Southern Baked Cornflake Chicken Drumsticks

There really aren't many things that taste better than a perfectly cooked, crispy-crunchy chicken drumstick.  Unfortunately, this usually means deep frying the chicken.  By deep frying you take a healthy, full of flavor chicken leg and turn it into a greasy, calorie-laden meal that is no longer very healthy.

This recipe, which combines several old southern recipes, is the answer to skipping the deep fryer.  By marinating the chicken in a tangy buttermilk mixture, the flavors have time to soak into the meat.  The finishing touch is a coating of crushed cornflakes and spices.  The slightly sweet cornflakes blend with the spices to create a perfect balance of flavors.  Another key is to cook the chicken on a wire rack.  This allows the heat to circulate around the chicken and eliminates the need to turn the chicken during the cooking process.

2 cups  Buttermilk
1 TB  Lemon Juice
1 TB  Franks Hot Sauce
1 tsp  Onion Powder
1 tsp  Dried Thyme
4  Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp  Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp  Black Pepper
10 - 14  Chicken Drumsticks, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
2 cups  Crushed Cornflakes
3/4 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp  Dried Thyme
1 tsp  Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with foil.  Place a wire rack on the lined sheet and spray with olive oil spray.

In a large zip lock bag combine buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion powder, thyme, garlic and salt and pepper.  Add drumsticks to the bag, zip closed and turn bag over to evenly coat.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.

In a shallow dish add the cornflakes, Parmesan cheese, thyme and garlic powder.  Stir to combine.

Remove the drumsticks from the bag to a platter to drain off any excess.  Discard the marinade. 

Dredge the drumsticks in the cornflake mixture, making sure to press the mixture firmly onto the chicken.  Place chicken on the wire rack and bake for 45-60 minutes or until juices run clear.  (The amount of time here will vary depending on the size of the drumsticks you are cooking.  Always be sure to check for doneness by cutting into the thickest piece of chicken.  The juices should run clear and there should be no "pink" meat.  Rare chicken is not a good thing..lol)  Serve with Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese.  Enjoy!!