Bonus points if you know what the heck I’m talking about…
Anyfootballsnackfood – there was a giant package of chicken drumsticks in my fridge, and I was hungry. And the playoffs were on. Hot legs!
I originally intended to deep fry these, but it just seemed like too much work. I’m tired from shoveling snow and sledding with the dog and trudging 2 miles through knee-high snow to Dunkin Donuts (uphill both ways). Baking sounds good.
Line those little legs up on a cookie sheet or two lined with parchment paper. Aren’t they cute?
Salt & pepper them. I used Hawaiian black salt. Mostly because I just bought it at Eataly last week and really wanted to use it.
Bake at 375° until they are cooked to your likeness. I can’t stand any undercooking in my chicken so I left them in there for about an hour. Your experience may vary. A poultry thermometer is handy to make sure they are done.
When they are safely done, leave them in the oven to keep warm and make the sauce. Since I’m being low carb these days, I started with about a third of a cup of reduced sugar ketchup.
Add to that one stick of melted butter. Yes, butter. I’ve heard that fake butter/margarine won’t work as well because it breaks down differently…
Whisk that up and start adding your favorite hot sauce. I like Frank’s Red Hot. It doesn’t have that weird rotten egg smell that another popular brand has. I’m sure some of you will want to use something with more heat.
I use about a quarter cup of hot sauce, but this is really where you need to taste as you go.
When you get the hot/sweet ratio right, toss in those drumsticks and coat them well.
Make sure they are well coated on all sides…
Chop up some celery, pour out some blue cheese dressing, grab the beverage of your choice and you’re ready for game time!
Hot Legs
- 12-18 chicken drumsticks
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/3 cup ketchup (I used reduced sugar)
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (or to taste)
Place salt & peppered drumsticks on baking sheet(s) lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375° until poultry thermometer indicates they are done. In a large bowl, mix melted butter and ketchup. Add in hot sauce a little at a time until sauce reaches desired hotness. Toss warm drumsticks a couple at a time to coat and transfer to a bowl or platter with rounded edges (so the sauce doesn’t run everywhere – it’s what sauce does). Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
I love ya honey! (Whatever happened to Rod Stewart?)