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.
Green Mermaid 22 says
I just made my first drummies! I'm terrible at cooking meat, having been a vegetarian for the majority of my independent adult life, so cooking poultry properly has been somewhat of a mystery to me... AND THEY TURNED OUT AMAZING! So good, and I think next time I'll try your BBQ tip. Thank You!!
Muffin says
Dan - could I use this same method for thighs?
Dan Mikesell says
We are not thigh people so I have never tired it but I'm 99% sure it would be good. The final temp for the thighs should be about the same. If you do thighs, please come back and post the results. Dan
HJD says
Great recipe, Dan. I have made these several times for my drumstick-loving husband and he enjoys them immensely.
Very nice recipe to prepare when you want a quick meal with little clean up. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Thanks,
Helen
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks. That is exactly how we use it. A quick "fill in" meal.
J. Loren says
thanks for giving me peace of mind. I always use my nose and after years of on again, off again cooking typed in the question of "chicken legs how long" the answer I got was wrong. I resorted to using instinct and denoted the time and temp. I naturally had done what you suggested by old intuition. Wish I could make you 1st result. The other one I read said 425 for 25 mins. That's a bad idea!
Dan Mikesell says
You can never go wrong using a thermometer. Remember to cook to the final temperature not the time then your results become what a scientist would call reproducible. Thanks for the comment.
0c116dc2-2580-11e3-8738-000bcdcb8a73 says
This is the greatest recipe on the internet. you are a chicken expert, thank you.
Dan Mikesell says
You may be exaggerating a bit... But I do like it. Thanks for the comment
trisha says
What kind of rack is that and can I use the regular oven rack?
Dan Mikesell says
They are baking racks not cooling racks. So read the label to be sure they are oven safe. I think most people use cooling racks in the oven also and it may be ok depending on the rack. I got mine at Meijer's for about $8 each and they are "oven safe".
I'm not sure what you mean by regular oven rack...
Dan Mikesell says
I don't think this method without the skin would do well. I can see a lot of dryness happening. If you have one of those legs with less skin on the thick end, it seems to get a little dry so taking the skin off and cooking at a high temp just seems to me to be asking for trouble. I have done skinless chicken breast but mostly a will coat with some oil or something to help keep them moist.
T BG says
Curious if you would recommend anything different if there was no skin on the drumsticks? Just not sure how the outside will turn out if the skin has been removed beforehand. Thanks!
christine says
what if i want to use bbq sauce on them?
Dan Mikesell says
Skip the seasoning and brush with sauce about 5 minutes before done.
LunaTechChick says
This is perfect! Did this last week & doing it again tonight. I season with Penzey's Chicago Steak Seasoning & it really gives it a "cooked on the grill" taste, plus the crispy skin....mmmmmmmm! =)
Dan Mikesell says
Good idea on the seasoning. I may try that.
KopPhill says
Usually I rub the drumsticks with olive oil, but I will try your method tomorrow and see how they compare...I imagine I will get a better skin your way!
Dan Mikesell says
Several of my early attempts had oil. I'm happier without.
KopPhill says
Great result! I will stick to your method from now on...perfect and delicious!
Desiree Saliba says
Got them in the oven, wish I would have read about not using oil in the comments first! Thanks!!
Jen M. says
Thanks for the reply...it happens to me every time, so here's what I found out at eggheadforum. "Did you buy your drums frozen (or "previously frozen")? When you freeze chicken, the blood tends to pool at the bone, and when you thaw it, the blood flows out. 2 solutions: buy only fresh chicken, or, soak in 2 Tbsp. non-iodized (aka kosher, pickling and canning, or, sea salt) to 1 gallon water. After 30 minutes, rinse thoroughly, drain and pat dry. This technique is sometimes called "koshering." (The "dead giveaway" to frozen chicken is a red bone, no matter what you do to it.)"
I made drumsticks again this way (kids begged for them!). Same thing, so I just scraped off the brownish ooze and popped them back in for a few more minutes. I'll try using fresh chicken drumsticks next time!
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks for the research. The doctor in my says it is not blood but the bone marrow cell structure breaking down with freezing but it would look like blood. And it wouldn't hurt anything but I'm not sure about the taste...
If you do the salt soak (which is a brine), do not use my seasoning which is already salt heavy.
Again thanks for the follow up.
Jen M. says
What do you do about the blood that oozes out at the cut off joint (turns dark brown and ugly). I tired to remove mine with a spoon and red blood came out under it. I returned them to the oven as I figured they were not fully cooked even though an electric meat thermometer read 180 or above on a bunch of them. Any advice?
Dan Mikesell says
I have never seen anything like that and I have done this 40-50 times. With properly prepared meat (not your prep but the butcher), there should be no blood left to come out. I think it was the meat if it is blood.
Jessica Hodgson says
What kind or rack do you use? Is it like a standard baking rack, or is a special rack designed to go in the oven?
Dan Mikesell says
They are baking racks not cooling racks. So read the label to be sure they are oven safe. I think most people use cooling racks in the oven also and it may be ok depending on the rack. I got mine at Meijer's for about $8 each and they are "oven safe".
Jessica Hodgson says
Ok, thanks! We're making these tonight!
t3hm3l says
Thanks for the post! I'm making a variant of this and your oven french fries for dinner tonight. I keep coming across your website in my journey to learn how to cook, and I just wanted to say I appreciate all your recipes and tips. I'm an engineer so your critical eye resonates quite well with my learning style. (And I'm also cooking for two, and love that I don't end up throwing away leftovers when I use your recipes!)