How Long To Bake Chicken Legs Per Pound
The table that shows approximately how long it would take to bake raw and frozen chicken legs per pound at different temperatures:
| Temperature |
|---|
| 15-25 minutes |
Here is a general equation for calculating the total baking time for chicken legs per pound:
Total Baking Time = ) x
For example, if you are baking fresh chicken legs that weigh 2 pounds at 400°F, and the baking time per pound is 12-20 minutes, you can calculate the total baking time as follows:
Total Baking Time = x = 24-40 minutes.
Can You Freeze Raw Drumsticks
Absolutely! You can freeze raw chicken for up to 9-12 months for best results. Simply lay the drumsticks on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer and place in the freezer. Once solid, you can move them to a freezer bag for more compact storage.
TIP:If you like, you can brush with butter and season the chicken legs before freezing. That way there is virtually no prep before baking later.
How Long To Cook Chicken Legs In The Oven
Usually it takes about 40 to 45 minutes to cook average size bone-in chicken legs in a pre-heated 400º F oven although the time may vary depending on the size of the drumsticks and how hot your oven runs. I always recommend you take a quick peek after 35 minutes of baking to make sure the legs arent browning too fast.
The best and most accurate way to know when the chicken is ready is to test the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F when checked on the thickest and meatiest part of the drumstick, without touching the bone.
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Is It Better To Bake Chicken Legs At 350 Or 400
The truth is that both temperatures work. Bone-in chicken drumsticks, thighs and wings can be baked at 350ºF and 400ºF. If cooking the chicken at 350ºF, you may have to add 5-10 additional minutes to the baking time. For this particular recipe, I prefer roasting the chicken at 400ºF because I want the skin to get extra crispy.
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
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Air Fryer Chicken Legs are a quick and easy dinner recipe! These Chicken Drumsticks are tossed in olive oil and then a blend of seasonings before they are cooked. This gives them a delicious flavor and crispy skin!
Today its all about crispy chicken legs in your Air Fryer with a super simple spice rub. This is a weeknight-friendly way to switch up your chicken dinner, especially if youve been stuck in a boneless, skinless chicken breast rut. Chicken drumsticks are juicy, full of flavor and so easy to cook in an air fryer. Serve them with some Creamy Corn Macaroni and Cheese Casserole for a dinner your whole family will love!
These Air Fryer Chicken Legs have go-to weeknight dinner written all over them! In 30 minutes you can prep and cook the chicken legs and dinner is ready to go.
We love Baked Chicken Legs and Barbecue Baked Chicken Drumsticks that are cooked in the oven, but these Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks are one of our new favorites. The skin gets so nice and crispy and the flavor from the seasoning is so delicious!
This is definitely a chicken recipe you want to keep around because it pretty much goes with anything. I love them with potato salad and pasta salad during the summer and roasted vegetables during the winter.
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How To Thaw Frozen Chicken Legs
There are a few different ways to thaw frozen chicken legs, including:
- Refrigerator thawing: This is the safest and most recommended method for thawing chicken legs. To thaw chicken legs in the refrigerator, simply place them in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of chicken.
- Cold water thawing: To thaw chicken legs using cold water, place them in a resealable plastic bag and immerse them in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure that it stays cold. This method should take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw the chicken legs.
- Microwave thawing: To thaw chicken legs in the microwave, place them on a microwave-safe plate and use the defrost setting on your microwave. Check the chicken legs every few minutes to ensure that they are thawing evenly. This method should take about 5-7 minutes per pound to thaw the chicken legs.
Baked Chicken Quarters Make For Easy Budget
Sure, chicken breasts get a lot of attention as people look for easy and delicious ways to eat healthier. Still, you can’t deny the deliciousness of a well-cooked chicken leg. The white meat parts of the chicken are considered healthier than dark meat . But the truth is, there isn’t a significant health difference between the two. Dark meats do contain a bit more fat than their light meat counterparts, but chicken is still one of the healthiest proteins you can consume. And chicken legs are also inexpensive, versatile, meaty, and moist. Many chicken lovers consider them the most flavorful part of the bird.
BHG / Madhumita Sathishkumar
There are many different ways you can cook chicken legs and thighs, but one of our favorites for flavor and ease has to be oven baking. This technique results in a moist, juicy chicken with a crisp, flavorful outer crust that everyone in the family will love.
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How To Cook Chicken Legs
Remember to remove your chicken legs out of the packaging, pat dry before cooking
Pre heat your oven to 200 oc temperature fan assisted or 215 oc without a fan
Season the chicken just prior to roasting
Choose a large, heavy based roasting tray, ideally with deep sides and handles for easy movement
Massage a little softened butter under the skin of the jointed chicken then season with good quality fine sea salt
Make a trivet by roughly chopping equal amounts of onion, carrot and celery or my preferred choice of celeriac, the root of the celery plus a bay leaf, sprig of thyme and a few black peppercorns, another nice addition can be a lemon cut in half and popped onto the tray
Place the legs skin side up onto the trivet which should line the base of the tray
Place in centre of oven and roast for 40 minutes reaching a core temperature of minimum 75 oc
Remove from oven and pop onto a clean tray and keep warm by covering with a sheet of tin foil then resting for a a few moments, leaving the roasted vegetables in the tray for the gravy
Award winning meat
Can I Use Different Seasonings On The Chicken Legs
Absolutely! Use your favorite premade seasoning blends or create your own blend using the spices with the flavor profiles you enjoy eating.
Some of my favorite spice blends for seasoning these crispy baked chicken drumsticks are Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, old bay, barbecue seasoning and jerk seasoning.
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Watch The Step By Step Video For This Barbecue Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe Below:
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How To Make Chicken Legs At 375
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper should be mixed in a small dish.
- Olive oil should be poured into a baking dish measuring 13 by 9 inches and used to cover the whole bottom of the dish.
- Chicken legs should be rubbed with the seasoning mixture before being placed in the baking pan. Keep a safe distance between them.
- Bake the chicken legs for 20 minutes, then flip them over and bake them for another 15- 25 minutes. When the meat is done, the internal temperature should be at least 160 degrees F.
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Ingredient Info And Substitution Suggestions
CHICKEN Try to find bone-in, skin-on, chicken legs that are fairly equal in size to one another. Family packs of chicken tend to have more random sized pieces and are often times fattier. We like to use the smaller packs which are more uniform in size. If you are using frozen chicken, be sure to let them completely thaw and pat them dry before beginning.
SEASONING A simple mixture of garlic salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and butter compliment the naturally flavorful meat. You can certainly use your favorite combination of spices and seasonings if you prefer. Try adding a pinch of cayenne or even cajun seasoning for a little extra kick. Lemon pepper is another popular seasoning to coat chicken drumsticks in. If youd prefer to not use butter, you can use olive oil in its place.
Cooking Temperatures And Times For Baked Chicken Legs
Most of our baked chicken quarters recipes call for a temperature of 375°F , but you can adjust temperatures as long as you also adjust your cooking times. Adjusting cooking temperatures allows you to cook other dishes with different baking temperature requirements at the same time.
Here’s a quick guide to recommended cooking times by temperature. If possible, you should always use a meat thermometer to check whether the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Chicken thighs and legs should have an internal temperature of 175°F when fully cooked.
- Oven temperature at 350°F: Bake chicken uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes
- Oven temperature at 375°F: Bake chicken uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes
- Oven temperature at 400°F: Bake chicken uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes
- Oven temperature at 425°F: Bake chicken uncovered for 25 to 35 minutes
- Oven temperature at 450°F: Bake chicken uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes
BHG/Madhumita Sathishkumar
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How Long To Bake Chicken Legs
For how long to cook chicken legs in oven youll want to set aside 45 minutes for these. If they are smaller 40 min. might do it but with the prep and all I would say you need an hour to get it all done. Not bad for a main dish.
Of course you will want to season that up and not just use it right out of the bottle or bag. If you have seasonings you like on poultry then by all means use those. I have a suggestion below though so you can test this one out and adjust to your liking on the 2nd batch if you prefer.
- 6-10 chicken legs with the bone- in of course and for sure you want the skin on
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- This is our favorite barbecue sauce
What To Serve With Bbq Chicken Legs
I love to serve fresh summer produce and classic bbq sides alongside the bbq chicken drumsticks. Here are a few of my favorites.
- fresh summer fruit
- Pat legs dry with a paper towel.
- Season both sides liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place chicken legs on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
- Flip and bake another 20 minutes.
- Increase heat to 450 degrees. Liberally brush sauce on one side and bake an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Flip and generously brush more sauce on second side and bake another 5-7 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and sauce is browned.
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How Long To Bake Small/large Chicken Legs
The size of chicken legs can be determined by their weight. Chicken legs that weigh between 1-1.5 pounds are generally considered to be small, while those that weigh 2-3 pounds or more are considered to be large. You can use these weight ranges to determine whether a particular set of chicken legs is small or large.
Here is a summary of the information about baking small and large chicken legs in the oven:
- Small chicken legs :
- Fresh: 20-30 minutes at 350°F, 15-25 minutes at 375°F, 12-20 minutes at 400°F, 10-15 minutes at 425°F, 8-12 minutes at 450°F.
- Frozen: 40-60 minutes at 350°F, 30-50 minutes at 375°F, 25-40 minutes at 400°F, 20-30 minutes at 425°F, 15-25 minutes at 450°F.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs To Make This Recipe
Yes, you can. I suggest using bone-in chicken thighs. I prefer skin-on chicken for this type of dish. The skin serves as a layer of protection to prevent the meat from drying out and creates a crispy exterior. Thats a win-win!
You can also use whole chicken legs with the thigh attached .
If you love baked chicken try my Oven Roasted Blackened Chicken.
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How To Store Leftover Baked Chicken Legs
- In The Fridge: Chicken legs should be cooled thoroughly before handling. Place the chicken thighs in a sealed bag or container. Chicken legs should be used within three to four days.
- In The Freezer: properly store baked chicken legs can last up to 3 months in the freezer. Use a permanent marker to label the bag or container with the contents and the date, so you know how long the chicken legs have been frozen.
Here is a simple recipe To Understand How To bake Chicken LegsPerctly:
Baked Chicken Legs In Oven
We shared baked turkey legs with you recently. This is similar but doesnt take as long. I love brushing these with either barbecue sauce or teriyaki too when done. Adds a ton of flavor to them but if you are going for a low carb meal you could just sprinkle with salt and pepper too.
Then we went on to show you how long to cook chicken wings in oven at 375, these fall somewhere between the two. There is a key to getting crispy chicken skin yall and it might be more surprising as you might think. It is a white substance you would normally use to bake cakes but draws the moisture out perfectly as meat bakes too.
We have used this process to make air fryer baking powder chicken but you can use it for baking in the oven as well. The reason it works so well is that when it coats the skin. When it is under high heat it sucks what moisture is left on the skin out so it gets crispier than any other method.
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How Do I Make Crispy Chicken Drumsticks
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper to a small mixing bowl.
Using a fork, blend the spices together.
Add the olive oil to the spices and blend them together.
- Allow the chicken legs to come to room temperature
- Using a pastry brush coat the chicken legs with the seasoning oil mixture. Make sure to coat the entire drumstick.
- Place the chicken legs in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, making sure to leave room between the drumsticks.
*To get really crispy skin you need to thoroughly dry the chicken before applying the oil and seasonings. Use paper towels to pat dry the chicken legs. Removing the excess moisture from the skin will allow you to get that perfectly crispy skin.
- Bake the chicken legs for 30 minutes at 400 degrees on the middle rack of your oven.
- Brush the legs with the oil that has gathered on the tray and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until crispy .
*If you use an instant-read thermometer the internal temperature must be at least 165 degrees. At this temperature and time, they should be well above that internal temp.
When it comes to chicken recipes, simple ingredients tend to yield the best results, making these crispy chicken legs a dish the whole family will love!
Crispy Baked Chicken Legs
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Baked Chicken Legs are always a good choice for the budget-conscious household. This delicious recipe produces the most tender juicy meat with crisp skin for the perfect dinner. Since theyre so easy to make, theyre also great to bake and pull the meat for Homemade Chicken Spaghetti or Chicken Salad!
I love serving these with a side of steamed broccoli and Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes for a healthy, easy weeknight meal!
When it comes to finding ways to save money without sacrificing pure deliciousness, baked chicken leg quarters are on my short list. But cost is a very small part of the picture. Nothing compares to bone-in, skin on dark-meat poultry for juicy, tasty yumminess. Plus, its just about the fastest dish to prep that you can imagine.
A simple seasoning of garlic powder and herbs is all you need . I love rosemary with poultry, and thats what this baked chicken legs recipe calls for. But you can also make these just as easily, with nothing more than salt and freshly ground pepper .
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