Zesty and crisped, Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks make a simple weeknight dinner that can please anyone.
A simple marinade and generous dusting of lemon pepper seasoning gives these drumsticks plenty of flavor.
Quick Look: Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ready In: 2 hours, 35 minutes (2 hours marinating time, 35 minutes cook time)
Servings: 4
Nutrition: 338 Calories, 50g Protein
Main Ingredients: Chicken drumsticks, Lemon juice, Olive oil, Lemon pepper seasoning
Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Dairy free, Nut free
Why You'll Love It: Classic flavor combo, made simple! Prep is easy and cooking is hands-off in the oven.
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Easy prep and hands-off cooking make these lemon pepper chicken drumsticks a weeknight dinner win!
Lemon and chicken make a classic flavor combo. It's a favorite for Lemon Pepper Chicken & Broccoli Skillet or Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Piccata. However, these chicken drumsticks are a little more straghtforward.
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Key Ingredients
Chicken drumsticks - Should be easy to find wherever you do your grocery shopping! I also encourage skin-on chicken drumsticks for the best overall flavor.
Lemon pepper seasoning - Lemon pepper is a classic combo, so you should be able to find a blend if you don't have one in the pantry already.
Be sure to check the ingredients; seasoning blends often have added ingredients. If you're gluten free, you'll want to make sure the blend is processed in a certified gluten free facility.
Lemon juice - Fresh-squeezed lemon juice makes a simple marinade for chicken, like in High Protein Chicken Souvlaki Bowls! You can also preserve some lemon zest from the lemons you use to garnish the cooked drumsticks.
Baking powder - Baking powder, combined with the lemon pepper seasoning, helps dry out the skin of the drumsticks so they get nice and crispy in the oven. It's a secret weapon for crispy skin during oven cooking that I use for wing recipes like Hot Honey Chicken Wings!
Oven instructions
1. Marinate the drumsticks
Toss the drumsticks in fresh lemon juice and marinate for 2-12 hours.
In a pinch, you can skip this step, but in a side-by-side taste test the marinated drumsticks had a little more lemon flavor.
2. Toss the drumsticks in seasoning
Combine the lemon pepper seasoning and baking powder. Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels (helps create crispy skin!) and toss in the seasoning blend.
3. Roast the drumsticks
Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Roast for 35 minutes in a 400 degree F oven, flipping halfway.
When the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, they're done!
4. (Optional) Broil for crispiness
If the drumsticks aren't browned and crisped to your liking, crank the oven up to broil and carefully move the oven rack to the 2nd from the top position.
Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Grill instructions
Grilling season? Here's how to adapt this recipe for the grill!
Steps 1-2 above will remain the same.
3. Grill the drumsticks
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees F. Arrange the drumsticks on the grill over direct heat and cook for 30 minutes, flipping every 7-10, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
If your grill has an open flame and no flame cover, there may be flare-ups. In that case, arrange the drumsticks on the edges of the flame area - still direct heat, just not directly over the flame.
What if the drumsticks aren't crispy?
Of course, we all want crispy skin anytime we're cooking with skin-on poultry! A few things may have gone on:
- Too much moisture: If you didn't pat the wings dry after marinating them, they may have too much moisture for the skin to continue to dry and therefore get crispy while they bake.
- No baking powder: If you skipped the baking powder, you may not get as crispy of drumsticks. The baking powder here helps wick moisture away from the skin while it bakes, encouraging crispiness!
- Too-low cooking temperature: If your oven or grill isn't fully preheated before starting to cook the drumsticks, the skin might end up not crisping up.
- Overcrowding: Regardless of your cooking method (oven or grill), make sure you arrange the drumsticks with a couple inches of space between each piece of chicken. Overcrowding is the enemy of crispiness!
FAQs
Absolutely! This recipe should work great with chicken wings. Follow the steps as described, but adjust cooking instructions. My hot honey chicken wing recipe should help you adjust!
You can omit the baking powder, but its purpose is to help crisp up the skin. Trust me - you won't taste it unless you go overboard while measuring!
The best way is to use a meat thermometer. Make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F (not touching the bone), and it's done!
Variations and substitutions
- Adjust spices - Add up to 2 teaspoons chili powder or garlic powder to the spice blend to adjust the flavor (without overshadowing the lemon pepper!)
- Add parmesan - Once the drumsticks are cooked, dust with shredded parmesan to add a cheesy finish.
- Air fryer - Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F. Arrange the drumsticks in the air fryer basket (not touching!) and cook for 30-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Serving suggestions
These drumsticks are very versatile! Simply pairing them with a roasted veggie or salad and a starch make a well-rounded meal.
Some suggestions:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Beets with Parsley make simple, straightforward vegetable sides.
- Add an easy starch with Oven-Roasted Potato Rounds or Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds.
- Garlic Herb Sweet Potato Mash makes a flavorful side!
- Keep things light with an Easy Cucumber Salad or Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad.
More gluten free chicken recipes
From salads to cutlets, I've published several chicken recipes on Chelsea Joy Eats! If you love these drumsticks, why not try out hot honey chicken wings or crispy chicken thighs?
Have you made lemon pepper chicken drumsticks? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I love your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Lemon Pepper Chicken Drumsticks
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A simple marinade and generous dusting of lemon pepper seasoning gives these lemon pepper chicken drumsticks plenty of flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 8 drumsticks)
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish, if desired
- Lemon zest, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Marinate: In a large bowl, add chicken drumsticks and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.
- Prep: When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or grill to medium-high heat (also about 400 degrees F). Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the drumsticks dry with a paper towel.
- Season: In a small bowl, combine the lemon pepper seasoning and baking powder. Toss the drumsticks first in the olive oil (to help the seasoning stick to the drumsticks), then toss in the lemon pepper mixture.
- Oven Instructions: Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on a baking sheet or baking dish. Bake the drumsticks for 35 minutes, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and the skin has started to brown. For crispier skin, move the drumsticks to the middle rack and turn the oven up to broil. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisped. Top drumsticks with lemon zest and/or chopped parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
- Grill Instructions: Arrange the drumsticks to the grill on the grill over direct heat, ensuring no drumsticks are touching, and cook for about 30 minutes, flipping every 7-10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Top drumsticks with lemon zest and/or chopped parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
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