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READY IN ABOUT 2 hrs

Firecracker Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Read Reviews (174)

"I found this recipe a while back and had to try it. My husband and I fell in love with it. He has to have it at least twice a week. Sometimes I use boneless, skinless chicken breast in place of the drumsticks--the breasts take less cooking time. Enjoy!" — TISHA ANN

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Measuring All-Purpose Flour

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

8 chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups vegetable oil for frying

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Directions

Remove skin from chicken and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour sauce over chicken, seal bag, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the spicier it will be.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in another resealable plastic bag. Add the drumsticks, seal bag, and shake to coat.
Fry the chicken, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Turn occasionally to brown evenly.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 1 hr 50 mins

Footnotes

Editor's Note:
We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 08, 2003

If you have trouble with the breading, it's best to make sure that your oil is very hot. I just got a deep fryer and find it is better to cook them in there. If the breading is still falling off make sure that when you pull the chicken from the hot sauce that you make sure it isn't dripping wet. Let it quit dripping if you have to. Then make sure the flour mixture coats the chicken very well. Oher than that, I don't know why the breading would fall off. next time you make it and kids have some, try cutting them up into strips. That's the way I have made them from day one. And I always marinate them overnight. The longer the better. Thanks for trying the recipe.

—TISHALC

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Nov 10, 2003

Overall, great recipe, great flavor, relatively easy prep, the kids loved it. However, my coating was coming off in the oil during frying. I only turned it twice. Not sure what exactly went wrong with breading. If breading would have stayed on better, could have been 4-5stars. If you have any suggestions about the breading write back. Thanks!

—Melissa

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214 Ratings

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May 29, 2006

I used boneless chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise for shorter cooking time. I marinated them 4 hours in a baggie with hot sauce, some cayenne pepper, season all salt and garlic powder. For the coating I made an egg wash with 2 eggs, half a cup of milk and a splash of hot sauce. In another bowl I mixed flour, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. I cut the chicken in strips and coated them with flour, dipped them in egg wash next then flour again. In a frying pan I heated oil then fried them. They were fabulous. Will definitely be on my Fall list for football season finger food.

—MISSIMIN

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Jan 08, 2007

This was vary good it is the best chicken I have ever had. I am only 12 years old, and I was able to make it by myself, with minimal supervision. It is great to marinate it the night before you want to have it. The longer you marinate it, the spicer it gets.

—RJALLMON

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May 31, 2006

Best chicken ever! I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and marinated in Cholula hot sauce all day. Then mixed up the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, Tony Chacherer's seasoning, salt and pepper. Then I dipped the chicken breasts into beaten eggs and milk, then flour mixture, eggs again and flour mixture again. Delicious! Will definitely use this recipe for chicken again and probably for chicken fried steak and pork chops.

—DebbieJ.

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Oct 24, 2003

I did as the recipe poster suggested and used chicken breasts cut up into finger like pieces instead of drumsticks. They did cook faster and absorbed more marinade than the drumsticks did. I also added garlic powder, about 1/4 cup white vinegar and cayenne pepper to the marinade (my hubby likes things spicy). Ran low on coating mixture towards the end and thought I had ruined the last batch, but it turned out great regardless. Have made several times and intend to continue!

—BUNNYGRRL

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Oct 24, 2003

Good idea, Marinating the chicken beasts in the hot sauce makes the chicken nice and tender. Easy to make and a joy to eat. I have tried it twice and find that adding hot pepper to the dry mix makes it a little hotter then just the red-hot. Also make a dipping sauce with butter and hot sauce goes well. Thanks

—GREGANDCANDY

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Nov 10, 2003

My oldest son WOULD NOT eat chicken....until I made this recipe. It has a nice kick to it and I would liken the recipe to Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits Chicken Strips. A variation on this recipe would be to dip it into an egg mixture before the flour/cornstarch mixture and deep fry it.

—BONSAI68

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Nutrition

Calories
475 kcal
24%

Carbohydrates
11.6 g
4%

Cholesterol
132 mg
44%

Fat
28.1 g
43%

Fiber
0.5 g
2%

Protein
41.7 g
83%

Sodium
796 mg
32%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Firecracker Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 475
Calories from Fat: 253

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28.1g 43 %
Saturated Fat 5.1g 26 %
Cholesterol 132mg 44 %
Sodium 796mg 32 %
Potassium 388mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrates 11.6g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2 %
Protein 41.7g 83 %
** Sugars 0.3g
Vitamin A 2 %
Vitamin C 17 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 26 %
Thiamin 23 %
Niacin 136 %
Vitamin B6 36 %
Magnesium 14 %
Folate 23 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.