Chicken drumsticks rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 26 recipes to cook with them.

What are chicken drumsticks?

A drumstick is the lower half of the chicken leg, the part below the knee joint. It is dark meat on a single handle of bone, which makes it the cut kids reach for and the one that disappears first at a cookout.

Drumsticks are among the cheapest chicken you can buy, and the bone and fat make them nearly impossible to ruin. They stay moist through grilling, baking, and frying, and the built-in handle means no fork required.

How to Cook Drumsticks

Baking is the simple default. Roast at 400 to 425°F (200 to 220°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, turning once, until the skin crisps and browns, as in Crispy Chicken Drumsticks.

Grilling gives them char and smoke. Cook over medium heat and keep them off the hottest flames so dripping fat does not flare, turning often for even color. A spice rub or barbecue glaze suits them, as in Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks with Spicy Dips.

Frying and braising both work too. Coated and fried they go shatter-crisp, and braised low in liquid the meat slips off the bone, the idea behind Braised Chicken Drumsticks. They also soak up marinades well, which is why they star in Chicken Tandoori #1.

Getting Them Crisp and Done

Pat the skin dry before cooking. Wet skin steams and stays pale, while dry skin under high heat renders its fat and crisps.

Take drumsticks to 175 to 185°F (80 to 85°C) rather than stopping at 165°F (74°C).

The dark meat near the bone is full of collagen and tendon that only soften with extra heat, so a drumstick pulled early is safe but rubbery, especially right at the joint. Cooked through, it pulls clean off the bone.

Substitutes

A whole chicken leg gives you a drumstick plus its thigh, so legs swap in directly with more meat per piece. Bone-in thighs cook similarly and stay just as juicy. Wings bring the same dark meat and crisp skin in a smaller, saucier package.

Buying and Storing

Look for plump drumsticks with smooth, intact skin and no gray patches or sour smell. They are usually sold in value packs, so they are an easy cut to buy in bulk and freeze.

Use raw drumsticks within one to two days, stored cold at the bottom of the fridge. Freeze for up to nine months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For general handling and the 165°F (74°C) safety rule, see the parent chicken page.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find chicken drumsticks: Chicken drumsticks are usually found in the poultry section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Chicken drumsticks are a member of the Poultry Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

鸡腿

British (UK) term

Chicken drumsticks

en français

pilons de poulet

en español

muslos de pollo deshuesadas y sin pellejo

How much do chicken drumsticks weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 unit (yield from 1 lb ready-to-cook chicken)	44 grams
1 drumstick, bone removed	73 grams

Related

Poultry Products

Recipes using chicken drumsticks

There are 26 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 26 recipes