This “Wrong” Way to Cook Chicken Is Actually Perfect

Don’t overcook the chicken. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that line—first in cooking school, then in restaurant kitchens. It was practically gospel, up there with “don’t crowd the pan” and “always rest your meat.” And when it came to delicate chicken breasts, it was absolutely correct.

But at some point during my years of roasting tray after tray of thighs and braising tender drumsticks, I realized something: When it comes to dark meat, that rule doesn’t just bend…it breaks. If you’re only cooking your thighs and drumsticks to 165°F and calling it done, you’re missing out on the best they have to offer.

That’s right, sometimes you need to overcook your chicken.

Overcooking Isn’t a Crime—It’s a Strategy

Chicken breast is lean and delicate. Cook it even slightly too long, and it goes from juicy to jerky. But thighs and drumsticks? They’re built differently. Dark meat is loaded with connective tissue and fat, making it remarkably forgiving. Not only can it handle longer cooking times, it demands them if you want meat that’s tender, juicy, and rich with flavor.

What you’re really doing when you “overcook” thighs and drumsticks is slowly breaking down their collagen into gelatin, transforming what would be chewy and sinewy into something luscious and silky. When you pull a perfectly braised or slow-roasted thigh apart and it practically shreds itself? That’s not an accident. That’s science, baby.

The Key Techniques for Perfectly “Overcooked” Chicken

The USDA tells us that 165°F is the safe minimum internal temperature for all poultry. We don’t always follow that advice for white meat, which we prefer cooked to a lower (and arguably equally safe 150°F). But for dark meat, that’s the minimum.

Here’s what actually happens at key temperature zones:

• 165°F: The meat is safe and fully opaque, but it’s still clinging to the bone. It’s a little chewy with an unpleasant slippery texture. Serviceable, but not remarkable.
• 175°F: A noticeable improvement. More fat is rendered, coating the meat, creating a juicier bite. More tender. A sweet spot if you’re pressed for time.
• 185–195°F: Now we’re talking. The meat falls off the bone and is saturated with rendered fat and gelatin. It’s rich and deeply chickeny in the best way, though it’s also at risk of becoming dry if you don’t use the right technque
• 195–200°F: You’re entering pulled chicken territory. This is fine if you’re making something like tacos or enchiladas, but be careful—past 210°F and the texture turns stringy and dry, no matter how much connective tissue you started with.

Getting your dark meat over 190°F without drying it out takes some finesse. The goal is gentle, sustained heat. You want to keep the meat in the 140°F–190°F zone long enough to melt that connective tissue without scorching the exterior and dehydrating the muscle fibers.

Here are the best ways to do it:

• Braise it. A low-and-slow stovetop or oven braise in stock, wine, or a tomatoey sauce gives you moisture, flavor, and heat all at once. Bonus: The juices thicken thanks to all that gelatin, no roux required.
• Oven-roast it low and slow. Forget 425°F. Go for 300°F and let it ride. The skin may not crisp, but the interior will be unbeatable. Plus, I’ve outlined methods below for solving the crispy skin problem. 
• Grill it with indirect heat. Bank your coals or turn off a burner and cook the chicken on the cooler side of the grill with the lid closed. This is the secret to ultra-tender barbecue-style drumsticks.
• Sous vide it. Want absolute control? Cook your thighs sous vide at 165°F–170°F for a few hours, then give them a quick sear. You’ll get the most impossibly juicy meat of your life.

But What About Crisp Skin?

Yes, it’s true: low-and-slow cooking won’t give you crisp, golden skin. But that doesn’t mean accepting flabby results. For crisp skin, the best move is to finish with a sear. Braised legs can quickly be run under the broiler or sizzled in a hot skillet to crisp up the skin. For roasted or grilled chicken legs, blast them with high heat at the end to get that golden crunch.

Use a Thermometer. Always.

I cooked in restaurant kitchens for years, churning out trays of roasted chicken and grilling mountains of thighs without ever sticking a thermometer into a single one. I didn’t need to—I’d done it so many times that I could tell by the way the meat felt under tongs, by how it pulled at the bone, even by the sizzle and smell, exactly when it was done. Repetition builds instinct.

But unless you’ve cooked hundreds (or thousands) of chicken thighs, there’s zero shame in using a thermometer. At home, it’s one of the most helpful tools you’ve got. No guessing, no slicing into the meat to check. Just a fast, accurate reading that tells you when your chicken is done.

Stick the thermometer probe into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone (which throws off the measurement), then wait a few seconds. You’re aiming for 185–195°F for that tender, pull-apart texture we’ve been talking about.

The Takeaway

The next time you’re cooking thighs or drumsticks, don’t panic when the temperature climbs above 165°F. Aim for it, then go past it. Because when you “overcook” your dark meat the right way, you’re really unlocking its full potential: tender, juicy, and fall-apart amazing. That’s not overcooked—that’s perfectly cooked.