Deep Fried Chicken Legs Recipe

This deep fried chicken legs recipe is simple, easy, and quick. These fried chicken drumsticks have crispy skin, are well seasoned, the meat is juicy, tender, and tasty to the bone. Learn how to deep fry chicken legs with or without breading (buttermilk and flour).

Deep Fried Chicken Legs Recipe (Fried Chicken Drumsticks)

This deep fried chicken legs recipe is one you will come back to over and over again. It's easy, quick, simple, and delicious. 

The fried chicken drumsticks are flavorful, juicy inside, and have crispy skin even without breading.

This recipe makes use of few pantry ingredients to season the chicken before they are deep fried in oil. 

It's quick and suitable for when you want to make a 30 minutes meal or under.

These deep fried chicken drumsticks are suitable for keto diet. They are low carb, and high in protein. 

You can use a deep fryer, a chip pan, or just a deep pan and a slotted spoon to make these deep fried chicken legs.

Ingredients 

Chicken Drumsticks 

Paprika

Garlic powder 

Onion powder 

Black pepper 

Salt

Flour - If breading

Buttermilk - If breading

How To Deep Fry Chicken Legs 

Clean the drumsticks/legs and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl. 

Add the spice mix to the chicken legs and mix till well combined. Place a deep pot on the stove on medium heat.

Add oil into the pan to at least 3 inches and heat to a temperature of 350F/175C.

Add in the seasoned chicken drumsticks and fry till it's golden brown and cooked inside.

Remove fried drumsticks from hot oil onto a plate.

Serve and enjoy.

Fried Chicken Legs (With Buttermilk and Flour)

If you prefer to fry chicken drumsticks with breading (flour), here's how to go about it:

Clean the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Mix the flour with half of the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. 

In another bowl, mix the buttermilk with the remaining half of the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and salt.

Dip drumstick in the buttermilk mixture, then dip in the flour mix to cover all the parts then put dredged drumsticks on a flat plate.

Repeat the above step for all the chicken legs.

Place a deep pan on a stove on medium heat. Add oil into the pan and when it's heated, gently put the chicken legs.

Fry till golden brown and cooked inside (No blood around the bone or in the middle).

Put fried chicken drumsticks on a plate.

Serve and enjoy.

How Long To Deep Fry Chicken Legs

How long do you deep fry chicken drumsticks is one question most people would like to have an answer to. The thing is the time it takes to deep fry chicken legs varies on the oil temperature and size of the chicken but a simple guide that answers this question is as below:

For medium-sized chicken legs: It takes 10-12 minutes at a temperature of 350F/175C.

So how long to Fry chicken drumsticks with breading or without is 10 -13 minutes.

To know if the chicken is cooked, Check with a probe (instant-read thermometer), if the internal temperature at the thickest part is at least 165F or 75C, then it is safe to eat. 

What To Serve With 

Potatoes: Roast potatoes, fried potatoes, or air fryer potatoes.

Rice: long grain, basmati, brown rice, jasmine rice.

Salads

Vegetables - Boiled, sauteed, grilled, roasted

Pasta - Mac and cheese, spaghetti, linguine.

How To Store

Fried chicken legs can be stored in the refrigerator and they will keep well if stored at the right temperature.

To store in the fridge - Put in a Ziploc or air tight container, then put it in the fridge where it will keep well for up to 5 days.

In the freezer: When it's well packaged, It can be frozen for several months. Put in an airtight container or Ziploc bag, label with name and dates, then store in the freezer where it will last for up to 6 months.

To Reheat: You can reheat fried chicken legs in the deep fryer, in a pan on the stove top, in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.

How to reheat on the stove in a pan: Place a pan on medium heat, add oil and heat then add in the chicken. Fry till the chicken legs are warmed through.

To reheat in the air fryer: Arrange the drumsticks in the air fryer basket and air fry at a temperature of 180C for 3-4 minutes or till they are warmed through.

Reheating in the microwave: Put the drumsticks on a microwave-safe plate, cover it with a microwave lid then use the high settings function of the microwave for 2 minutes or till it's warmed through.

Tips For Fried Chicken Drumsticks

• Pat chicken legs dry with a paper towel before seasoning. 

• You can season the chicken with any dry rub of your choice but make it a good one.

• Use oil with a high smoking point like peanut oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil.

• If not using a deep fryer, use a deep pan with enough room to allow for frying without splatters or spillage.

• Be careful around hot oil as it can cause serious burns.

• You can use a chip pan and basket to make it easier taking out the chicken drumsticks out of the hot oil.

• Don't overcrowd the pan as that will lower the temperature of the oil.

• Ensure all sides of the chicken are immersed in the oil for even frying. Also that way you won't have to turn the sides while frying.

More Tasty Chicken Recipes 

Pan fried chicken wings 

Pan fried chicken thighs

Chicken wings seasoning

Oven baked chicken breasts

Air fryer chicken wings

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