Crispy Oven-Fried Drumsticks

There's no such thing as too many fried chicken recipes. Sure, you may have Mama's classic version that's guaranteed to score a touchdown with your crowd's taste buds every time, but it's nice to pull a recipe off the bench every now and again. Whether it's chicken fried chicken or a Southern fried recipe, there are seemingly endless ways to fry a bird full of flavor.Here, we take your deep fryer out of the equation with an oven-fried chicken recipe that just might turn drumsticks into your new favorite piece of poultry. Perfect for filling your fried chicken fix without the hot, smelly grease, our Crispy Oven-fried Drumsticks is a baked fried chicken recipe with a satisfyingly crunchy texture. Coat meat with a mixture of crushed cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper before dunking each drumstick in buttermilk and covering in a crunchy outer layer again. Bake for just 25 to 30 minutes, and you'll have a beautifully brown, crispy plate of chicken ready to serve for dinner, a picnic, or a party. Substitute drumsticks for breasts, thighs, or a combination of chicken parts if you'd prefer, since the baking time is similar for all of them.

Crispy Oven-fried Drumsticks
Photo: Southern Living
Prep Time:
15 mins
Bake Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 drumsticks)

Ingredients

  • 3 cup cornflake cereal, crushed

  • cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground red pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¾ cup fat-free buttermilk

  • 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 lb.), skinned

  • Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal and shake well to combine.

  2. Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl. Dip 2 drumsticks in buttermilk, and place in bag. Seal and shake well, coating drumsticks completely. Place drumsticks on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining drumsticks. Sprinkle remaining cornflake mixture evenly over drumsticks on baking sheet. Lightly coat with cooking spray.

  3. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until drumsticks are well browned and done. Serve immediately.

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