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.
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Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
Video Slideshow
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
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
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.
Ziggie says
I have no thermometer, how do I know my chicken has reached the suggested internal time... since I’m not supposed to go off time alone?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ziggie,
I have no good answer. You really need to get one. Even the $10 instant-read ones from the hardware stores/Amazon do fairly well. You need one to cook most meat dishes correctly. Your cooking will instantly improve and there will be less waste, so it will pay for itself.
Dan
Pippi says
Hi! I made these last night for the family. The meat was good, but I wasn't happy with the skin. It was more papery than crispy. It was hard to chew. I did everything according to the recipe, except I used a store bought seasoning blend. It's mostly salt and pepper, but it does have a bit of sugar and some onion and garlic. I might try brushing the legs with a little oil next time. Any other ideas?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
A brush of oil will change the texture to a little thicker (think turkey skin). Oil will do better than butter. Just a brush of good vegetable oil.
Dan
Waldo Pepper says
Shake and bake was my nickname on the football field. Also use it to cook chicken sometimes.
Kimberly says
This is the only recipe I use for making chicken legs! I stumbled upon it a few months ago and have it saved on my phone now :-). The higher temp and cooking to 185 produces the best skin!
sahMonster says
My wife loves BBQ chicken.. She's had a rough day at the office so tonight I'm gonna follow these instructions and surprise her with her favorite meal.. Thank you for posting, I am definitely a fan!!
Diz says
This has been a go-to recipe for me for several years. I usually use Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning (available at most supermarkets). I use the salt-free version and add my own salt with some additional garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper.
Hope says
This is my go to for chicken. Everyone loves it! It is one of the few recipes that does not suggest olive oil, which is one of the things that makes it crispier and healthier. The only changeup I make is adding poultry seasoning and onion powder. Delicious!
MaryBeth says
I have used this excellent recipe several times! I actually cook the legs at 375 for 50 minutes and they come out perfect both temperature wise (185) and taste wise. I also use a wire rack over a foil lined pan. Simple and Delicious!
Sunni says
I ALWAYS come back to this drummy recipe......it's so good!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sunni,
Welcome to the blog.
So glad it works well for you. I still use the technique.
Thanks again for the note and rating.
Dan
KK says
Finally, a recipe that works! Ive tried many but this is now my go-to recipe for chicken legs. The high heat is brilliant. I used a BBQ-ish rub recipe of Steven Raichlen's. It was a hit!
Amandalynn says
Easy to follow the very much!
Jokolynnz
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Amandalynn,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed reply.
This is one of my top recipes. Both in popularity and I do repeat it frequently myself. Cold leftovers are a great thing.
Thanks for the note and rating. And again, sorry for the delayed response.
Dan
Jim Brennan says
Every few months, my butcher puts beautiful chicken legs on sale for $.59/lb. I buy 10-15 pounds and spend a few hours following your recipe. I shake the patted dry legs in Andy's fish seasoning (you read that correctly), let them sit 5 minutes and then bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes. After cooling, I shrink wrap 4 to a package and put them in the freezer. It's good eats.
Areana Szkola says
As an added bonus I always peel back the skin, season lightly, and then pull the skin back up and season normally...this has two benefits...it allows the seasoning to be on the meat as well as the skin PLUS the skin cooks extra crispy despite it being baked
Stefan says
You're right! Texture is excellent. I too made the mistake to cook them as lean chicken breast at first, but then the legs turn out to be to stringy. Thanks!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Stefan,
Welcome to the blog.
You are so right. The secret is really the temperature.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Petunia Pete says
The title says 'chicken legs', but you use drumsticks, which is half the leg. Do the instructions change if one has chicken legs?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Petunia,
Welcome to the blog.
A terminology question. Here is my take. In general usage, a chicken drumstick and chicken leg are the same thing. What you want to call a chicken leg (drumstick with thigh) is usually called and sold as a “leg quarter”.
Now having gone through that. Cooking a drumstick or a thigh or a leg quarter will be about the same. Same temperature recommendations, same endpoint, perhaps a few more minutes due to the size.
Hope that clarifies.
Dan
Mary says
This is my go to chicken bake. One thing I would suggest if you don't wanna see a lot of blood if any when cooking soak chick in about 2 tbsp vinger and water for about 30 mins rinse off. Pat dry as possible the put in ice box for about 1 hour. Pat dry turn over Pat dry again put cooking spray onseasong on wait 30 in ice the. Then roast as directed. Learned from YouTube works every time
DrDan says
Hi Mary,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks for the tips.
Also, if it seems like "blood", many times it will be the bone marrow. When drumsticks are frozen, the cells in the bone marrow will break down releasing the hemoglobin then it will leak out of the osia of the bone. Not harmful, just looks bad.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Stephanie T says
Am trying this tonight. What if one needs to cook more than 6 peices of chicken? Say 10-12 peices... Does the time or temperature need to be modified?
DrDan says
Hi Stephanie,
Welcome to the blog.
In my "Chicken for a Hundred" ( https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/chicken-for-hundred/ ) I usually baked 14-15 drumsticks per tray (half sheet tray size). Time and temperature stayed approximately the same. Remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature NOT by time alone.
Also, with a full tray, try to arrange them so they don't touch and the thick end should be towards the outside edge of the tray.
Dan
emma says
Thanks for this recipe, at last at 81 years I have discovered your recipe. Perfect!!
DrDan says
Hi Emma,
Welcome to the blog.
All those years for both of us undercooking our drumsticks. I'm on a mission.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan