Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Chicken breasts and thighs are perennial favorites when it comes to weeknight dinner recipes, but for another quick-cooking and flavorful chicken dinner, consider these baked drumsticks. Coated with a mix of everyday pantry spices and roasted until browned and tender, they are reliably delicious with very little effort. Like chicken thighs, drumsticks are forgiving to cook: While technically cooked through at 165 degrees, they remain juicy and moist at even 175 degrees and higher. Serve them with your favorite weeknight side dishes, such as rice pilaf and lemony steamed broccoli, or a big plate of crudités and ranch dressing for dipping. Finally, if you like things on the spicier side, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the spice mixture, or sprinkle with a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce when the chicken comes out of the oven.
Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 50 minutes
Ingredients
· 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
· 1½ teaspoons onion powder
· 1 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
· ½ teaspoon black pepper
· 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
· 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
· Chopped fresh parsley (optional), for serving
Cooking Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mix with one of the measuring spoons.
3. Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the drumsticks with the olive oil and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the spice mixture and toss again until well-coated.
4. Arrange the drumsticks, evenly spaced, on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, until the drumsticks are browned and cooked through. (An internal thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of a drumstick should register at least 165 degrees, and preferably closer to 175 degrees.)
5. Serve hot or warm. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake at 350 degrees, loosely wrapped in foil, for about 20 minutes, until heated through. To re-crisp the skin, adjust heat to 425 degrees, unwrap the foil and cook for 5 minutes more.
Nutrition per serving
194 calories; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 14 grams protein; 0 grams sugar; 553 milligrams sodium
Recipe by Lidey Heuck, NY Times Cooking
