Meal prep is great for planning ahead and staying on track. Sometimes I love the repetition. Other times I need variety in my life. When I'm in need a variety, chicken drumsticks are perfect for meal prep. This time I'm making drumsticks 3 ways: Harissa spiced, classic herb, and Japanese yakitori style. A combination for no dull moments.
The benefits to using chicken drumsticks in meal prep is that they can be easily portioned out. Different flavors will all cook in the same timing. Even marinating them is easy because they can be divided evenly into resealable bags.
The first flavor I used to season my chicken drumsticks was harissa. Harissa is a North African chili paste that packs a lot of heat. Each brand may use a different recipe so find one that you like. I added more garlic to my marinade and used yogurt to help in tenderizing the meat.
The next flavor combination I used was a classic herb. I used dried herbs in this marinade for a useful recipe. I used rosemary, garlic, onion, oregano, and thyme to bring in lots of earthy notes.
The last flavor combination I used I took inspiration from Japanese yakitori. Yakitori is usually meat on a stick. This time I used the same flavors for my chicken drumsticks. It's a complex layer of flavor. I build my flavors on top of Japanese 7 spice.
The great thing about these drumsticks is that they are great for lunch or dinner. The recipes can be easily scaled up to meet the needs of your family or your week. I made 6 drumsticks in total and 2 drumsticks per flavor. You can make your drumsticks with all one flavor or any combination of flavors you want.
Chicken Drumsticks 3 Ways (Meal Prep Options)
Makes 6 Drumsticks in All
Ingredients
6 Chicken Drumsticks
Harissa Drumsticks
2 Tbsp Harissa
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Juice of Half Lemon
1 Tbsp Yogurt
Classic Herb
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
1/4 tsp Rosemary, dried
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
Juice of Half Lemon
1/4 Salt
1/4 Pepper
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Japanese Yakitori style
1 tsp Japanese 7 spice
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Garlic Ginger Paste
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Canola Oil
Steps
Rinse and pat dry your chicken drumsticks. Prepare your marinades by combining the ingredients of each of the flavors into separate bowls. Place 2 drumsticks each into sealable bags and add each marinade. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Remove drumsticks from marinade and remove any excess marinade. Place drumsticks on a lined sheet pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until chicken reads 165 degrees on a thermometer.
Divide into your meal prep containers and pair with other offerings for the week.