When I saw this chicken recipe, I knew instantly I wanted to makeit. I knew it would pair exquisitely well with our Noble Pig Pinot Gris. My suspicions were correct. Our Pinot Gris is a vibrant and exuberant citrusy wine that tastes clean and bright and has full-throttle flavors of lemon, grapefruit and lime. It really is the perfect match for this dish.
The chicken is crunchy and lemony with the perfect hint of spice. The meat remains flavorful and moist under the Panko crust.
It is a winner big-time….your family will be begging for more. Mine did.
Mix 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and all of the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add 1 cup water and the sugar and whisk to dissolve, then whisk in the buttermilk. Pierce the drumsticks several times with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 400o F. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Put the Panko, thyme, the remaining lemon zest, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the mayonnaise in a bowl. Set a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and with your hands, slather the mayo on the chicken and drop in the plastic bag, shaking to coat; transfer to the rack.
Mist the chicken with cooking spray. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes; flip and bake until browned and crisp 35 to 40 minutes more.
Serve with potato salad….yum.
Crunchy Lemonade Drumsticks
Adapted from Food Network
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest, divided
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
3-1/2-4-1/2 pounds skin-on chicken drumsticks
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Olive-oil cooking spray
Mix 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and all of the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add 1 cup water and the sugar and whisk to dissolve, then whisk in the buttermilk. Pierce the drumsticks several times with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 400o F. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Put the Panko, thyme, the remaining lemon zest, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the mayonnaise in a bowl. Set a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and with your hands, slather the mayo on the chicken and drop in the plastic bag, shaking to coat; transfer to the rack.
Mist the chicken with cooking spray. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes; flip and bake until browned and crisp 35 to 40 minutes more.
Perfect Wine Pairing: Noble Pig Pinot Gris
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Chinya says
This looks sooooo delicious! I am making it this weekend for sure, maybe with some lemon spaghetti.
Roberta says
Sounds so delicious. Yummy!!!!!
vanillasugar says
:::printing::: oh yes!
laura says
these look great – do you think the mayo step is necessary, or could it be skipped? i am anti-mayo. also that pino gris sounds heavenly!
Sarah says
I think this is probably similar to the egg-wash step when making a traditional Shake n Bake. I’m guessing the mayo just helps hold the coating on better. When I make these, I will be using egg to coat instead of mayo!
Cathy says
Oh you’re going to miss out.
Michelle in NZ says
What a great recipe for cooking drumsticks for a crowd. I, and my tastebuds, fully agree with your wine pairing of Pino Gris. Flavour bliss – super thanks, dear Cathy
Julie says
You always do the funnest things with wings. These look so yummy.
anny says
a request: print recipe so it is all on one page. i can’t figure out how to do it
PG says
Somewhere along the line, I stopped eating drumsticks. This makes me want to give them another try.
Carol says
OH YUM! Do those ever look WONDERFUL…..
Stephanie says
This looks delicious! I love lemon flavored everything
Biz says
I absolutely love the idea of this dish! Love how bright the lemon and zest would make this – yum!
pigpigscorner says
Wow, Love the idea of adding lemon!
Amy - DYKTMP says
Just the title of that recipe made my mouth water! Must try it for myself. PS I adore your blog!
Jenn Bo says
I’ve got this baking in the oven right now. It smells delicious!
Sara says
Oh my, my mouth is watering…I have to try this one!
Susan says
Hurray for these little drumsticks! It’s football season and we are all about the wide-screen TV and a gang of friends on a Sunday afternoon! This recipe … the perfect Sunday dinner meets tailgate party. I can’t go wrong! Wish I could get a few bottles of your wine here in New England! Let us know when you are set up with a distributor! Thanks!
kay says
I am completely intrigued by this recipe. I’m going to try it when I get back to the states!
~cheers
Megan says
I just recieved some Lemon Panko crumbd and it would be perfect for this. I’m trying it soon!
Jane says
Do you think that you could bbq these? How long do you think it would take?