Side by side
Thigh
Dark meat · cuisse · momo
A standing muscle, built from slow-twitch fibre packed with myoglobin and fat. That gives it far more flavour than the breast and a much wider margin for error — it stays juicy well past the safe temperature, which is why almost every braise, curry and grill recipe quietly prefers it.
Boneless and skinless is convenient, but bone-in skin-on cooks juicier and costs less per kilo.
Drumstick
Leg · pilon · muslo
The lower leg, threaded with the tendons the bird stands on. Those tendons never fully soften under quick heat, so the drumstick rewards either long braising or high enough heat to render everything around them — and the bone conducts heat inward, which is why it cooks faster than its size suggests.
Choose plump drumsticks with skin covering the whole leg — exposed meat dries and toughens first.
Which one to buy
- Better forThigh : Drumstick
- BraisingAbout the same92 : 86
- GrillingThigh90 : —
- FryingAbout the same84 : 90
- RoastingDrumstick— : 80
Other comparisons
All cuts
Beef Primals
Chicken Portions
Bluefin Tuna Cuts
Temperatures are guidance for whole-muscle cuts. Ground meat and poultry need 71°C / 160°F throughout.