Baked chicken legs (drumsticks) are easy, budget-friendly, and ready in about 35 minutes. Bake hot for crispy skin and juicy meat every time — no flipping, no breading, no guesswork.
This foolproof recipe has been a reader favorite for over a decade. Perfect for beginners, it walks you through how long to bake chicken legs at different oven temps, the best internal temperature for tenderness (185°–195°F), and simple tricks for maximum crisp.
⏱️ Quick Answer: How Long to Cook Chicken Legs in the Oven
Chicken legs are best cooked to 185°F for juicy, tender meat. Here’s how long it takes at common oven temperatures:
- 350°F: 45–55 minutes
- 425°F: 35–40 minutes (recommended for crispy skin)
Cooking time varies by size and whether you use convection — convection ovens run about 5 minutes faster.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🛒 Ingredients for Baked Chicken Legs
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview – How to Bake Chicken Legs
- ⏱️ How Long to Bake Chicken Legs at 350°F, 375°F, 400°F, or 425°F
- 🧂 Seasoning & Flavor Options for Baked Chicken Legs
- 🛠️ Beginner Troubleshooting for Baked Chicken Legs
- 🌡️ Best Internal Temperature for Baked Chicken Legs
- 📋 Other Chicken Recipes
- 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- ❄️ How to Store Leftovers
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Tonya:
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"I followed the recipe to the "T" and I usually do my own thing. But this is absolutely the BEST ever drum recipe I have ever had in all my 46 years. Thank you!!!!"
👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super simple – No breading or marinades, just trim, season, and bake. No fuss.
- Crispy skin, juicy meat – High heat + optional rack (or a halfway flip) makes it happen.
- Beginner-friendly – Clear steps and tips for consistent results.
- Healthier family favorite – Low-carb, low-calorie, affordable, and a hit with kids and adults.
- Versatile flavors – Works with any seasoning blend or just salt and pepper.
🛒 Ingredients for Baked Chicken Legs
🐓 Chicken Legs (Drumsticks)
Use bone-in, skin-on pieces – don’t confuse them with leg quarters, which include the thigh. Leg quarters are better cooked using my Baked Chicken Thighs recipe.
✅ Trim tip: Check the cut end for loose bone fragments or skin flaps and trim.
🧂 Seasoning
My go-to is kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. You can season any way you like – from simple salt and pepper to your favorite spice blend.
(For more seasoning ideas, BBQ variations, and marinades, see the Seasoning & Flavor Options section below.)
👨🍳 Quick Overview – How to Bake Chicken Legs
1. Preheat and Prep
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. Add a wire rack if you have one.
✅ Pro Tip: A rack helps crisp the skin and keeps the legs out of the drippings. No rack? Place legs directly on the foil and flip halfway through baking.
2. Season the Chicken
Pat drumsticks very dry with paper towels – this is key for crisp skin. Trim any loose skin or bone fragments. Season all sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder – or your favorite blend.
✅ Pro Tip: Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin — don’t skip the drying step.
3. Bake
Place legs on the rack with thicker ends facing out. Bake at 425°F to an internal temp of 185°–195°F, about 35 minutes with convection or a few minutes longer without.
✅ Pro Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer – it’s the only way to know they’re cooked perfectly.
4. Rest and Serve
Let drumsticks rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices settle and the skin stays crisp.
Note: This is a quick overview, not the full recipe. See the printable recipe card below for complete step-by-step instructions, tips, and variations.
⏱️ How Long to Bake Chicken Legs at 350°F, 375°F, 400°F, or 425°F
Here's approximately how long to bake chicken legs at different oven temperatures. Times will also vary depending on the thickness and your oven. Always use an instant-read thermometer.
- 350°F conventional – 50 to 55 minutes
- 350°F convection / 375°F conventional – 45 to 50 minutes
- 375°F convection / 400°F conventional – 40 to 45 minutes
- 400°F convection / 425°F conventional – 35 to 40 minutes – recommended
- 425°F convection – about 35 minutes – recommended
✅ Pro Tip: Chicken legs are best at 185°–195°F — going higher than 165°F makes the meat more tender and juicy.
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🧂 Seasoning & Flavor Options for Baked Chicken Legs
- Classic: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder (my go-to).
- BBQ Style: Use a BBQ dry rub instead of salt and pepper. Brush with BBQ sauce in the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Smoky: Add smoked paprika for color and depth of flavor.
- Herb Blend: Try poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, or fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Marinades: Italian dressing, lemon butter marinade, or teriyaki work well, but you’ll lose the crispy skin.
✅ Pro Tip: A light coat of olive oil can help spices stick, but may make the skin slightly thicker and less crisp. I skip it for drumsticks, but it’s useful for skinless cuts.
🛠️ Beginner Troubleshooting for Baked Chicken Legs
Skin not crisp? The chicken wasn’t dry enough before seasoning, or your oven temperature was too low – is your oven accurate?. Pat thoroughly with paper towels and use the recommended temperature.
Cooking unevenly? Place thicker ends toward the pan edges — those areas cook hotter.
Still underdone? Don’t stop at 165°F. While it’s safe, the meat will be chewy and stringy. Drumsticks are most tender at 185°–195°F — always check with an instant-read thermometer.
🌡️ Best Internal Temperature for Baked Chicken Legs
The sweet spot for tender, juicy drumsticks is 185°–195°F. At this range, the connective tissue breaks down, making the meat moist and easy to eat.
Yes, 165°F is safe (USDA), but drumsticks cooked only to that temp will be chewy and stringy. The extra time to reach 185°–195°F is worth it for the texture alone.
America’s Test Kitchen recommends going even higher – 190°–195°F – for maximum tenderness.
📋 Other Chicken Recipes
If you like baked drumsticks, try these other easy chicken recipes:
- Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs – juicy meat with golden skin.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs – quick, flavorful, and perfect for summer.
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings – oven-baked but tastes deep-fried.
- Baked Bone-In Chicken Breasts – moist, flavorful, and easy.
- Cooking for a crowd? See How to Cook Chicken for a Group.
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
This never-fail recipe makes perfectly grilled chicken drumsticks fast and easy. Tender, flavorful, and budget-friendly, they'll delight everybody, from picky kids to grandma.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a green salad and your favorite sides:
- Oven Baked French Fries
- Baked Rice
- Microwave Corn on the Cob
- Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
- Steamed or roasted broccoli
❄️ How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container:
- Fridge: Up to 4 days
- Freezer: Up to 4 months
- Reheat: Thaw if frozen, then reheat in the oven or air fryer. The microwave works, but it softens the skin.
❓ FAQs
A rack lifts the chicken, allowing air to circulate underneath, which is especially helpful with convection ovens. It also keeps the legs out of the drippings for crisper skin.
No rack? Place them directly on foil and flip halfway through baking.
With previously frozen drumsticks, bone marrow can release pigment as it thaws and cooks. The meat may look pink, but it’s safe if the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
It’s best not to. Baking from frozen causes uneven cooking — the outside can overcook before the inside is done, and the texture suffers. Thaw completely for safety and the best results.
While 165°F is safe, drumsticks will still be chewy and stringy at that point. For tender, juicy meat, keep baking until they reach 185°–195°F so the connective tissue has time to break down.
In a convection oven, about 35 minutes. In a conventional oven, plan for 40–45 minutes. Always check for an internal temperature of 185°–195°F for the best texture.
📖The Recipe Card
Baked Chicken Legs (Drumsticks) – Crispy & Juicy
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken legs - (about 1½ lbs) – Scale to as many as you want
- Salt and pepper to taste (or your favorite seasoning)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat and Prep
- Preheat oven to 425°F (with convection if you have it)
- Prep a sheet pan with aluminum foil and a wire rack (optional). Spray with cooking spray. If you don't have a rack, flip the legs halfway through cooking.
- Pat the drumsticks very dry with paper towels. Trim any loose skin or joint fragments.
Season the Chicken
- Season all sides with salt and pepper (or your preferred seasoning).
Bake
- Place legs on the prepared rack with the thicker ends toward the pan edges. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 185°–195°F, about 35 minutes with convection (a few minutes longer without). Do not stop short of 185°F; use an instant-read thermometer.
Rest and Serve
- Let the cooked drumsticks rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute and the skin to stay crisp.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Optimal baking temperature: 400°F or 425°F convection. Lower temperatures, like 350°F or 375°F, will yield slightly less crisp skin. Refer to the main post for guidance on time across various temperatures.
- Pat dry: Removing surface moisture is the #1 key to crispy skin.
- Rack or flip: A rack promotes airflow and keeps meat out of drippings. No rack? Flip halfway.
- Seasoning: Adjust spices to your taste (see post for flavor and options).
- Scaling: This recipe can be scaled to any quantity needed.
- BBQ variation: Use a BBQ dry rub instead of salt/pepper; brush with BBQ sauce during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
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.
Julie M Orbe says
You don't explain how to cook the drumsticks if one doesn't own a rack. I only have casserole dishes and baking sheets. Different temps and different dishes used, varies, effects the baking. What do I need to do with what I have?
DrDan says
Hi Julie,
Welcome to the blog.
The rack helps keep the cooking more even and the skin crispier.
But let's work with what you have. If your baking sheets have a rim around them, I would go with them. If no rim, well we don't want a mess.
That leaves the casserole dishes. Most important if we use them will be to pick the biggest you have to spread out the drumsticks as much as possible. If two are equal in size, pick the shortest sides.
Lots of PAM on whatever pan you use and go ahead with 425 degrees and flip them after 15-20 minutes.
Remember you are cooking to a final internal temperature, not by time. The time will probably be a bit longer and the skin not as crispy. But the meat will be good.
Dan
Valerie Dronen says
These are the best, crispy, juicy drumsticks ever! Follow all of the tips. I usually don't like drumsticks but these turned out perfect!
Princess says
Hi Dr Dan!
What would the best oven temperature be to cook the chicken and for how long?
I find so many recipies for the same dish with different oven temps. and times so it gets confusing as to which one I should choose.
Thanks !
DrDan says
Hi Princess,
There are lots of variables. And like many things, there are lots of correct answers. Here I'm recommending an oven temperature of 425 in a convection oven. I feel that will get the best combination of crispy skin and correctly cooked meat for most people as you see in the comment.
You can uses lower temperatures and cook longer. The most important thing about cooking chicken and many other things is the final internal temperature. If your oven smokes, then a lower temperature is for you on these drumsticks.
Generally, for chicken you need 165 degrees internal temperature to be safe but for thighs and drumsticks, I suggest an internal temperature, not for safety, but for texture.
Dan
Julie says
Hi!
Our convection oven drops temps by 25 degrees. So I’m wondering if I should program it for 425, 400 convect, or 450 so 425 convect?
Thanks! Julie
DrDan says
Hi Julie,
Welcome to the blog.
If you are absolutely sure, you can bump it up. But I would rather do this to low than too high. So I would be conservative about it and probably just go with setting it at the 425 convection and know it might take a bit longer due to the lower temperature you have. But as aways, cook to a final internal temperature and not by time.
Dan
Yvonne says
I'm in the process of making this NOW! I however, only eat fish as a "meat" but my husband eats all meat.
I was wondering do u cover the pan with foil also. Or just leave it uncovered for the whole duration of time?
DrDan says
Hi Yvonne,
Uncovered. Covering will cause it to steam the skin. Not crispy. Foil is used under the rack for clean up reasons only.
Dan
Jana says
I can’t wait to try this tomorrow. Thanks.
Dutch67 says
5 stars for this one. We had thighs and drummies tonight, turning the pan at 15 minutes and temping at 30 with the convection oven at 425. The thighs were both at 184-187. The drummies were around 200. They were great. The skin was so good, my wife ate the skin only on the two leftover pieces.
Great job Doc!
Brooke says
Hi Dr. Dan!
I can’t belueve this post is 5 years old!! I was looking for a good recipe for baking chicken legs and happened upon this. I found out that the chicken I had was actually thighs! I decided to give your recipe a try with thighs. Oh my goodness it was so good and crispy. I had to go 5 minutes longer, but this will now be a regular staple in our weeknight dinners. Thanks Dr. Dan! I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I do have a thigh specific post since many people were asking about thighs. They were coming to the site, searching and leaving with nothing. So I did a seperate post which is nearly identical. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-baked-chicken-thighs/
Dan
Gillian says
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!
I'm wondering what you think of the recent news that putting meat ahead of time into a marinade is basically pointless? Two chefs from a major test kitchen were guests on a cooking show I listen to and they said that they'd done exhaustive testing and discovered that marinades (whether lemon-based, vinegar, alcohol — it didn't matter) basically just remained on the surface of the meat, penetrated only about 1/8" into the flesh, no matter whether it was left for 15 minutes or overnight, and you would do much better to just use the marinade as a sauce. I've always been frustrated with marinades for just this reason, so I was very happy to hear this. What a relief to skip the whole step of making the marinade and preparing the whole thing the night before, etc! Any opinion on this?
Thanks for the recipe! My oven is preheating now!
DrDan says
Hi Gillan,
I do try to do simple recipes that work. Hopefully, it works for you.
Basically, I agree, mostly. But, if you want a particular flavor for a meat, that 1/8 inch of intense flavor is really nice. But, the “pro” grillers/smokers use injectors for a reason. I think dry rubs are about the same and mostly I just rub and go anymore.
Remember, brines are not the same as marinades. They do more. Smaller molecules involved, osmotic gradients etc. I do have a chicken breast recipe called super moist that is a combo brine/marinade that works well.
Thanks for the note and welcome to the blog.
Dan
Bea says
This recipe is amazing! Kids love it! And it's not fried! Thank you so much!
DrDan says
Hi Bea,
It does seem to be a mother's favorite.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Adrienne says
I've made this recipe many times and have a batch in the oven right now. I rarely leave recipe reviews but this is long past due... these turn out perfect every time, crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside, and with the high cook temp they are done so quickly compared to other recipes. I love your website Dr. Dan, and I adore the pictures of your dogs!
DrDan says
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for the note. This is one of my top recipes.
Molly and Lilly say thanks.
Dan
Michael Roberts says
I love this recipe! Although I only cook mine to 155F so it stays a nice off-white / pale pink. Very tender.
DrDan says
Hi Michael,
Try to go to 165 for safety. Salmonella is not fun. I still suggest 185 for this recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Lucia says
Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe! As a graduate student money it tight so this recipe is a lifesaver. I've been making these about once a week for a couple of months now. I love to play with the spices. I've been using Penzey's lemon pepper recently, but I also love it with their Galena Street blend.
Cindy says
Dr. Dan, I cooked per instructions. The legs tasted great (used your seasoning 7-2-2) but didn’t brown, much and the skin was not real crispy. Even tho, I will use recipe again, but wondering what I might try differently to get results you and others are getting. Cooked in convection oven.
DrDan says
Hi Cindy,
Only a few comments. Be sure to pat dry. Try higher placement in the oven. And you can always hit it with a minute or two of broiler.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Brandon says
Might be a silly question, but I get this every time I bake these or any kind of drumstick recipe. Is there any way to release the water from the chicken drumstick after they are done cooking, or should that even be happening?
I've started to poke the wings with a fork after they are done cooking, I'm just curious if that is the right way to do it or not.
DrDan says
Hi Brandon,
Not a problem that I have ever seen...
So what to do about it? First let's discuss cause. I have two possibles. First that the drumstick (or wing) has been previous frozen that does lead to some free fluid. Think of those ice crystals under the skin. Next is not allowing fluid long enough after cooking to reabsorb. The main reason for the rest after cooking most meats.
If it is previous frozen, then get fresh. Or change stores since their supply chain may freeze somewhere along the line. The second issue is obviously to allow a longer rest.
If neither of those, poke your holes if it continues since I have no other ideas.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Hannah F. says
Made this for my parents and grandma tonight and they all enjoyed it! I cooked 9 drumsticks at 450F (conventional oven) for 35 minutes and the chicken turned out really delicious. Thank you for this recipe!