Help me with drumsticks!

littlelaurie14
littlelaurie14 Posts: 224 Member
I've been a vegetarian for so long, and I have very little experience cooking meat. I have a ton of drumsticks I need to cook up. The last time I tried I couldn't even tell if they were undercooked or not, and they weren't eaten, and I HATE wasting food.

Help me with these darn drumsticks, any recipes, whatever. I'm running out of food and I'm finally resorting to them haha

thank ya much :)

Replies

  • Alisha_countrymama
    Alisha_countrymama Posts: 821 Member
    You can tell when they are done, when you bake them, the meat will start pulling off the bone.
  • ShellB8585
    ShellB8585 Posts: 42 Member
    best way to tell if they are cooked is to open one slightly, if it is pink it's not cooked.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Make sure it's not pink. A Google search for how long to cook them and what temperature would probably help. X
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
    With poultry, if there's pink, it's not ready; if you cut into it a little and juices run clear, it's cooked through.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    I would not like drumsticks except for having had them BBQ'ed by a friend.
    I also like this recipe, which I love to make up and stick in the fridge for easy meals/snacks for my children!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CUw6U5av0I
  • branson101
    branson101 Posts: 173 Member
    for healthy just baked them with a little rosemary and thyme. IF the ppl you are cooking for aren't health concious then fry them. It's easy, really, dip the leg in milk and roll in flour and season with seasoning salt, pepper, and any other spice you choose if you like a kick to it. For doneness, I would suggest a meat thermometer, you can usually find a cheap one that will work just fine.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Temp them....165 when done.
  • daisiemae123
    daisiemae123 Posts: 277 Member
    In the slow cooker with soy sauce garlic and ginger, high for 2-3 hours low 6-8. I serve with some rice or quinoa and veggies. If you bake them and are iffy on when they are done, use a meat thermometer. Chicken drumsticks (actually all chicken) should register 165.
  • galvodka
    galvodka Posts: 102
    Do you have slow cooker? I cook them in slow cooker w/ BBQ sauce and they are definitely done (4 hrs on high/6-8 hrs on low) and fall right off the bone.

    If no slow cooker, then I usually brown quick in pan w/ pam/cooking spray then cook in oven on 350 for about 25-30 minutes w/ some type of sauce or sprayed w/ olive oil and seasonings and they should be done. I usually brown chicken quick then cook in oven to make sure cooked completely through. I feel like chicken on the bone tastes to rubbery if not browned quickly first.
  • BigFatToad
    BigFatToad Posts: 4 Member
    With drumsticks, the dark meat when done might look pinkish in areas, so don't mistake that with the pink of blood / under cooking. I agree with Alisha, though - I like to really cook drumsticks and wings for a long time until the meat begins to fall off the bone. It helps make them easy to eat. I usually do 350 for an hour or so, turning them occasionally to get the outside more crisp on all sides. Good luck.
  • TheViperMan
    TheViperMan Posts: 235 Member
    Do you have an outdoor grill?

    If so, get it to 425 degrees using "half" of the surface area. Place the chicken over the un-heated part of the grill (this is called in-direct cooking - you're using the grill as an oven) Cook chicken for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 20 minutes.

    Chicken will TASTE deep-fried but without any extra oil. I lightly salt and pepper the chicken before cooking. If you want to add any sauces, do so during the last 5 minutes as any sugars in the sauce will burn.

    Make this a lot during the summer - always a big hit.
  • Invest in a meat thermometer - $10-15. It will save you from over/undercooking any kind of meat. For oven "fried" drumsticks dip in beaten egg white and roll in panko. Put a rack on a baking sheet (cookie cooling rack is great) and bake the chicken for an hour at 350 degrees or until temp is 165. My daughter likes these with FF ranch dressing in place of the egg white. Brush on rather than dip as the dressing is thick.