Description
Spicy Mexican chicken drumsticks blend zesty seasonings with crispy skin for a mouthwatering dinner. Home cooks can easily prepare this flavorful dish with simple ingredients and minimal preparation time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 chicken drumsticks (2.5 to 3 lbs / 1.1 to 1.4 kg)
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp dry mustard powder
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Blend onion powder, kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, dry mustard powder, and black pepper in a spacious container, creating a dynamic spice mixture.
- Chicken Preparation: Thoroughly dry drumsticks with paper towels, eliminating excess moisture to enhance seasoning adherence and promote crisp texture.
- Flavor Infusion: Generously coat each drumstick with the spice blend, ensuring comprehensive coverage and deep flavor penetration. Allow seasoned meat to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate up to 12 hours for intensified taste.
- Oven Configuration: Position rack in middle position and preheat to 400°F. Prepare a foil-lined baking sheet with a wire cooling rack to facilitate optimal air circulation and crispy exterior development.
- Roasting Process: Arrange drumsticks skin-side up on the rack, maintaining slight spacing between pieces. Roast for 30-35 minutes, monitoring until skin achieves golden-brown coloration and internal temperature reaches 165°F when verified with a meat thermometer.
- Resting Stage: Remove drumsticks from oven and let rest 5-7 minutes, enabling juice redistribution and ensuring maximum tenderness before serving.
Notes
- Moisture Matters: Pat chicken drumsticks completely dry with paper towels to help seasoning stick and create crispy skin.
- Flavor Development: Let seasoned drumsticks rest at room temperature or marinate overnight to enhance taste and texture.
- Temperature Precision: Always use a meat thermometer to confirm internal chicken temperature reaches 165°F for safe consumption.
- Rack Technique: Use a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet to promote even cooking and achieve a crispy exterior on all sides of the drumsticks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg