Best Damn Oven Baked Chicken Legs (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to bake drumsticks at 350 or 400? ›

We have found that baking chicken drumsticks at 400°F gives the best results for juicy, moist dark meat with crispy skin. You'll know they are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with a digital meat thermometer in the thickest part of the drumstick without touching the bone.

Cooking chicken drumsticks at 400 degrees for 40 minutes will make them come out nicely crispy and cooked all the way through. You just have to preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, bake the chicken legs uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on your meat thermometer.

One reason your chicken drumsticks may not be crispy after baking in the oven is the temperature was too low. To achieve crispy chicken skin, it's best to bake the chicken at a higher temperature, as I do here for these Seasoned Crispy Chicken Drumsticks – baking at 420.

I definitely recommend turning the chicken over halfway through baking, so the skin gets cooked on all sides. By the end the skin on top should be nice and crispy, but if you prefer it even crispier, set your oven to broil and place the chicken under the broiler for a minute or 2 on each side!

No, you should not cover it. You want the skin to brown and the chicken roasted, not steamed, so you should leave it uncovered. However, if the drumsticks need more than 30 minutes in the oven and seem to be darkening too quickly, loosely cover them with foil and keep cooking until they are cooked through.

An instant read thermometer is the best way to tell when chicken recipes are done. If you find yourself without one, you can cut into the thickest part of the chicken to view the color. Cooked chicken should be firm, white and opaque, and the juices should run clear as you cut into the meat.

Leg and thigh meat is still safe at 165°F, but it is recommended to cook it to an internal temperature of about 170-175°F (77-79°C). The chicken's legs are actively worked muscles, and the meat is tougher because of it.

Guidelines for Baking: For bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, consider baking at 350°F for a longer time (45-55 minutes), checking the internal temperature to ensure doneness. For boneless, skinless chicken thighs, you can bake at 400°F for a shorter time (25-35 minutes), again checking the internal temperature.

To Bake Chicken Breast at 400°F: This will take between 22 and 26 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts. You can cook chicken breasts at 350°F for closer to 25-30 minutes (although I prefer the higher heat above).

Restaurants often achieve juicy and tender fried chicken with a crispy exterior through a combination of techniques such as marinating the chicken in buttermilk or brine, using a seasoned flour or breading mixture, and deep-frying at the right temperature.

What is the trick to getting crispy chicken? ›

Mix things up a little. It makes sense to keep a “wet hand” and a “dry hand” when breading chicken for frying. However, a little mixing of the two actually makes your fried chicken crispier, says Fontana. Take your wet hand, dip it into your buttermilk and hold it over your flour to let it drip into the mixture.

If the chicken is tough it could be one of three things. The oven temperature was too low, the chicken wasn't cooked for long enough or perhaps it has steamed if you cover it when cooking.

It's flavoured with a simple, BBQ rub-like seasoning made with just paprika, onion and garlic powder (bet you've got all 3 in your pantry!!) bulked out with flour to coat the legs all over. As for a little trick to get the skin nice and crispy? A touch of baking powder.

A chicken drumstick is the lower portion of the chicken leg, which is separated from the thigh. Compared to the wing, there is more meat on a drumstick, making it a preferred choice for many.

The dark meat of chicken thighs and drumsticks will stay tender and juicy even if you accidentally overcook them, and the legs are arguably the most flavorful part of the whole chicken.

At 350°F/180°C drumsticks should take approximately 30-45 minutes to cook. Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F/75°C on a meat thermometer. Is it better to bake chicken legs at 350 or 400? I prefer baking chicken at 350°F/180°C to ensure the chicken is fully cooked to the bone without drying out.

Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the leg registers 165°F, 35 to 40 minutes.

Here's the shortest answer we can give you: For large boneless, skinless chicken breasts: cook them 20 to 30 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven. For large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook them 35 to 40 minutes in a 375 degrees F oven.