These easy curry chicken drumsticks make a delicious dinnertime recipe! Chicken drumsticks are marinated in yogurt, curry powder, and other seasonings, and then are baked or air-fried until perfectly cooked. With only a handful of ingredients, you’ll love how simple this recipe is to make.
Ingredients
Give me a virtual high five if you love an easy recipe! This is definitely one of them – here’s all you need to make it:
- Chicken drumsticks
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Lemon
- Homemade spice blend – curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper (hopefully you’ve already got these hanging around your pantry)
Step by Step Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom, but here’s some helpful step-by-step tips and photos.
You’re going to start by making your homemade spice blend. Just measure out the different seasonings, and then stir ‘em up in a little bowl.
Next, take your chicken and toss it in a zip top bag. Add in the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and spice blend. Close the bag and shake it up, massaging the chicken around so that the yogurt, lemon juice, and spices get evenly distributed over all the chicken.
Pop that in the fridge and let it marinate for about 30 minutes, or longer. When I’ve got a busy day ahead, I’ll do this part in the morning and then just let the chicken marinate throughout the day. That way when it’s time to make dinner, all I have to do is pop them in the air fryer or oven.
When it’s ready to cook, it’s your choice whether you want to use the oven or air fryer.
To use the oven, just place the drumsticks on a baking sheet. Here’s what they’ll look like beforehand:
Now pop ‘em in the oven and cook. It’ll take about 45 minutes this way, and here’s what they’ll look like after:
Or, to use the air fryer, put your chicken in the air fryer basket. Here’s what they’ll look like before:
Cook them for 10 minutes, flip, then cook another 12-15 minutes. As you can see, with the air fryer you’re looking at only about 25 minutes of cook time, so it’s great when you need to get dinner on the table fast. Here’s what they’ll look like after:
Either way that you make them, these will turn out flavorful, tender, and juicy (hooray for no dry chicken!).
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you prepare this recipe.
- How do you know when chicken drumsticks are done? The best way to tell if drumsticks are cooked is using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (do not touch the bone). The internal temperature should read at least 165 degrees F before it’s ready to eat.
- Do you have to preheat your air fryer? Nope. If using the air fryer option, just follow the instructions as written. No preheating is necessary (though if you want to do so anyway, feel free).
- Are chicken drumsticks unhealthy? Dark meat has gotten a bad rep, but honestly – the nutrition profile is not drastically different than white meat, and it can definitely be part of a balanced diet. It does have a bit more fat than white meat, however it’s still a great source of protein and also has more iron than white meat.
Side Dish Suggestions
When making these drumsticks, you’ll need a tasty side dish to go along with it! Here are some ideas:
- Homemade Roti – While this isn’t a traditional curry where you can sop up all the yummy liquid with flatbread, a homemade roti still tastes delicious alongside these chicken drumsticks.
- Raita – This simple side dish is essentially a combination of plain yogurt along with spices and add-ins – often cucumber, but there are different varieties included in the link too. This plus the roti plus the drumsticks = an amazing meal!
- Rasam – This South Indian soup is spicy and tangy, and would make a delicious side dish to pair with the chicken (especially on a cold winter night).
- Herbed Potato Salad – If you’re looking for a different style pairing, try this no-mayo potato salad. It’s filled with parsley and dill and uses an olive oil vinaigrette. There’s also fiddleheads in it, but you can sub asparagus if you can’t find any.
I hope you enjoy this simple and delicious curry chicken drumstick recipe! If you get a chance to try it, please feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Curry Seasoned Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 2 tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon, juiced
Instructions
- If using the oven, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If using the air fryer, no preheating is necessary.
- Combine the curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
- Place the chicken drumsticks, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and spice mixture in a zip top bag. Close the bag and shake it a bit, using your hands to move the chicken around so that everything is well coated. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- If baking in the oven: Remove the drumsticks from the bag and place them on a baking sheet, discarding any extra marinade left in the bag. Bake at 425 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until chicken hits an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- If using the air fryer: Remove the drumsticks from the bag and place them in the basket of the air fryer, discarding any extra marinade left in the bag. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Flip, then air fry again for another 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken hits an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Notes
- You can feel free to prepare the chicken and marinade in the morning, and let sit in the refrigerator over the course of the day until you’re ready to prepare dinner.
- These drumsticks are lightly seasoned; if you prefer stronger curry flavor, increase curry powder to 1 tablespoon.
Nutrition
Share: What’s your favorite way to make drumsticks? What side dishes do you like to pair with them?
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