Roasted chicken drumsticks
This recipe is from Homemade Happiness. Chicken drumsticks are underrated. They’re good value and packed with lots of chicken flavour; they also stay tender and moist while cooking. This is a quick drumstick recipe to prepare – just cram everything on to an oven tray and let the oven do the work. One of my husband’s favourites! The lemon slices cook and blacken slightly, and add a lovely subtle flavour (you can eat them if you want). But possibly the best thing about this dish is the garlic…the cloves turn into crunchy, sweet little caramelised bites of pure delight. If I can be bothered, at the end I sometimes make a quick gravy in the baking tray, and pour it over the drums on the serving dish.
Ingredients
1-2kg chicken drumsticks
1-2 whole heads of garlic, broken into cloves but left in their skins
1-2 peeled & quartered onions
2-3 stalk fresh rosemary, leaves pulled off and chopped
1 medium lemon, sliced very thinly
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 160c fan bake.
On a baking tray, arrange drumsticks, garlic, onions, rosemary leaves, and lemon.
Drizzle everything with the olive oil, and give it all a good toss to coat. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and crispy and everything else is caramelised. Baste the drums every 20 minutes or for max flavour and tenderness. Turn the oven up to 200c for 10 minutes or so at the end to caramelise everything if you need to.
Then you can make a gravy if you like, with 1 tbsp cornflour in a cup or so of water, heat on the element. Scrape up all those yummy bits from the bottom. Serve everything on a nice plate and tuck in!
This is lovely served with a fresh green salad, and maybe some new potatoes or creamy mash, or just crusty bread and butter; whatever you like. And the drumsticks (if there are any left) are FABULOUS cold for lunch the next day.
Made this recipe tonight for our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids – 15yrs and 5yrs) and everyone loved it. So easy and tasty!
This is my new go-to for chicken drums. The blackened lemony bits are sooooo good and house smells amazing while it’s cooking.
Could these be cooked in the slow cooker?
No sorry!
Tried this recipe. Was absolutely delicious. Maybe not sooo much lemon next time. Kids thought it was yummy aswell.
These look so good – almost like cheating on my low carb diet!
I made this today, huge hit. It made the house smell amazing and tasted even better. Served with wilted spinach and southern style cornbread. Kids went back for second helpings.
Hey Chelsea, am I meant to leave the skin in the garlic cloves when served? This is probably a silly question, but I didn’t think the skin was edible.
Just popped these in the oven now can’t wait for them to be ready!
Pulled chicken drums out of the freezer/Google/always Chelsea winter recipes. This sounds amazing can’t wait to make this tomorrow night thank you
Hi, thanks for this recipe. Having a special dinner for my partners’ birthday on Friday and I have drumsticks for the main! Think I might serve with homemade bread rolls and a salad…any other suggestions if the weather is cooler, ie hot vegies? Thanks again.
Cool weather, just serve with potatoes and steamed brocc or green beans!
Cool, thank you!! Can’t wait to try these on Friday!!
I made this to go with my children’s school lunches on Monday .They are 10,8 and 5 years old. It was such a hit I am making it again for today’s lunch . Thank you .
Hi Chelsea, I only have 700 grams of chicken drumsticks will this alter the cooking time ?
No the same time :)
Made it tonight, so very easy and so very tasty. Thanks Chelsea
Making them right now I love how easy it is and I am sure will taste fantastic.
Sound delicious. Making these tonight but don’t have rosemary so am going to substitute with thyme. Hope they are just as good
Great recipe.I made this and yum and so easy. Tastes classy.gone are boring plain drumsticks !
Will be trying this one tonight Chelsea nice to meet you the other day at fritter fest , just remember if you ever come over to Baylys beach and want to cruise on the beach on our horses you have our card cheers Bec durrant
Thanks, Bec!
Lemony deliciousness! Love!
These are scrumptious!!! In fact it should be illegal for food to taste so good. Best part is all the pan scrapings ;) thanks Chelsea
Haha awesome – I agree!
Made this last night and we demolished them! They did require quite alot of extra cooking time as after 1hr 15 min things weren’t caramelised. So I increased the heat and changed to fan bake. Thanks for your great recipes. Really enjoying your website.