Fried Chicken Legs are crispy, golden drumsticks with a well-seasoned crust: each leg is dredged in flour spiced with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder, dipped in an egg and milk wash, dredged again, and fried at 350°F until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Two pounds of drumsticks make about 10 legs, and the recipe takes about 25 minutes.
How to make it: Season the flour, whisk the egg and milk, and double dredge each drumstick: flour, egg wash, flour. Fry in 350°F oil in batches, turning as they cook, until golden and 165°F inside, then drain on paper towels.
Why You’ll Love It
- Extra crispy: the double dredge builds a thick, craggy crust.
- Well seasoned: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder in the flour.
- Quick: about 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of frying.
- Two ways: deep fry them, or pan-fry in a skillet with less oil.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken legs: Two pounds of drumsticks, about 8 to 10 legs. Pat them dry before coating.
Seasoned flour: A cup of all-purpose flour with two teaspoons each of onion powder and garlic powder, a tablespoon of paprika and half a teaspoon of chili powder. Use more or less chili powder to taste.
Salt and pepper: One and a half to two teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper, divided: most goes in the flour and a pinch goes in the egg wash.
Egg wash: One egg whisked with three quarters of a cup of whole milk.
Oil: Enough for deep frying in a heavy pot or a deep fryer.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken legs (drumsticks, about 8 to 10)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- Oil, enough for deep frying
How to Make Fried Chicken Legs
1. Season the flour. In a large bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, most of the salt and most of the pepper. Set aside.
2. Mix the egg wash. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Double dredge. Dip each drumstick in the seasoned flour, then in the egg and milk, then back into the flour.
4. Fry. Heat the oil to 350°F. Gently lower the drumsticks into the hot oil in batches and fry over medium heat, turning them as they cook, until golden brown and crispy outside and 165°F in the thickest part.
5. Drain. Lift the chicken out and drain it on paper towels before serving.
How to Get Crispy Fried Chicken Legs That Are Cooked Through
The trick with fried drumsticks is a crust that is deeply golden at the same moment the meat by the bone is done. These habits get you there.
Double dredge. Flour, then the egg and milk wash, then flour again. The second coat of flour is what gives the legs their thick, craggy crust.
Hold the oil at 350°F. Use a deep-fry thermometer. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the inside is cooked. If the skin darkens too quickly, turn the heat down a little. A cast iron pot holds its heat well, so watch it closely.
Fry in batches. Do not overfill the pot. Lower a few legs in at a time.
Turn them as they fry. Turn the drumsticks now and then so they brown evenly on all sides.
Check 165°F at the bone. Push a food thermometer into the thickest part of a drumstick without touching the bone. Golden outside is not enough; 165°F inside is done.
Tips for Success
How long do you fry chicken legs?
About 15 minutes in 350°F oil for drumsticks, turning them as they cook. Bigger legs take longer, so go by the thermometer: 165°F in the thickest part.
What oil is best for frying chicken?
A neutral frying oil such as vegetable or peanut oil, enough to deep fry the legs.
Why pat the chicken dry?
So the first coat of flour goes onto dry skin. Blot the drumsticks with paper towels before you start dredging.
How do I keep fried chicken crispy?
Drain it on paper towels right out of the oil and serve it while it is hot.
Variations
- Pan-fried: Heat 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or peanut oil to 325°F in a cast iron or 12-inch skillet. Coat the legs once in the seasoned flour and fry, flipping every 3 to 4 minutes, for 10 to 12 minutes, until 165°F. Drain about 5 minutes on paper towels.
- Buttermilk-marinated: Soak the drumsticks in buttermilk with an egg and some of the spices in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, then dredge in the seasoned flour and fry at 350°F.
- Spicier: Add more chili powder to the flour.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze fried chicken for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven or air fryer until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve fried chicken legs hot with your favorite sides.
For more chicken leg dinners, try baked BBQ chicken legs or caramelized baked chicken legs or wings, or simmer extra drumsticks into chicken soup with drumsticks. More crispy favorites: copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets, bacon brown sugar chicken tenders and fried green tomatoes on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should the oil be for fried chicken legs?
350°F for deep frying. If pan-frying in a skillet with less oil, 325°F.
How do I know fried chicken is done?
The thickest part of the drumstick reads 165°F on a food thermometer, measured away from the bone.
Why double dredge chicken?
Coating in flour, then egg wash, then flour again builds a thicker, crispier crust.
Can I marinate the chicken first?
Yes. Soak the drumsticks in buttermilk in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight, then dredge and fry.
Final Notes
Double dredge, hold the oil at 350°F, fry in small batches and check 165°F at the bone. If you make these fried chicken legs, tell me how they turned out in the comments.
Fried Chicken Legs
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken legs drumsticks, about 8 to 10
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt divided, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- oil enough for deep frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, most of the salt and most of the pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dip each drumstick in the seasoned flour, then in the egg and milk, then back into the flour.
- Heat the oil to 350°F. Gently lower the drumsticks into the hot oil in batches and fry over medium heat, turning them as they cook, until golden brown and crispy outside and 165°F in the thickest part.
- Lift the chicken out and drain it on paper towels before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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