Chicken Drumstick Recipes: Different Ways to Cook Chicken Legs

What are Chicken Drumsticks?

Chicken drumsticks are a lot more than being the parts of a whole roasted chicken which families are most likely to fight over at mealtimes. Chicken drumsticks are fun to eat and represent a classic comfort food. Try serving them as a tasty, practical and attractive option in buffets, or pack them for eating on a picnic, fishing trip or other outdoor adventure.

Whether you simply wish to put an end to mealtime squabbling, or are looking to broaden your culinary horizons, packs of chicken drumsticks - large or small - can be bought fresh or frozen from most supermarkets, meaning not only that there are plenty of drumsticks to go round but also that the drumsticks can be cooked and served in a whole host of different, delicious ways. Have a go at roasting the drumsticks in your indoor oven, cooking them on the outdoor grill, or even simply poaching them in a pan of water, root vegetables and seasoning. The choice is yours, allowing you to feed and delight your family as you please.

Tips for Cooking Chicken Drumsticks

It is always worth mentioning in relation to cooking any part or parts of a chicken the importance of ensuring that the chicken is properly and appropriately cooked. Where your chicken drumsticks have been frozen, they must be thawed completely overnight in the refrigerator prior to being cooked. It is also imperative to ensure that the chicken drumsticks are fully cooked at all times and that no trace of red or pink juices remain. Please do not underestimate the importance of this factor.

All the chicken drumstick recipes shared on this page relate to small chicken drumsticks suited ideally to buffets or picnics. Where you are using larger drumsticks, be sure to allow a longer cooking time.

Hoisin Sauce Roasted Chicken Drumsticks

Hoisin sauce is a very popular Chinese cooking and dipping sauce. It is likely that even if the name is unfamiliar to you, if you are a fan of Chinese food, you will be familiar with the sweet and spicy taste. The chicken drumsticks in this recipe can either be mixed in two tbsp of hoisin sauce, or where you want to dilute the flavour slightly, one tbsp of hoisin sauce mixed with one tbsp of natural yoghurt.

The mix will do 4 to 6 small drumsticks. Leave the skin on the chicken drumsticks and add them to a large bowl with the sauce. Stir carefully to coat them all evenly. Arrange them on a large baking tray as shown and cook in the oven (preheated to 375F/190C) for half an hour.

Remove from the oven, rest for ten minutes and serve. Alternatively, cover and allow them to cool completely for a buffet or picnic, making sure you refrigerate them if they are to be kept overnight.

Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

This is simply an Indian variation of the hoisin chicken drumsticks, the serving image for which is shown at the top of this page.

It is the sauce recipe only which differs from the hoisin sauce recipe and it consists of:

2 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 tbsp tandoori curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 peeled and grated garlic clove
¼ tsp salt

Mix the sauce ingredients together in to a smooth paste before adding the chicken drumsticks.

Salt and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

This recipe for oven roasting chicken drumsticks incorporates no actual sauce so varies slightly from the two recipes above.

Put one tbsp of vegetable or sunflower oil in to a bowl and add one tsp of hot chilli powder and half a tsp of slat. Stir well, ensuring that there are no lumps in the mix.

Add the chicken legs as before and stir to evenly coat in the seasoned oil.

The oven temperature is the same, 375F/190C, but test the chicken drumsticks after twenty-five minutes rather than half an hour, when they should be ready in the absence of sauce.

Try these chicken drumsticks served on a bed of salad, like the simple arugula/rocket and red onion salad depicted above. A garnish of some coarsely chopped cilantro/coriander makes an attractive and tasty finish.