Chicken Legs

Chicken legs include the drumstick and thigh. When the two chicken pieces are left together, they're often called a leg quarter and sometimes a hindquarter, though some people use leg when referring to the drumstick alone. Chicken legs are dark meat and a versatile cut that absorbs marinade nicely and stays deliciously juicy when roasted, braised, or barbecued. Easy to cook and filled with flavor, chicken legs are a budget-friendly way to serve chicken any night of the week.

A chicken leg extends from the claw to what would be the animal's hip. When carving a chicken, it is cut into two leg quarters and two breast quarters. Each leg quarter, or simply the leg, includes two parts: the drumstick and the thigh. The two pieces may remain attached or sold as separate cuts. The thighs are sold either bone-in or boneless, while drumsticks and whole legs are most often sold with the bone. All of these cuts are affordable, but whole chicken legs tend to be the least expensive option.

Chickens use their legs constantly. All of that exercise develops red muscle fibers that cause chicken legs to have darker meat than breasts and wings. Dark meat contains a bit more fat, which adds to the leg's flavour and juiciness.