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
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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.
lavonne says
I looked for the rack on meijers could not find it could u post a pic or email me one also can u tell me kinda more detail on how to use that thermometer that lost me right there, i got 12 legs i wanna do today after work, thanks
DrDan says
Just a quick note. I won’t be home until 8 tonight. The racks can be any oven safe rack or you can put them directly on the foil but spray the foil with lots of PAM or use the nonstick foil. I got my racks at Meijer's several years ago and who knows what they have now.
I use a Thermapen that costs $100 but reads in only a few seconds but any meat thermometer should work but just take a little longer to read. Put it in the thickest part of the meat but not touching the bone to get the temp.
DrDan
Mary says
I am trying to cook chicken drumsticks tonight for the first time for my son's birthday request. He wants fried chicken, but thought I'd try oven baking as I'm not a fan of frying. I'd like to do a Panko crust, though, to have some crunch and wondered if the times would be about the same or if the thicker crust changes anything?
Thank you for your help!
DrDan says
I would think the Panko would be burnt before the meat was done using my technique. I haven't tried it though. Some of my other recipes use Panko while baking and they are nice in about 20-25 minutes at high temps.
I don't have a good suggestion... Sorry
DrDan
kikileigh says
Before throwing my chicken legs in the oven to bake, I wish I'd have found this recipe. It was too late to change up so I'll have to try YOUR recipe the next time.
I do have a question though. It's just my husband and me and I was trying to figure out how to bake these chicken legs and potatoes. What I came up with was slicing about 5 russet potatoes, and 1/2 of an onion, seasoning them in an aluminum roasting pan and tossing with olive oil. I then seasoned my 6 chicken legs with Natures Seasoning and salt, placed them on the bed of potatoes and onion, covered it, put it in a 450 degree oven for 20 mins. then UN-covered it and baked for an additional 45 mins (I have a very small oven (on a houseboat) so it takes a bit longer to bake/cook in it). It turned out pretty good but I'm sure it could have been MUCH better had I used your recipe for the chicken legs.
My question is, do have have a recipe for chicken legs (either roasted or baked) and russet potatoes? Just something really simple but not filled with a whole bunch of different seasonings? I usually use Nature's Seasoning, onion powder, a little bit of garlic powder, and sometimes salt and pepper. I don't use things like rosemary, basil, or things like that although I do have a few of those spices in my spice rack. Can you give me a really simple recipe just using chicken legs, potatoes, and maybe other veggies like carrots, snap beans, etc?
Thanks in advance! :)
DrDan says
First I would use your normal seasoning that you already like. I would not cook the drumsticks in the same dish as the veggies. I like to cook these with air moving around them to crisp them some. But I would cook them beside the veggies. If your oven is small, on the same cooking sheet should be fine. If you don't have a rack, then another commenter suggests nonstick aluminum foil.
I do have lots of potato recipes. I really like the Parmesan Garlic Baked Potatoes but lots of butter there (but worth it). The roasted red potatoes also matches up nicely in time and I have done the same technique with cut up russets and it works fine. You could throw in some baby carrots with the potatoes and I think (but don't know for sure) they would cook nicely. The oven temp is a little lower on the roasted potatoes but use the 425 and they will just be done a little faster. A done potato is about 205 degrees internal temp.
DrDan
I know this isn't a complete answer
Angie says
This is the ONLY recipe I use for baked drummies! I wouldn't change a thing!! Well done!!
DrDan says
Thanks
DrDan
Jennifer Martin says
Wow! These were delicious -- and so easy. Definitely to be added to my repertoire. (I actually brushed them with 1 TBSP melted butter before applying the spices -- couldn't resist.) The oven-baked fries I cut a bit bigger in narrow wedges and baked alongside the chicken: exactly 35 minutes and they came out perfectly.
So glad I've found your blog. We too have a busy schedule so I look forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!
DrDan says
Thanks, glad they work for you. It is nice how it matches so nice with the oven french fries.
DrDan
Natalie Moore says
What if you're not cooking on a tray? Do you still not flip them?
DrDan says
I would flip at about 15 minutes. I don't believe you must but it would cook more evenly.
DrDan
Kristi says
I always use this recipe and it turns out amazing every time! Thanks for the post!
DrDan says
The 7:2:2 is the ratio so all the units are the same so in your example, it is the first. Here is the post. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/everyday-spice-mix-721-mix/
DrDan
Sarah says
Thank you for this post! I am planning to try this recipe tonight for my family. Quick question: The measurements for your 7:2:1 seasoning is
7 Tbsp of salt, 2 Tbsp of black pepper and 1 Tbsp of granular garlic
OR
7 Tbsp of salt, 2 tsp of black pepper and 1 tsp of granular garlic
?
Sarah says
What if you do not have a convection oven ? Would you need to change the temperature and the time to cook?
Christopher Long says
I brushed a lemon juice/seasoned salt mix onto them and cooked the legs according to the recipe and they turned out amazing.
DrDan says
Thanks for the variation. I think of this more as a technique than a recipe. Good take on it.
DrDan
DrDan says
Opps... I forgot to reply here. I would either increase the temp by 25 degrees or cook a few more minutes. Remember it is the endpoint (temp) your are aiming for not a time.
DrDan
DrDan says
Thanks for the comment Clint.
I have never done thighs but I'm almost sure they would cook about the same. I will need to get some to try and then I will have a cryptic secret... Nawwww..... I would spill the beans.
DrDan
Clint says
Dr. Dan. Great and easy way to prepare drumsticks. I've used this link for about a year now to do my drumsticks. Everyone always asks me how I did it like there's some cryptic secret involved. I pass along the method given here. Like I mentioned, I've used this for about a year and am doing so again today. Just wanted to finally say thanks. Have you posted anywhere about preparing thighs?
Mary Ann Webb says
Thanks for posting this. I have legs waiting to use and had no idea what to do with them!
DrDan says
Hope it works for you as well as it does me.
Dan
Cat says
Tried this tonight and the drummies were *amazing* and so easy. Seasoned with kosher salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Have you ever tried it with other pieces of chicken? Would this technique work with thighs or even bone-in breasts?
DrDan says
I believe thighs would work but I have not done that. The chicken breasts need to stop at 165 and not a degree more. I have lots of bone in chicken breasts recipes.
Dan
Hollie says
making this right now....can't wait to eat...in about 25 min!