Chicken Drumsticks

By Food & Wine
Updated January 13, 2017
Credit: © Tina Rupp
Chicken drumsticks are much juicier than chicken breasts and super-easy to prepare. Here, fantastic recipes for them.
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Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks with Cilantro-Shallot Relish

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This chicken has the best skin: It's nicely spiced and super-crispy. The cilantro relish served alongside gets vibrant flavor from white vinegar.

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Chicken Smothered in Gravy

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This satisfying riff on smothered pork chops calls for skinless chicken drumsticks, which have only slightly more fat than breasts, as well as more zinc and iron and tons more flavor.

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Chicken Drumsticks with Asian Barbecue Sauce

Credit: © Con Poulos
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Instead of making a traditional American barbecue sauce, Grace Parisi prepares a sweet, sticky, slightly fiery version using Asian ingredients, like chile sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and ginger.

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Honey-Soy Sauce Chicken with Mâche-and-Citrus Salad

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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5 of 11

Hearty Braised Chicken Legs

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Pureeing garlic, onion and cilantro, then cooking them with white mushrooms in chicken fat, gives this tomato-based sauce an incredible depth of flavor.

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Kung Pao Chicken Drumstick

Credit: © John Kernick
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This is Chris Yeo's riff on kung pao, a Szechuan dish made with stir-fried diced chicken and chiles; he uses the cooked chiles as the base for the rich dipping sauce.

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Sticky Grilled Drumsticks with Plum Sauce

Credit: © Cedric Angeles
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Grace Parisi prepares a wonderfully sticky and nicely sweet glaze of fresh plums and red pepper jelly to brush over drumsticks while grilling. Hot red pepper jelly makes for a spicier glaze; sweet pepper jelly creates a milder one.

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Chilaquiles-Style Roasted Chicken Legs

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Chilaquiles is a baked Mexican dish that’s often made with leftover shredded chicken, tortilla strips and cheese. In her more substantial and refined version, Grace Parisi bakes whole chicken legs with tomatoes, hominy, jalapeños and tortilla chips.

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Smoked Chicken Drumsticks with Coriander

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These smoky grilled chicken legs get a boost of flavor from a marinade made with brown sugar, mustard, coriander and jalapeño.

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Chicken Dijon

Credit: © Johnny Valiant
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Melissa Clark’s favorite part of the chicken is the drumstick, because it’s juicy and easy to brown. She likes using only drumsticks in this mustardy stew—thickened with tangy crème fraîche—so that all the meat cooks at the same rate.

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Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks

Credit: © Tina Rupp
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Skinless chicken legs have only slightly more fat than breasts and are much tastier, especially when marinated in spicy yogurt, as they are here. Chaat masala—a spice blend with an intriguing tang from green mango powder—makes this northern-Indian dish extra-delicious. Try it sprinkled over chickpeas or popcorn.

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