Chicken Drumsticks - Flavourful, Versatile & Perfect for BBQs
Inexpensive yet packed with rich, succulent flavour, chicken drumsticks are a fantastic choice for grilling, roasting, or slow cooking until the dark meat becomes tender and juicy. Their higher fat content ensures they remain moist and flavourful, making them perfect for BBQs, oven-baking, or frying.

We love marinating them in buttermilk for extra tenderness, then coating them in a flour-egg-breadcrumb mix before baking or frying to golden, crispy perfection. Whether cooked low and slow on the grill or flash-fried for crunch, chicken drumsticks are a versatile and delicious crowd-pleaser.

Inspiration from Chef Valentine Warner
"Chicken drumsticks are delicious and popular for their affordability too.

Slash the drumsticks and drop them into a generous marinade of brown sugar, tomato ketchup, smoked paprika, a little ground clove, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then allow to cool.

Place the drumsticks over the grill, and with each turn, sprinkle with a little salt, more brown sugar, and brush with the marinade. When the sauce is thick, sticky, and crispy, either pull the chicken from the bone and stuff it in a bun with coleslaw or simply eat it straight from the bone with coleslaw on the side.

A marmalade and apple cider vinegar marinade with a little soy sauce and five spice is equally effective and delicious.

For braising, I’d brown the drumsticks first, then cook them slowly with smoked bacon lardons, onions, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, a little tomato purée, and red wine. Serve over pommes purée, topped with fresh parsley - it’s simple yet delicious.

Alternatively, keep the onions, fresh garlic, bay, and black pepper, add a little cumin, smoked paprika, and sherry, and they’re excellent served with fried potatoes and roasted peppers simply dressed in walnut oil.

But my absolute favourite way is to lollipop them. Remove the skin, then with a paring knife, push and scrape all the meat to the end of the bone. Remove the thin bone, leaving them ‘lollipopped.’ Leave overnight in buttermilk infused with aromatics, then beat an egg into the buttermilk, twist the lollipop legs in it, and dredge in seasoned spicy flour - just as the Colonel would! Deep-fry until golden and crispy, then eat with garlic mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, or your favourite hot sauce."