Roast them like you would a whole chicken....or make "Buffalo drumsticks"...How about battering and deep frying them?

Not that I am trying to turn you off them, but the last few times I bought drum sticks they were really sinewy - like the chickens were too old or something. Let me know how yours turn out.

Anyway, I digress, I usually make a home made Shake-n-Bake type coating - garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, pepper, just a smidge of sugar (make it a little crispier) and panko or finely crushed bread crumbs. Mix a bit of EVO into the seasoned crumbs and turn the drumsticks in the mixture. Bake at 375 for about 30 - 40 min.

Alexa

I don't care for breast meat, I think it's too dry and I much prefer the dark meat. I haven't had a problem with the chicken legs I get here, now that I've run out of home grown ones...

I like chicken legs (and/or thighs), rolled in flour and seasonings and fried, or rolled in seasoned bread crumbs and baked, or baked and then smothered with BBQ sauce. I use the legs for Hunter's Chicken too, I use this recipe from Cooking Light but I skip the polenta and serve over noodles or serve the gravy over mashed potatoes with the chicken on the side.

Hunter's Chicken

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 bone-in chicken thighs, (about 4 pounds), skin removed, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup dry white wine, or vermouth
1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
1 1/3 cups cornmeal
6 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

1.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are very soft and translucent, 2 to 4 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a bowl; set aside. Remove the pot from the heat.
2.Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Gently shake off any excess.
3.Cook the chicken in 2 batches in the Dutch oven, using 1 tablespoon oil for each batch. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
4.Pour wine (or vermouth) into the pot and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and rosemary. Return the reserved onions to the pan. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices, making sure each piece is partially submerged. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pan and cook, gently stirring once or twice, until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour.
5.Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and very creamy, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, while you finish the stew.
6.Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Bring the liquid in the pan to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Skim or blot any visible fat from the surface. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the pan.
7.Gently stir in basil. Serve the stew over the polenta.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Make polenta (Step 5) about 1 hour before serving. Prepare stew through Step 6. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Reheat stew and stir in basil (Step 7).

I also use chicken legs on the very rare occasion when I make chicken and dumplings.

Annie

Here is a recipe I use alot for chicken legs, although DH prefers them floured and fried, with mashed potatoes and cream gravy.

I got this recipe from recipezaar, posted by cricket1176, recipe # 180171 and it is a weight watchers recipes, but it is really good.

Roast Chicken Legs With Basil and Garlic-Core Ww Friendly

Ingredients
4 chicken legs
8 large basil leaves
12-15 garlic cloves
1 lemon, halved
4 baking potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 teaspoons paprika
Directions
1Remove all visible fat from the chicken and trim excess skin, leaving just enough to cover the pieces. Carefully lift the skin on each piece and slice 2 basil leaves under it. Replace the skin.
2Separate the garlic bulb into individual cloves. Trim the hard end off each clove and remove the peel. Trim any bruises and discard any cloves that are soft or dark. There should be about 12 to 15 whole cloves.
3Place the garlic in a 9"x13" baking dish. Top with the chicken.
4Squeeze the juice from half of the lemon over the chicken. Remove the seeds from the remaining lemon half and cut into 4 pieces. Add these to the baking dish.
5Cut the potatoes lengthwise into spears. Add to the dish. Drizzle with chicken and potatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with the pepper and paprika.
6Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the skin before eating.

I usually don't have fresh basil leaves and just sprinkle dry basil over everything before baking it.

Thanks! I really didn't want to do any deep frying, and every dish I could think of to use them called for at least one thing I was out of! LOL

Alexa, I really am not a huge fan of chicken legs, so I'll have to give you Tim's opinion when I make them!

Annie, I had looked at a Hunter's Chicken recipe as well as a Coq Au Vin. I think I'll stop on the way home from work tomorrow and get the ingredients I am missing and make your recipe. I love polenta, so will probably serve that as well. thanks!

Linda

So Tim is a leg man....

Another one that is not fond of breast meat, too dry and blah for me.

So, plain baked with some herbs, Hunter chicken, chicken caccatore, chicken and dumplings, Marengo, Paprikash, even a mock osso bucco with thigh meat.

drumsticks I made once:
dcarch

For your next drumstick foray you might consider this recipe. I used to make it for the cafe I worked in and they were extremely popular (especially with the boss who kept filching one every time he walked past :-) ).

1 rounded tablespoon apricot jam
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 level teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch cayenne
clove garlic, crushed

8 drumsticks

Blend sauce ingredients and brush over drumsticks. Bake in a greased pan in the oven at about 350F for about a half hour. I usually double the sauce ingredients and really pour it over :-)

Colleen that basting sauce sounds delicious!

I might try that also on chicken thighs or wings.

SharonCb

This simple chicken and rice dish is a favorite. I use thighs and legs, but you can use all legs too.

Basque Chicken and Rice
40 min : 15 min prep

SERVES 4 -6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3 lb) roasting chickens, cut into 8 pieces or 3 lbs. chicken pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped small
1/4 cup water
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Heat deep stove top casserole or pan and add oil and chicken (I season with salt and pepper).
Brown chicken well and remove to platter.
Leave oil in pan (I drain off all but 2 tablespoons).
Add to pan the garlic, onion and bell pepper.
Saute until onion is clear and then deglaze pan with the 1/4 cup water.
Return chicken to pan and add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to boil, cover the pan, and turn down to a simmer.
Cook 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Source: The Frugal Gourmet

You can make this with all breasts or all thighs.

GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES serves 6

4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
6 medium size chicken legs & 6 chicken thighs
6 medium size potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
24 unpeeled garlic cloves
Salt
1/4 cup maple syrup

In large roasting pan in 400 degree oven, melt butter. Remove pan from oven. Meanwhile cut potatoes into bite size chunks.

Place chicken pieces, potato chunks and garlic in roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 Tsp. salt. Turn to coat with melted butter; arrange chicken pieces skin side up. Bake 30 minutes, basting the chicken and potatoes with dripping in pan.

Brush chicken with maple syrup and spoon dripping in pan over potatoes occasionally; bake 20 minutes longer or just until potatoes and chicken are fork-tender.

To serve, divide chicken, potatoes and garlic among 6 warm plates; skim fat from drippings and pour any pan juices over chicken. Each person can cut through garlic skin and spread roasted garlic onto chicken and potatoes.

Alexa, our DGS's adore drumsticks and I've been buying them at Trader Joe's. Not the organic, just their regular package of fresh meat and they're not sinewy at all. I like dark meat as well as light so I've enjoyed them too.
Annie, Teresa, Colleen and Trixie, those recipes all sound very tasty! Now if only my DH would eat them too!

Yum, Colleen, I think Ashley would love that sauce, and I'm thinking it might be nice on pork too.

I also like the drumsticks because I can cook just a couple for me and not have a ton of leftovers but a package of just legs is about twice as much as a packaged whole chicken. I did see the local Save A Lot has chicken leg/thigh quarters for 39 cents a pound, so I'll probably get some to at least make stock, and I can "save" a few of those, so thanks for the recipes, everyone.

Annie

They're good in Sol's Lemon Garlic Chicken too!

Deanna...another who prefers the dark meat.