Skip to Content

How Long to Bake Chicken Drumsticks at 400?

How Long to Bake Chicken Drumsticks at 400?

Last Updated on 19th June 2023 by

I definitely prefer baking chicken to frying it because of how much healthier it is and the fact that it doesn’t make for greasy chicken.

I’ve learned that baking the chicken at different temperatures can give you differently textured chicken.

So, if you cook chicken at 350 degrees, that’s going to give you a different texture than cooking it thoroughly at 400 degrees. If you are looking for the best way to reheat fried chicken then we have you covered here.

Of course, your cooking times are going to change depending on what temperature you’re cooking the chicken at.  If you are an air fry owner and want to know how to cook your chicken using an air fryer then we have a guide for that here too.

If you know how long to bake chicken drumsticks at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you can get them to come out perfectly every time.

What should the temperature be of your baked chicken leg when cooked?  According to the USDA the safe internal temp of chicken drumsticks should be 165F for a minimum of 30 seconds

How Long to Bake Chicken Legs At 400?

400 degrees is the perfect temperature for baking chicken legs, and you can get them to come out nicely crispy and cooked all the way through if you cook them for long enough.

If you’re just cooking chicken legs then at 400 degrees, you only need to cook them for about 20 to 25 minutes, turning once midway through cooking.

5 Raw Chicken Legs in The Oven
How long to bake chicken drumsticks

Of course, if you have a lot of chicken legs in the oven at once, it may take longer. It’s always best to check them with an internal thermometer to ensure that they are cooked thoroughly.

Check your thermometer to see that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.

How Long to Bake Chicken Tenderloins at 400?

Chicken tenderloins may not take as long to cook at 400 degrees as chicken drumsticks. It depends on how thick your chicken is and how much of it you’re putting in the oven at once.

How long to bake chicken tenders at 400 degrees Fahrenheit?

Pieces of chicken like this tend to be relatively thin and will bake fairly quickly. If they are fully thawed, they can cook in about 20 minutes.

Tenderloins usually take 20 to 25 minutes, if you have a tray of those in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

If chicken tenders or chicken tenderloins are frozen, they will take longer to cook. How long to bake thin cutlets at 400 degrees if they are frozen? You should give them about 30 to 35 minutes.

This allows them both time to thaw out and to cook thoroughly. Once again, you can use the thermometer to check the internal temperature just to be sure.

Chicken strips and chicken tenders take about the same amount of time to cook. So, if you’re wondering how long to bake chicken strips at 400, it’s about 20 to 25 minutes for thawed strips and tenders and 30 to 35 minutes for frozen ones.

Chicken Legs Raw and Covered in Oil on Baking Tray
What Temperature to Bake Chicken Legs

How Long to Bake Frozen Chicken Breast at 400

Cooking chicken breasts is a little trickier, because how long you need to cook it for definitely depends on the size. Chicken breasts vary greatly in size from one piece to another, which means the cooking time varies.

That’s no problem, though. You simply need to have an idea of how long you should cook and then check it periodically with a thermometer to determine if the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees yet and if it is fully cooked.

So, how long to bake stuffed chicken breast at 400 degrees if it is frozen? It can take anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes, depending on how thick the pieces of chicken breast are.

How long to bake bone in chicken breast at 400 when it is frozen? The time is the same, because having the bone in the chicken breast doesn’t change the cooking time. It won’t slow down how long it takes for the chicken to cook all the way through.

Some pieces of meat cook faster than others because they tend to be thinner. Legs and wings, for example, cook faster since there’s less meat on them compared to thighs and breasts.

How long to bake bone in chicken thighs at 400 degrees Fahrenheit? You can give it the same 35 to 50 minutes as you would the chicken breast.

How long does it take to bake a chicken breast at 400? This is the key piece of meat to watch, since it is thicker and meatier than the other cuts of chicken.

It takes longer to cook in the oven, even at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It can take anywhere from 35 to 50 minutes to cook a few pieces of chicken breast in the oven.

Be sure to check the internal temperature before you try to serve it.

Chicken Drumsticks After being Baked for 40 Minutes in The Oven
Chicken Drumsticks Baked for 40 Mins

How Long to Bake Whole Chicken at 400?

A whole chicken can take longer, obviously, because there’s more meat and more chicken there to deal with. How long to bake a whole chicken at 400 degrees Fahrenheit?

It can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the chicken.

You should look at the packaging your chicken comes in to see what it tells you, but the general rule to go by is to cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

When you’re wondering how long to bake chicken in oven at 400 degrees, you need to consider the chicken’s size, how much room it has in the oven, and how well you want to cook it.

If you don’t cook it as long, it can come out juicier and quite tender. If you cook it for too long, it can dry out and be overly crispy and tough.

Striking that balance is important and sometimes difficult to do. It’s something you’ll learn the more you cook chicken. (Are you looking for another handy guide on how to cook chicken without oil for an healthier option).

You’ll be able to eyeball chicken in the oven and tell whether it looks done from the outside, verifying just by a simple stick with the thermometer.

The more practice you have cooking chicken, the easier it will be to tell when it’s really done, and the thermometer will just be there for you to have a safety check. 

You can cook your chicken faster if you cut it up into smaller pieces, which you might want to consider if you are wondering how long to bake a whole chicken at 400.

Chicken Drums Sticks After being Baked in The Oven for 50 Minutes
Drum Sticks Baked for 50 Mins

It really is important that you check the internal temperature of a whole chicken, more so than with smaller pieces.

The whole chicken takes longer to cook all the way through and there’s less chance that it will cook thoroughly in the oven.

I’ve talked about how long to bake chicken at 400 degrees, and if you bake at 350 degrees, you’ll definitely want to adjust your cooking times.

Any temperature changes are going to result in cooking time changes. Keep that in mind as you cook your chicken and plan for how long it needs to cook.

FAQs About Cooking Chicken Drumstick

What should the internal temperature of my chicken drumstick be when cooked.

According the USDA the internal temperature of a chicken drumstick should be 165F for a minimum of 30 seconds.

What is the best temperature to cook chicken legs/drumsticks in the oven?

The ideal cooking temperature for chicken drumsticks on the oven is 400F for a minimum of 35-40 Mins. If you like your chicken drumsticks extra crispy then you may increase the cooking time for a further 5-10 mins according to taste.

What are the cooking times for chicken drumsticks at 300, 350 and 375 degrees fahrenheit

at 300F you should cook your chicken drumsticks for around 50-60 mins. At 350F the cooking time should be 45-50 mins. At 375F the cooking time should be 40-45 mins.

What are the other ways that I can cook chicken drumsticks.

You can air fry, shallow fry, bake, grill and BBQ chicken drumsticks. These cooking methods ensure that you produce a nice crispy skin with a juicy meat that isn’t dry.

More How To’s

How To Make Molasses Bread – Original, Black Angus & Pumpkin Recipes

How To Make Manapua

How To Make Chorizo Burgers

How To Dry Age Steak

References:

https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/resources/chicken-food-safety

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/cooking-safely-in-your-business

4.7/5 - (36 votes)

I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!