Some time ago a friend of mine confessed that she has given up trying to make baked chicken drumsticks because every single time they turned out disgustingly tender and kinda steamed. Yet, I told her: “Baking crunchy drumstick is possible“! Yes, I mean,  without frying the chicken and by following few simples rules you can prepare a healthy, low fat, easy and appealing meal which basically bakes itself without too much of your involvement. And honesty, especially at the beginning of the year, with all the good resolutions about eating clean, it doesn’t waste to find a new ” favorite healthy family recipe”  to be added to the food plan of the week. 

This chicken drum sticks recipe is based on a few constants:

1. make sure the drumsticks are completely thaw: it happens often that even if you bought them from the store refrigerator, the drumsticks are still frozen (or have a lot of ice around). If you don’t thaw the drumsticks before baking, you will obtain steamed chicken.
2. the oven temperature has to be very high. I mean 440 F.
3. Bake in “convection” mode.
4. You don’t have to be in a rush. You can reach the crunchiness only if you bake for at least one hour.
5. Coarse salt is the secret ingredient to get that crunchy and tasty layer around the drumstick.
6. Use a very big glass oven pan: the drumsticks don’t have to touch each other, otherwise the meat will stay soft right were they touched one another.

INGREDIENTS

(I eyeball the ingredients according to the number of drumsticks I’m making)

chicken drumsticks

virgin olive oil

sage leaves

garlic

rosemary leaves

coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl rub lightly each chicken drumstick with virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with chopped sage and rosemary,  and few garlic cloves very finely cut. 

Arrange the drumsticks in a glass baking pan making sure each drumstick doesn’t touch one another, and dust both sides with coarse salt.

Bake at 440 F. for 30 minutes. Then, take the pan out of the oven, flip the drumsticks upside down, and let cook for another 30 minutes. See the crunchy layer all around I was talking about?

You family members, children in particular, will looooooove this recipe!

LEARNT IT, MADE IT, LOVED IT!

Tips: – Of course my daughters prefer to side the chicken with chips or fries (so it gets no healthy no more), but this meal  can be totally lean, healthy, high protein and good for you. Just remember to side it with some veggie and fruit.

I really hope you like this recipe, and please, if you do,
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Much thanks,

Silvia