A heating cooking appliance includes a heating chamber for items to be cooked, a circulation duct connecting an inlet port and an outlet port both of which open into the heating chamber, an air blower located in the circulation duct, and a heating device in the upper part of the heating chamber. Gas in the heating chamber is taken into the circulation duct from the inlet port by the blower. The gas temperature is raised by the heating device, and subsequently, the gas is blown into the heating chamber from the inlet port. The circulation duct is provided with first and second paths which branch off upstream of the heating device. The first and second paths guide gas to the area upstream and downstream of the heating device, respectively.