How To Make Chicken Drumsticks At Home?

Chicken Drumsticks

Oven baked drumsticks are about as easy as a recipe can get. Just pat dry the drumsticks, spice, and cook in a high oven. Then you will have crispy goodness for the family.

I took several weeks last year working on grilled drumsticks to get them just right. The secret of a great chicken leg (drumstick) was in the temperature as usual. Since then I have done mainly oven drummies. I did this post before in my Chicken for a Hundred post. I was cooking for a party and roasted 150 chicken legs and breast in a similar manner. Here is a scaled down version.

The cooking time makes this a great match for my Easiest Crispy Oven Baked French Fries. Check them out,

• DO NOT SKIP THE PAT DRY or you will not have crispy skin. (See http://sheikhfaizan123.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-to-make-shami-kabab-recipe-at-home.html  about rinsing the chicken)
• Check the cut joint area for loose parts. You may be handing this to a child and don’t need loose bone aspirated.
• I like cooking this on a rack to get the meat off the pan, and with convection, all sides of the drumstick will be nice.
• Cook at high temp and you must use a thermometer to be sure you get to 185. Do not guess.
• Spice as you want. I often add the Cayenne but if you have little ones, skip it.
• Scale to any amount you need
• Skip the seasoning and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce the last 5 minutes to make great oven baked BBQ drumsticks.

Comment on the final internal temperature.

Many want to cook drumsticks to 165 which is the minimum safe internal temperature for chicken for the FDA. There is a difference between safe and done. Pork is safe at 145, but you sure won’t want your pulled pork to be cooked to 145. It would be terrible.

Also, a lot of recipes cook “until fluids run clear.” Excuse me but what does that mean. You should be standing there poking it with a knife and losing all the moisture. Not a good idea. Also, I suspect that may even be below the safe minimum temperature.

While I cook my chicken breast to 165, there is way too much fibrous tissue in drumsticks. They will be tough and stringy. Just plan not done. Please use 185 as you finish temperature. Check the comments if you need confirmation.

Spice to taste. Here I’m using a light sprinkling of my 7:2:1 seasoning. If you don’t have that, mix one tablespoon kosher salt, one teaspoon pepper and optionally 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (granulated preferred) and 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne (skip for little ones). This makes more than you need. Keep for next time.

Placed on a prepared cooking pan with the thicker part of the drumstick to the outside. I usually line with aluminum foil to help clean up. A rack elevates the chicken to help all sides cook evenly. You can do it without the rack but better with it. Of course, a heavy spray of PAM on the rack or foil.

Cook to 185 plus internal temp. DO NOT STOP SHORT of 185. About 35 minutes in my oven. Let set for 10 minutes before serving. They are way too hot to eat right away and will be better after a rest..