Pan-Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Simple ingredients, for every day and for special occasions! Pan-fried chicken drumsticks are so easy that even a kid could make them. It's a versatile dish you can dress up all kinds of ways — with different sides, sauces, and gravies. It looks right at home on any table, from a weeknight dinner to a holiday spread.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
How do you make chicken drumsticks in a skillet? Gather the ingredients from the list. Fresh, never-frozen drumsticks are best. Use more or less garlic as you like. For seasoning I go with salt and ground black pepper, but any favorite chicken seasoning works. Have your skillet ready.
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Step 2:
If the drumsticks are frozen, thaw them first — leave them at room temperature until fully thawed, or use the microwave to speed things up. The drumsticks should be pinkish, with no yellowness or bluish cast, and no off smell. Rinse them under running water and pat them dry (with paper towels) so the oil won't spatter as they fry.
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Step 3:
Put the drumsticks in a bowl, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and rub them with garlic (pressed or finely minced). Work the seasonings in all over so they really soak in. Let the drumsticks sit for 10 to 15 minutes so the meat takes on the flavor and turns more tender.
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Step 4:
Set your skillet over the heat, add the vegetable oil, and let it get hot. Lay the prepared drumsticks in the hot oil. Fry them over medium heat on one side for about 8 to 10 minutes, watching that nothing burns.
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Step 5:
Then flip the drumsticks, cover the pan, and lower the heat a little. Let them cook through, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes.
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Step 6:
Serve the finished chicken drumsticks hot. This is a versatile dish that goes with any side: boiled rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, vegetables. They're also good chilled — perfect to pack for a trip or take to work.
- A lot of people reach for drumsticks over any other part of the chicken: they're easy and convenient to eat, and they're juicy and tasty even when simply salted and pan-fried in a little oil. They're also very easy to cook. The one thing to remember is that drumsticks dry out easily, so it helps to know how long to fry them. The timing depends partly on the recipe and partly on the size of the legs. A drumstick of about 3 to 3.5 ounces (80–100 g) first fries over medium heat until golden, 5 to 10 minutes, then finishes covered over low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes — about 20 to 25 minutes total. Larger drumsticks take about half again as long.
- Use an oil with a high smoke point for frying. Any oil is only good up to a certain temperature — its smoke point — beyond which it starts to burn and forms harmful compounds. Unrefined oils, with rare exceptions, have a low smoke point; they're full of unfiltered particles that scorch quickly. Refined oils stand up to heat better and have a higher smoke point. If you're cooking in the oven, in a skillet, or on the grill, use an oil with a high smoke point. The most common ones are refined sunflower, olive, and grapeseed oils.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Ground black pepper - 255 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil - 873 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Chicken legs - 158 kcal/100g
