The Best Chicken Leg Recipes
When it comes to my favorite chicken recipes, chicken legs quickly come to mind because they are so delicious and oh so versatile. No matter which recipe or cooking method you choose, juicy chicken drumsticks make for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. A couple of minutes of prep time, fast cook time, and then Presto! You have an incredibly satisfying sustainable protein on your plate that complements just about any side dish. Table of Contents Why You’ll Love Chicken Leg Recipesways to make the best chicken drumsticksChicken Leg Recipes RoundupSome tips for cooking chicken legsWhat to Serve with Chicken Legs ​Leftovers & ReheatingThis sauce is FYR!FAQs for the Chicken Leg Recipes RoundupFlavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love Chicken Leg Recipes ways to make the best chicken drumsticks Chicken Leg Recipes Roundup Some tips for cooking chicken legs What to Serve with Chicken Legs ​Leftovers & Reheating This sauce is FYR! FAQs for the Chicken Leg Recipes Roundup Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire Why You’ll Love Chicken Leg Recipes My favorite part of eating a chicken drumstick? The crisp skin. It gets me every time after that first juicy bite of dark meat. In the meantime, the explosion of flavors from the seasoning blends adds more depth and endless excitement. With some simple ingredients, you can achieve a deliciously flavorful recipe with super tasty crispy skin. I’m thinking olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, black pepper, and then some kosher salt (or your favorite spice mix to add as much flavor as possible). Or, you can kick up the textures and flavors Over the Fire Cooking style. If that’s of any interest, keep on scrolling to the Chicken Legs Recipes roundup below. The best method for cooking chicken legs is entirely up to you. Each option brings something unique to the table. For bright flavor and the best results, buy the highest quality chicken and best ingredients possible. If you’re a fan of these chicken recipes, you’ll probably also love my take on chicken wings. Check out Double Fried Chicken Wings, Garlic Parmesan Wings, and Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings with Melted Cheese. ways to make the best chicken drumsticks Grilled Chicken Drumsticks – These recipes represent the most classic preparation of chicken drumsticks. Every juicy bite explodes with flavor! So freakin’ delicious, no matter which recipe you choose. Butterflied – First, let me say that I didn’t know just how good chicken legs could get until I butterflied them. To butterfly a drumstick, during the preparation a sharp knife cuts one side of the bone, exposing the meat. The meat is then pushed down toward the base of the drumstick to flatten it out. It’s perfect for grilling because it leaves out the bone. Grilled Chicken Drumsticks – These recipes represent the most classic preparation of chicken drumsticks. Every juicy bite explodes with flavor! So freakin’ delicious, no matter which recipe you choose. Butterflied – First, let me say that I didn’t know just how good chicken legs could get until I butterflied them. To butterfly a drumstick, during the preparation a sharp knife cuts one side of the bone, exposing the meat. The meat is then pushed down toward the base of the drumstick to flatten it out. It’s perfect for grilling because it leaves out the bone. Chicken Lollipops & Poppers – A chicken lollipop or popper is my idea of a perfectly fun and insanely tasty appetizer or snack. The dish is prepared by cutting and then shaping the chicken wing meat to resemble a lollipop, with the meat pushed down to expose the bone at one end, creating a handle. Skewered Drumstick Recipes – Skewers are an easy recipe preparation that yields an insanely juicy bite and beautiful char. The chicken drumsticks are typically marinated, seasoned, and then threaded onto skewers before being cooked, rotisserie-style, over the fire. Chicken Lollipops & Poppers – A chicken lollipop or popper is my idea of a perfectly fun and insanely tasty appetizer or snack. The dish is prepared by cutting and then shaping the chicken wing meat to resemble a lollipop, with the meat pushed down to expose the bone at one end, creating a handle. Skewered Drumstick Recipes – Skewers are an easy recipe preparation that yields an insanely juicy bite and beautiful char. The chicken drumsticks are typically marinated, seasoned, and then threaded onto skewers before being cooked, rotisserie-style, over the fire. Chicken Leg Recipes Roundup Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso Craving the best chicken recipe? Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Queso is ready for it! View Recipe Buffalo Chicken Legs Get out your ranch dressing and prepare for the best Buffalo Chicken Legs outside of Buffalo! View Recipe Butterflied Peruvian Chicken Drumsticks with Green Sauce After Brad Prose made these drumsticks go viral online, I thought it was time to follow suit with my own flavor combo. View Recipe Grilled Mojo Chicken The flavor profile stands on the Cuban pillars of garlic, oil, and citrus juice, must-haves for the perfect Grilled Mojo Chicken. View Recipe Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Jalapeño Lime White Sauce These tasty drumsticks are seasoned with a Chipotle BBQ Rub, grilled, and then dunked in a jalapeño lime white sauce. View Recipe Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Alabama White Sauce Butterflied chicken is slathered in a BBQ spice rub, grilled until crispy, and then served with a rich, creamy, sweet, and spicy sauce! View Recipe Jalapeño Chicken Drumstick Poppers For this tasty app, juicy chicken drumsticks are coated in a spicy potato cream cheese filling, breaded, and then fried until crispy. View Recipe Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops Better than any child’s candy, you gotta try these sticky sweet Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops! Packed with flavor in every bite, you'll soon be obsessed! View Recipe Smoked Chicken Lollipops If you are looking for an epic appetizer or the perfect tailgating meal, look no further than these Smoked Chicken Lollipops dipped in homemade Garlic Buffalo Sauce! View Recipe Flamin’ Hot Chicken Lollipops For this killer recipe, I teamed up with Doritos, Mountain Dew, Cheetos & Walmart for an epic battle between Team Flamin’ Hot & Team Icy Cool. Team Flamin' Hot for the win! View Recipe Maple Hot Chicken Lollipops If you love chicken wings with crisp skin and BBQ sauce, these smoked lollipops are one of the best ways to satisfy your craving. View Recipe Cherry Coke Chicken Skewers In this fun recipe, we cook and glaze the chicken with a Cherry Coke BBQ Sauce. So freakin' delicious! View Recipe Mojo Chicken Drumstick Skewers Recipe Cuban Mojo recipes include garlic, citrus, oregano, and a few other spices. Instead of bitter orange juice, I went with blood oranges. The tartness of the blood orange is a great addition that you will love in this chicken leg recipe. View Recipe Spicy Mezcal Drumstick Skewers These chicken legs are marinated in a habanero mezcal sauce overnight and then cooked over a live fire. The mezcal brings a robust smoky flavor while the habanero cements the spiciness. View Recipe Whether you prefer sweet and smoky, tangy and spicy, these recipes in this Chicken Leg Recipes Roundup offer a diverse flavor profile to suit every taste. Try them out and then go out and take your outdoor dining experiences to the next level. Your taste buds (and your friends and family!) will thank you! As for the very best way to make a chicken drumsticks recipe, I leave that up to you! Some tips for cooking chicken legs Make sure to have a sheet pan on hand for letting the drumsticks rest at room temperature in a single layer before you cook them. Paper towels are great to have around for picking up excess moisture off raw chicken. For easy clean-up, use a good quality cooking spray on the grill. If you’re not sure about your seasoning mix, then check out my spice rubs in iconic beer cans. My obsession with the best flavor combos will make life easier for you! Make sure to have a sheet pan on hand for letting the drumsticks rest at room temperature in a single layer before you cook them. Paper towels are great to have around for picking up excess moisture off raw chicken. For easy clean-up, use a good quality cooking spray on the grill. If you’re not sure about your seasoning mix, then check out my spice rubs in iconic beer cans. My obsession with the best flavor combos will make life easier for you! Add flavor to everything you’re cooking shop over the fire spice lines What to Serve with Chicken Legs A good, easy meal is some chicken legs with some sweet potatoes on the side, either fried or mashed. Other side dishes that would work well with any of these chicken leg recipes would be tater tots, French fries, green beans, roasted carrots, or maybe a fresh garden salad. Honey buttermilk cornbread, anyone? ​Leftovers & Reheating The best and easiest way to save leftover chicken is to wrap each leftover drumstick in aluminum foil and then place the sticks in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Cold chicken happens to be a favorite of mine, however, if you’re looking to reheat them, pop them directly on the grill grates over the high heat, turning them frequently until the chicken skin is hot and the tender meat is ready to eat. Get stoked for life This sauce is FYR! an all-new line created for live fire cooking Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure. FAQs for the Chicken Leg Recipes Roundup How can I tell if my chicken drumsticks are done? Since cooking times vary depending on the cooking method, I suggest using an instant-read thermometer. Stick it into the thickest part of the chicken meat and look for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. What kind of oil is the best for making fried chicken with drumsticks? This is becoming an age-old question and open for debate. While some swear by classic vegetable oil or peanut oil, I like to use canola oil. Avocado oil is another great choice because of its high smoke point. Can I make these recipes with other cuts of chicken? Yes, you sure can! If you want to experiment with other cuts, the flavors will still be insanely delicious. We hope you enjoyed this Over the Fire Cooking Chicken Legs Recipes Roundup. We’d love to hear what you think. Drop us a comment below! Get The Cookbooks! Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire By Derek Wolf All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture. Derek Wolf Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!