and tenderer results.
Seasoning options
We always use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2, which is salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. But use the seasoning you love—some good options are onion powder, smoked paprika, poultry season, or other seasoning blends. For a touch of heat, add some cayenne pepper.
For BBQ chicken legs, add a BBQ rub or skip any dry seasoning and brush on some BBQ sauce near the end of cooking.
Marinaded with Italian dressing, teriyaki sauce, or lemon butter marinade will add a lot of flavors.
What chicken to use?
Use bone-in skin-on chicken legs (drumsticks). The cut joint area may have loose parts that should be trimmed along with excess skin.
Chicken legs are also known as chicken drumsticks. A chicken leg quarter with a thigh still attached to the drumstick is less commonly called a chicken leg. If you are cooking chicken leg quarters, please follow the Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs, which is similar but covers some other issues.
If you use previously frozen chicken legs, the meat may have some pink staining that looks like blood. This is the breakdown of the bone marrow, and the chicken is still safe if cooked to 165° minumin.
🌡️The best final temperature internal temp for chicken legs is 185°+
The best final internal temperature for oven-baked chicken legs is 185° or higher when the connective tissue melts, and the meat becomes moist and tender.
The connective tissue will start to melt at 175°. By 185°, you will get moist and tender results. America Test Kitchen takes it further for both thighs and drumsticks, suggesting 190° to 195° as the target internal temperature range. See American Test Kitchen (subscription required).
Many want to cook chicken legs to 165°, the minimum safe internal temperature for chicken per the FDA, but they will be tough and stringy from connective tissue.
Other Chicken Recipes
Add some great char to your chicken legs or thighs on your backyard BBQ gas grill with Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and Grilled Chicken Thighs.
Try these other chicken recipes, like Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs, Oven-Baked Chicken Wings, or Baked Split Chicken Breasts. Or, if you are having a party, check out how to cook chicken for 50 to 100 people.
Serving
Serve with a green salad and your favorite hot side dishes of Convection Oven Baked French Fries, baked rice, broccoli, Microwave Corn on the Cob, or Roasted Red Potatoes.
How to store leftovers?
Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 4 months. If frozen, thaw first, then reheat in an oven or an air fryer. A microwave may be used, but it may affect the texture.
❓FAQs
A lot of fat and fluid drains while cooking chicken drumsticks. You can cook drumsticks without a rack if you flip halfway through cooking, but you will be happier with a rack. The cooking will be more even, quicker, and easier to clean up.
You can if you wish. Without oil, the skin will be dry and crispy, but with a bit of olive oil or cooking spray before seasoning, it will be thicker and slightly less crispy.
No, it will interfere with the cooking and trap moisture, preventing crispier skin.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
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Ingredients
- 6 legs Chicken legs - about 1 ½ lbs-Scale to as many as you want
- salt and pepper to taste or other seasoning - or 7:2:1 or 7:2:2 seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° convection. Pat dry the chicken legs with paper towels.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and add a rack sprayed with PAM cooking spray. The rack allows all sides of the chicken to cook evenly out of drainage. You can cook without the rack but should flip halfway through cooking.
- Trim off any extra skin and any loose joint pieces.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can use other seasonings if you wish. We use All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2, which includes garlic powder.
- Place the legs on a prepared sheet pan with the thicker part of the chicken legs towards the outside of the tray.
- Cook to 185° to 195° internal temp—about 35 minutes. DO NOT STOP SHORT of 185° and use an instant-read thermometer. Let the cooked drumsticks sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- DO NOT SKIP THE PAT DRY, or you will not have crispy skin.
- Cooking on a rack to get the meat off the pan to cook evenly and out of the drainage. If no rack, then flip at 20 minutes.
- Cook at high temp and you must use a thermometer to be sure you get to 185°+. Do not guess.
- Spice as you want.
- Scale to any amount you need
- For BBQ chicken legs, skip the seasoning or use a BBQ dry rub, then brush with your favorite BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days. Or will freeze well for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on September 9, 2012. It has been updated with discussion and photos to improve the presentation and add more information. The recipe remains the same. Please enjoy the update.
David says
i'd like to suggest you advise temperatures in Celsius also. Most of the world uses it and will be annoyed at having to google the conversion, when you could just do it once for all your visitors.
DrDan says
Hi David, I will look at doing it going forward but there are almost 450 recipes here that would need editing. The main problem I see is that there is already lots of confusion about convection vs conventional temperatures. To add two more numbers would add more confusion. 95% of readers are North American. Maybe a conversion chart in FAQs....
DrDan
cookfor life says
Yep, your time is way off. I cooked mine for 40-45 to makes sure the meat is tender at the bone. You really need to think what you've offered in regards to the cook time.
DrDan says
No, the time is right for most. For me at least 50 times. But variables of thickness, initial temp of the meat and most often your oven can change the time needed to cook properly. That is why we always cook to a final temperature and never by time.
If your time is off significantly from listed estimate then you should check your oven temperature since it will effect all your cooking.
Amanda says
We make these all the time and love them! I was a bit skeptical of cooking them to 185 rather than 165 but the meat is never dry - in fact, it's always tender and juicy. Thanks for this recipe and technique - it couldn't be easier!
Urnumbersix says
This recipe is the Best.
I have used it for 2 years now - it cannot be beat.
Thank you for explaining "why" to do certain steps.
Makes it easy to remember & one can extrapolate the principle to other cooking.
Big Ups for this one!
Anouk says
Dear Dan,
I need to bake 100 drumsticks for a party next week. Can I bake them as much as possible at once or will the baking time increase?
Thank you in advance
DrDan says
I would not "crowd the pan" so to speak. There needs to be some air circulation to get them cooked properly. About 15 is the most I can recommend per tray. Check my post about mass cooking these at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/chicken-for-hundred/
Ro says
I went to grill my drumsticks according to your recipe for grilling...when I went out to turn them I found my grill ran out of gas. I'm happy to see the recipe for the oven is much the same, cause that's where they are now. First time I used both the convection on my stove, and your recipe!
DrDan says
Welcome to the blog. The two recipes were developed at about the same time as I experimented with drumsticks to do a party for 150 people. I first wanted to grill, and although I got the technique right, it was too much work for a mass cooking. So the oven recipe developed off that.
DrDan
Melody says
I'm cooking now, and they smell like they are burning... the whole house smells burnt. 20 minutes cooking so far.
DrDan says
Nope should not be like that. Pull them and turn the oven down 25-50 degrees. Either leftover spatters from before, or your oven runs too hot. Tent them for a few minutes with foil while the oven cools some. Cook to the final temp but it will take longer. Get an oven thermometer soon and check the oven temperature.
Dan
LilyRose says
I just wanted to thank you! This is the first recipe I used off this site and I'm hooked. I used this to make both dry rub drumsticks and ones marinated in Italian dressing (something my mom always cooked on a grill but living in an apartment complex I don't have access to a grill). Both came out amazing (unlike every other attempt I've made to cook anything but a whole chicken in the oven). I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes and making them my own. I love cooking and now I enjoy it even more.
DrDan says
Hi LilyRose, This is the most popular recipe on the site and one I have done at least 50 times. Nothing beats a good drumstick. It is so easy to get right if you cook to the right temp.
Thanks again for the comment
DrDan
Sara L. says
OMG this recipe! My five-year-old loves what she calls "Chicken onna bone" and always wants me to make it for her, but I have always thought it would be too hard to get right. This recipe is PERFECTION. Chicken came out perfect and crisp. I cooked it at 425 in a conventional oven for 40min., until all pieces registered 185+. Skin is crispy, meat is tender. She polished off 3 pieces in about 5 minutes. Thank you!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. Too many drumsticks are undercooked in this world.
DrDan
Sheri says
Love your recipe. Chicken cooked is 165 not 185. Cooking time would be less as well.
DrDan says
Safe temp is 165 and excellent for chicken breasts. But there is a difference between safe and tender. This is dark meat and lots of fibrous tissue and are much better when cooked to 185. Please try it. Also do not cook by time just temperature. Of course if you are going for 165 not 185 it would be quicker.
DrDan
Sofia says
Hi DrDan, I followed your instructions to a T and they came out great and taste delicious, I always wondered why my drumsticks never came out crispy before but now i know the secret(s). I loved that your recipe was easy to follow and only needed a few ingredients.
Thank you very much and i look forward to trying out your other recipes.
Priya says
Easy and delicious!! It is a winner is my house. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipes.
Gladdys says
Made this for dinner tonight, had a large pack of drumsticks and was looking for something simple to prepare. Instructions were easy to follow, and seasoning was tasty for the whole family. Worked great in my convection oven and even used my oven probe to bake to 185 degrees. Thanks for sharing this recipe, will make this again.
Linda says
Thank you, Dr Dan. I'll get a thermometer and check it because I'd like to use the convection but don't trust mine. I didn't see the reply link so I hope its ok to respond here. Love your site.
DrDan says
The comments will only go 2 deep so there was no reply button on my comment.
I use convection most of the time. A little faster but mainly more even cooking.
DrDan
Jeannine Fur says
Sorry for the auto correct errors!
DrDan says
I got a new Mac last fall after 20 yrs plus of PC. The different autocorrect is driving me CRAZY....
About the chicken washing, I think I will agree with the FDA on this one. Most people a just a little sloppy on some of this. If you're careful, I'm sure it can be done safely but really since I stopped washing, I can't tell the difference. So I'm seeing is as an unnecessary step now.
Thanks for the note.
DrDan
Robin Koykka says
love this... pepper lime for a little difference
...keeps my wife loving my cooking ?