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Marinated Chicken Legs in a Baking Dish with Steamed Broccoli and Roasted Potatoes
rudisill/istockphoto

Chicken breasts offer endless possibilities. You can slice them, dice them, or cook them whole. Chicken thighs are great in the slow cooker, and who doesn’t love chicken wings? But don’t sleep on chicken drumsticks just because you’re unsure how to cook them. They’re cheap, always available in bulk, and there are tons of delicious ways to prepare them. Here are some of our favorites.

Grilled Chicken Legs

grilled chicken leg on the grill
amenic181/istockphoto

When it comes to cooking chicken legs, grilling is the superior cooking method. The char you can achieve on the grill does wonders for the flavor, which is already bold in this recipe with a seasoning lineup that spotlights smoked paprika, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. 

Grilled Chicken Drumstick Recipe: Recipe Teacher

Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks

Indo-Chinese Appetizer - Chicken Lollipop
Ravsky/istockphoto

Not only are these lollies fun to make, they also remove the work of gnawing all over the bone to tear into the meat. Lollipop chicken drummies rely on the unique method for preparing the meat and are entirely customizable with seasonings and textures, making them a good go-to.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe: The Typical Mom

Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks

glazed teriyaki chicken legs on black plate, top view, copy space
Anna_Shepulova/istockphoto

This sweet and savory recipe taps an Asian flavor profile with sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey. Garnish these guys with green onion for some color and a nice bite.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Easy Chicken Recipes

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BBQ Chicken

Chicken legs on the grill with barbecue sauce. Please see my portfolio for other food related images.
mphillips007/istockphoto

Say it with us: Barbecue sauce belongs on chicken. And chicken legs are no exception. As you grill these chicken legs, you keep lathering them up with barbecue sauce for some bold flavor and the most beautiful sticky texture. 

Grilled Chicken Drumstick RecipeDownshiftology

Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks

A variety of food items are displayed in an appetizing way.
fdastudillo/istockphoto

Tumeric, garam masala, paprika, cumin, lemon juice, and greek yogurt work together to create a gorgeous orange color on these drummies, and some seriously punchy flavor. We want this alongside some lemon rice and naan immeditely.

Baked* Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Ahead of Thyme

*Can also be fried or grilled

Filipino Chicken Adobo

filipino chicken adobo
Banu R/istockphoto

If you want to bring some flavor to your chicken legs, this recipe promises just that with ingredients like rice vinegar and soy sauce bringing in salty hits, balanced by ginger, carrots, and potatoes.

Stovetop Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Vikalinka by Julia Frey

Grandma’s Chicken and Rice

Spanish paella with chicken and vegetables close up on a plate. horizontal
ALLEKO/istockphoto

If your grandmother wasn’t or isn’t a good cook, you have our sincerest apologies. For the rest of us, any recipe that has the word “Grandma” in front of it is pretty much a guarantee to have a good meal. This one serves up the chicken drummies with flavorful rice, bell peppers, and onions. Hubba hubba.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Ronalyn Alston

Nashville Hot Chicken Drumsticks

Nashville hot chicken, wings and legs
Rus32/istockphoto

We’re firm believers in the power of some good Nashville hot chicken. But you don’t have to head into Dave’s Hot Chicken to get your fix (even though we absolutely recommend that glorious place). This recipe sounds spot-on if you’re looking to achieve a spicy, crispy plate of chicken legs.

Fried Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Recipes for Holidays

Chicken Drumsticks With Peppers And Paprika

Chicken Cacciatore, with Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Pasta and Salad-Photographed on Hasselblad H4D-50mb Camera
LauriPatterson/istockphoto

We love a good one-pan meal, and this one looks like it needs to be added to our recipe rotation immediately. You can play around with the spice for this dish, too, which we really appreciate.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Chili Pepper Madness

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Legs

Roasted chicken leg background
Frankhuang/istockphoto

If you don’t have time to fuss with drummies, you can always throw them in the slow cooker with some barbecue sauce. Your meat will practically fall off the bone once the drums are done, which makes them easier to cook and easier to eat. Yahtzee! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Yellow Bliss Road

Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Legs

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Wing Appetizer over French Fries.
rudisill/istockphoto

If you’re an air fryer addict, here’s your new go-to. Teriyaki flavor on chicken is a win every time. This time is no exception. Sticky, sweet, a little spicy — sign us up.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Enjoy Clean Eating

Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Selective-focus image of Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings
rudisill/istockphoto

Our favorite chicken joints are the ones that serve wings and drummies simultaneously. While there’s plenty of debate between which is better, when it comes to buffalo chicken, we really don’t discriminate. We will say that drummies tend to be meatier and there’s not a single thing wrong with that. Dip these guys in ranch (or blue cheese if that’s what you’re into) and go to town.

Baked Chicken Drumstick Recipe:Create Kid’s Club

Crispy Fried Chicken

Homemade golden fried chicken legs witch french fries in a basket. Super crunchy and ready to eat.
GMVozd/istockphoto

You didn’t think we were going to leave fried chicken out of this party, did you? There’s something about that crispy, golden brown texture that we can not resist. It calls to us. And we will pick up every time.

Fried Chicken Drumstick Recipe:The Stay at Home Chef

Meet the Writer

Rachel is a Michigan-based writer who has dabbled in a variety of subject matter throughout her career. As a mom of multiple young children, she tries to maintain a sustainable lifestyle for her family. She grows vegetables in her garden, gets her meat in bulk from local farmers, and cans fruits and vegetables with friends. Her kids have plenty of hand-me-downs in their closets, but her husband jokes that before long, they might need to invest in a new driveway thanks to the frequent visits from delivery trucks dropping off online purchases (she can’t pass up a good deal, after all). You can reach her at [email protected].