What are some good recipes for chicken drumsticks?
September 17, 2012 5:22 PM Subscribe
What are some good recipes for chicken drumsticks?
I'm on a very tight budget and drumsticks were only a $1 per pound. Now I've got all these drumsticks and need something interesting to do with them. Baked/roasted is pretty boring and I'm not so interested in fried chicken. I can't afford fancy ingredients. I have a wide selection of spices and I like spicy foods. I like Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, pretty much everything. I don't care for sweet and savory mixed together, so no raisins or fruity stuff. Thanks.
I'm on a very tight budget and drumsticks were only a $1 per pound. Now I've got all these drumsticks and need something interesting to do with them. Baked/roasted is pretty boring and I'm not so interested in fried chicken. I can't afford fancy ingredients. I have a wide selection of spices and I like spicy foods. I like Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, pretty much everything. I don't care for sweet and savory mixed together, so no raisins or fruity stuff. Thanks.
I do a rub (mine is onion powder + garlic powder + lemon pepper + chipotle powder) and bake them at 350 F for 45-ish minutes.
I also often make Buffalo legs, from this recipe but with drumsticks.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:00 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
I also often make Buffalo legs, from this recipe but with drumsticks.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:00 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I really like this recipe, and you could definitely skip the breasts and make it with all drumsticks (the drumsticks were my favorite part of it anyway! :)
Beer-Braised Chicken and Peas (adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine)
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
Salt
Oil
1-1/2 small red onions, minced
1 cup pale ale
1/4 cup mild grainy mustard
2 cups frozen peas, thawed and drained
Pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season the chicken with salt. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken, turning as needed. Be very careful about spattering fat. You may need to work in batches (or use two pans) depending on the size of your pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook until beginning to brown, 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the beer and mustard and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
5. Return the chicken to the pan in as even a layer as possible (it doesn't need to be perfect). Cover the pan with an ovenproof lid or a large piece of foil. Pop in the oven and cook 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the pieces of chicken, making sure any parts that weren't in the liquid before are now in the liquid. Cook another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on a meat thermometer).
6. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the pan over high heat and add the peas. Simmer about 5 minutes, until the peas are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:01 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Beer-Braised Chicken and Peas (adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine)
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
Salt
Oil
1-1/2 small red onions, minced
1 cup pale ale
1/4 cup mild grainy mustard
2 cups frozen peas, thawed and drained
Pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season the chicken with salt. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken, turning as needed. Be very careful about spattering fat. You may need to work in batches (or use two pans) depending on the size of your pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook until beginning to brown, 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the beer and mustard and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
5. Return the chicken to the pan in as even a layer as possible (it doesn't need to be perfect). Cover the pan with an ovenproof lid or a large piece of foil. Pop in the oven and cook 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the pieces of chicken, making sure any parts that weren't in the liquid before are now in the liquid. Cook another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on a meat thermometer).
6. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the pan over high heat and add the peas. Simmer about 5 minutes, until the peas are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:01 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Marcella Hazan's recipe for pan-roasted chicken with rosemary, garlic and white wine is one of my favorite recipes ever. It calls for a chicken cut into quarters, but I usually do it with whole chicken legs (ie drumstick and thigh in one piece). Drumsticks would work just as well, as long as you adjust the cooking time. Here's a copy of the recipe:
http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1298164-Pan-roasted-Chicken-with-Rosemary-Garlic-and-White-Wine?full_recipe=true
posted by 6and12 at 6:02 PM on September 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1298164-Pan-roasted-Chicken-with-Rosemary-Garlic-and-White-Wine?full_recipe=true
posted by 6and12 at 6:02 PM on September 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
Chicken cacciatore.
Arroz con pollo. (Just use all drumsticks instead of drumsticks and thighs)
posted by ronofthedead at 6:03 PM on September 17, 2012
Arroz con pollo. (Just use all drumsticks instead of drumsticks and thighs)
posted by ronofthedead at 6:03 PM on September 17, 2012
Oooh, and this recipe is also super delicious, and again, it would be really easy to just use all drumsticks. You can get day-old bread at some bakeries for cheap, or you can toast regular bread in the oven a bit to get it a little crispy:
Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread and Swiss Chard (adapted from Food and Wine)
Serves 2 (easily multiplied)
4-6 ounces day-old peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers in salt, rinsed very well
1/4 cup golden raisins
About 3/4 pound Swiss chard, leaves thinly sliced (1/2-3/4 of a large bunch)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts and 1-2 chicken drumsticks or thighs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the bread, oil, capers, raisins, chard, shallots, garlic, and thyme together in a large bowl. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and with just a pinch of salt. Spread into a cast-iron skillet (or another oven-safe dish).
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and arrange over the bread. Cover with parchment paper, and cover with an oven-safe lid. Bake 35 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and parchment and increase the oven to 400 degrees. Bake about 10 minutes more, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:04 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread and Swiss Chard (adapted from Food and Wine)
Serves 2 (easily multiplied)
4-6 ounces day-old peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers in salt, rinsed very well
1/4 cup golden raisins
About 3/4 pound Swiss chard, leaves thinly sliced (1/2-3/4 of a large bunch)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts and 1-2 chicken drumsticks or thighs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the bread, oil, capers, raisins, chard, shallots, garlic, and thyme together in a large bowl. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and with just a pinch of salt. Spread into a cast-iron skillet (or another oven-safe dish).
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and arrange over the bread. Cover with parchment paper, and cover with an oven-safe lid. Bake 35 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and parchment and increase the oven to 400 degrees. Bake about 10 minutes more, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
posted by rainbowbrite at 6:04 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Don't overlook confiture and its possibilities.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:15 PM on September 17, 2012
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:15 PM on September 17, 2012
Best answer: Chicken drumsticks and thighs are great!
Here's a recipe from Mario Batali and in turn from his babysitter. It's just chicken, tomatillos (plenty cheap at groceries or Mexican markets), cilantro, lime, garlic, and chiles. Cheap and totally delicious!
posted by ftm at 6:18 PM on September 17, 2012
Here's a recipe from Mario Batali and in turn from his babysitter. It's just chicken, tomatillos (plenty cheap at groceries or Mexican markets), cilantro, lime, garlic, and chiles. Cheap and totally delicious!
posted by ftm at 6:18 PM on September 17, 2012
Drumsticks hold out well on the grill, so I like to grill them and serve them with homemade satay. This recipe seems long, but it's really easy to do. You basically just throw the ingredients together and you're done.
Grilled soy chicken
3 tbl spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon fresh ginger (or use powdered if fresh unavailable)
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like your food)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons chicken stock
6 drumsticks.
Plain yogurt (optional, but I do find it makes the chicken really tender).
Stick all ingredients in an airtight container and marinate for about 2 hours. Then cook on the grill until chicken is done.
Satay sauce:
1 can coconut milk (you can replace with hot water if you're particularly tight on cash that week)
about 1/2 cup peanut butter
juice from one lime
hot pepper sauce (of the siracha kind) (optional)
1 tea spoon ginger
1 tea spoon garlic
a dash of curry (optional/to taste).
Some hot water to adjust thickness of the sauce.
Warm coconut milk until just boiling. Remove from heat and add in all other ingredients. Mix until peanut butter dissolves. Add hot water if too thick, peanut butter if too thin. Remember that the sauce will thicken as the coconut milk cools down.
I like to serve the drumstick and peanut sauce with a side of grilled green onions, some jasmine rice and carrots.
posted by Milau at 7:06 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Grilled soy chicken
3 tbl spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon fresh ginger (or use powdered if fresh unavailable)
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like your food)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons chicken stock
6 drumsticks.
Plain yogurt (optional, but I do find it makes the chicken really tender).
Stick all ingredients in an airtight container and marinate for about 2 hours. Then cook on the grill until chicken is done.
Satay sauce:
1 can coconut milk (you can replace with hot water if you're particularly tight on cash that week)
about 1/2 cup peanut butter
juice from one lime
hot pepper sauce (of the siracha kind) (optional)
1 tea spoon ginger
1 tea spoon garlic
a dash of curry (optional/to taste).
Some hot water to adjust thickness of the sauce.
Warm coconut milk until just boiling. Remove from heat and add in all other ingredients. Mix until peanut butter dissolves. Add hot water if too thick, peanut butter if too thin. Remember that the sauce will thicken as the coconut milk cools down.
I like to serve the drumstick and peanut sauce with a side of grilled green onions, some jasmine rice and carrots.
posted by Milau at 7:06 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
I feel the need to specifiy: crush and chop the garlic finely and grate the ginger in the chicken drumstick and satay recipe.
posted by Milau at 7:08 PM on September 17, 2012
posted by Milau at 7:08 PM on September 17, 2012
Best answer: I am a small-scale poultry farmer, and my two favorite recipes for chicken parts are:
Halal-cart-style chicken and rice -- I think I found this via an FPP or an AskMe? Uses primarily lemon, garlic, olive oil, coriander, oregano on the chicken, plus turmeric and cumin on the rice.
Jordanian-ish spiced grilled chicken. A delicious marinade/paste that includes cinnamon, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, and onion. Make a double batch; you might want more for dipping, and it freezes well if there's extra. You can grill the legs or pan roast 'em if grilling is not an option.
These are both SO GOOD OMG.
posted by librarina at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Halal-cart-style chicken and rice -- I think I found this via an FPP or an AskMe? Uses primarily lemon, garlic, olive oil, coriander, oregano on the chicken, plus turmeric and cumin on the rice.
Jordanian-ish spiced grilled chicken. A delicious marinade/paste that includes cinnamon, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, bay leaf, and onion. Make a double batch; you might want more for dipping, and it freezes well if there's extra. You can grill the legs or pan roast 'em if grilling is not an option.
These are both SO GOOD OMG.
posted by librarina at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Also I think those both ask for a food processor, but for the halal chicken you could definitely fake it with finely-chopped garlic and oregano, and a whisk to emulsify the sauce. The Jordanian chicken might really want a fopro though, as you have to get it all paste-ified, especially the bay leaf.
posted by librarina at 8:49 PM on September 17, 2012
posted by librarina at 8:49 PM on September 17, 2012
Chicken Paprikas is super yummy. First time I made it, I did with drumsticks, and it's never been quite so delicious. Serve over egg noodles, which I don't think that recipe mentions.
posted by brave little toaster at 8:53 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by brave little toaster at 8:53 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Chicken adobo! Super easy, adaptable any way you want.
posted by knile at 12:13 AM on September 18, 2012
posted by knile at 12:13 AM on September 18, 2012
I like this one from Marian Burros. Don't omit the sultanas (golden raisins) or almonds!
Cinnamon Chicken
6 or 7 chicken drumsticks or thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and cloves
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon capers
1/3 cup slivered almonds
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Brown chicken over medium-high heat in hot oil on one side. Chop onion coarsely and put garlic through press. When ready to turn chicken, add onion and garlic, raisins, and capers and cook, covered, until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Add almonds; stir a minute and serve.
Also, Melissa Clark's Roast Chicken Legs with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, and Ginger is pretty good. Her mother's recipe for Thyme-Roasted Chicken Parts with Mustard Croutons is delicious too 'cause the fat from the chicken pieces saturates the bed of bread in the oven to make it dreamy-rich, like instead of garlic bread you get fluffy-crisp schmaltz bread, and she does the whole "whole cloves of garlic in their skins tossed in with the roast to get sweet and mellow as a spread for the bread" trick as well.
posted by ifjuly at 1:30 PM on September 19, 2012
Cinnamon Chicken
6 or 7 chicken drumsticks or thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and cloves
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon capers
1/3 cup slivered almonds
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Brown chicken over medium-high heat in hot oil on one side. Chop onion coarsely and put garlic through press. When ready to turn chicken, add onion and garlic, raisins, and capers and cook, covered, until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Add almonds; stir a minute and serve.
Also, Melissa Clark's Roast Chicken Legs with Smoked Paprika, Blood Orange, and Ginger is pretty good. Her mother's recipe for Thyme-Roasted Chicken Parts with Mustard Croutons is delicious too 'cause the fat from the chicken pieces saturates the bed of bread in the oven to make it dreamy-rich, like instead of garlic bread you get fluffy-crisp schmaltz bread, and she does the whole "whole cloves of garlic in their skins tossed in with the roast to get sweet and mellow as a spread for the bread" trick as well.
posted by ifjuly at 1:30 PM on September 19, 2012
Cook drumsticks in a dry frying pan on medium. After the first side is cooked, flip them over. When they've got less than a minute to go, pour in some cheap red wine.
No, really, that's it. Goes great with red and/or white beans sauteed with some garlic and onions (and thyme, if you have it).
posted by randomname25 at 10:32 PM on September 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
No, really, that's it. Goes great with red and/or white beans sauteed with some garlic and onions (and thyme, if you have it).
posted by randomname25 at 10:32 PM on September 20, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Toss the drumsticks in a large bowl with vegetable oil and a liberal amount of blackening spice.
The amount of spice is up to you, I use about 2 Tbsp each of blackening spice and oil
per pound of chicken drumsticks.
Blackening Spice:
5 Tbsp salt
5 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground white peppper
Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.
posted by Snazzy67 at 5:42 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]