Chicken Drumsticks

Bone-in, skin-on drumsticks are typically about 4 oz each. Look for drumsticks that are roughly the same size, so they finish cooking at the same time. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels before seasoning. Wet skin = steam = no crispiness. If you have time, season them and leave uncovered in the fridge for 2–4 hours (or overnight). This helps the skin dry out and crisps up beautifully when cooked.

Drumsticks are the most forgiving cut of chicken you can buy. Being dark meat with built-in bone insulation means you'd have to go out of your way to dry them out. The one thing most people get wrong when cooking them is temperature: baking at 350°F gives you flabby, pale skin that no one wants to eat. Crank it to 400–425°F minimum, pat the skin bone-dry, and you'll get crispy skin with juicy meat every time. Below you'll find exact times for roasting, air frying, grilling, and deep frying.

Drumsticks are safe at 165°F (USDA), but like all dark meat, they're best at 175–180°F where the connective tissue and fat render into juicy tenderness. At 165°F the meat near the bone can be chewy and pink-tinged (safe but unappealing). That pink tinge, especially on younger chickens, is just myoglobin (not blood) so don't let it throw you off. Insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone; bone conducts heat and can give a false high reading. Dark meat is very forgiving, it's almost impossible to overcook. When in doubt, go hotter.