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Curried Chicken Drumsticks

4.4

(7)

Image may contain Plant Fruit Citrus Fruit Food Meal Lime and Dish
Alex Lau

Braising bone-in chicken in your dish helps build flavor and sauce depth.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

3

tablespoons ghee or virgin coconut oil

8

chicken drumsticks

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

2

large onions, chopped

4

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1

lemongrass stalk, crushed (optional)

3

tablespoons vadouvan or any yellow curry powder

¼

teaspoon cayenne pepper

2

cups low-sodium chicken broth

1

13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving

1

cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, divided

1

14-ounce package rice noodles

Crispy shallots or onions (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ghee in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until skin is golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate (it will not be cooked through).

    Step 2

    Add onions to same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic, lemongrass (if using), vadouvan, and cayenne and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth, coconut milk, lime juice, and ½ cup cilantro, then return chicken to skillet and gently push down into liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through and sauce is thickened, 40–45 minutes. Be sure to turn chicken a couple of times while it’s cooking so all sides get exposed to the curry sauce.

    Step 3

    Just before chicken is done, cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse noodles under warm water, then toss in a large bowl with a little bit of the curry sauce. This will help to prevent them from sticking.

    Step 4

    Divide noodles among shallow bowls. Place drumsticks on top and ladle curry sauce over. Top with crispy shallots and remaining ½ cup cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

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Reviews (7)

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  • I have had this on my 'make it one day' list ever since it was first published in the magazine! Overall, my experience was good, but I would make some tweaks. The liquid reduces down to a fairly thick sauce, and I would want mine a little more soupy to go with the noodles. I sadly made it without cilantro and I highly recommend that you DON'T skip it, because it would definitely add a fragrant and bright note that the dish really needs (but the squeeze of lime helps!). Overall the flavor is really rich and satisfying for a cold evening, and the recipe is overall very easy to execute well. I ate it with Claire's 2015 tandoori vaudovan carrots, and pan fried okra in garam masala and chili.

    • Anonymous

    • Houston, TX

    • 10/28/2019

  • This is one of the first times I've cooked for myself, and I can say that I'm very proud of what I made. I did add a little bit more of curry because I thought it needed more but it wasn't the case. Super tasty and delicious highly recommend!

    • AlexMartinezV

    • Chicago, IL

    • 8/13/2018

  • I keep going back to this recipe for weeknight dinners. Easy and satisfying.

    • Anonymous

    • Charleston, SC

    • 12/5/2017

  • I hate to admit, this recipe didn't do it for me. Perhaps if I had eaten it the night I made it, but I try to do meal prep at the beginning of the week and reheat my dishes at work. This was not the best leftover. The flavors were bland and the curry sauce was runnier than I would have liked. I always enjoy Brad's dishes - I might try this again one day. Didn't hit the mark for me. Apart from that, super simple to make!

    • claireglezer0017

    • Washington, D.C.

    • 11/12/2017

  • THIS. IS. THE. BEST. RECIPE. I. HAVE. EVER. MADE. I'm no master chef, but when I cooked this for my roommates they told me I could open a restaurant on this recipe alone. (And no, they weren't just being nice!!!) It's not super quick, but very doable even for less confident cooks like me. The sauce is rich and tangy; the chicken skin is crispy; the cilantro and the curry and the coconut and the lime play together so nicely. Oh, and don't skip the rice noodles, whatever you do. Dang, just writing this review I'm craving it all over again. A+++++

    • blackoutcake

    • NYC

    • 10/31/2017