Curried Chicken Legs

These tasty Curried Chicken Legs are marinated in coconut milk and Indian curry spices, before being oven baked or air fried to perfection. They're crispy outside, juicy inside, and full of bold curry flavors.

Get ready to spice up your taste buds with a mouth-watering dish of curried chicken legs!

This recipe is packed with bold and aromatic flavors that will transport you straight to the heart of Indian cuisine.

In this recipe, you'll coat chicken legs in fragrant coconut milk and curry spices, making them succulent yet crispy, with rich flavors.

The best part? They're super easy to put together and you can even marinate them the night before to make them extra flavorful.

Then, when you're ready to cook them up, you can oven bake them or cook them right in your air fryer. We've given you both methods below.

You can serve up your curried chicken drumsticks as an appetizer, party food, or main dish protein along with sides.

We love serving them with basmati rice, and some Indian curry sides like poppadoms, onion bhajis, or samosas. We also love dipping them in mango chutney or a dish of cooling cucumber yogurt raita.

Ingredients

• Chicken legs (drumsticks) - You need 8 chicken legs, approximately 2 pounds. If using frozen, safely thaw first.
• Coconut Milk - for best results, use the full-fat coconut milk from a can, not the drinking one in the carton.
• Oil - Vegetable oil, for cooking the curried chicken legs.
• Curry powder - use mild or hot curry powder, depending on how spicy you like it. You can also use Garam Masala - a blend of Indian spices.
• Ground Turmeric - a classic Indian spice with an earthy flavor and deep yellow color. Or try ground coriander.
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Salt - to flavor and season the chicken legs.

See the recipe card for the full method and quantities.

Instructions

If you're wondering how to make this curried chicken legs recipe, don't worry, it's easy!

Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.

Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels and set aside.

Add the coconut milk, oil, curry powder, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the chicken legs and stir to coat them with the curried marinade. If you have time, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour, or overnight, for the flavors to marinade. Alternatively, you can cook them right away.

To cook in the air fryer:

Place the chicken legs into the basket of the air fryer (cook in batches if the basket is small).

Cook at 380°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes, then use your tongs to flip the drumsticks. Cook for 10 more minutes or until they are cooked through (the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer is 165°F).

To oven bake:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Add the marinated curried chicken legs to a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Try not to overcrowd them or they won't crisp up all around. Use two sheets if necessary.

Place your tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until your chicken legs are cooked through and the skin is lightly browned and golden.

To check they are done with a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should read 165°F or 74°C).

Serving Suggestions

1. On rice is a classic way to enjoy curried chicken legs. You can serve it with plain steamed rice or flavored rice like coconut rice or biryani rice.
2. They can also be served with Indian flatbread like naan bread, which is perfect for scooping up the flavorful sauce. You can buy it from the grocery store, or try making your own! This is an easy no-yeast recipe that's ready in 15 minutes: Naan Bread.
3. Add some curried chicken legs to a salad - try a bed of mixed greens, cucumber, and tomato for a healthy and flavorful salad.
4. Roast some vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, and onion, and serve them alongside the curried chicken legs for a hearty and nutritious meal.
5. Serve with some creamy mashed potatoes for a comfort food meal.
6. In a sandwich: Shred the chicken and make a sandwich with some greens, cucumber, and tomato.
7. Serve the curried chicken legs with a side of mango chutney or raita for some extra sweetness and tanginess.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe

Curried Chicken Legs

These tasty Curried Chicken Legs are marinated in coconut milk and Indian spices, before being oven baked or air fried to perfection. Crispy outside, juicy inside, and full of bold curry flavors.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Marinating time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 25 mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 691 kcal

Equipment

• bowl
• air fryer or oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 chicken legs (drumsticks)
• ½ cup canned coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (mild or hot, or garam masala)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

 

• Pat the chicken legs dry with paper towels and set aside.
• Add the coconut milk, oil, curry powder, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add the chicken legs and stir to coat them with the curried marinade. If you have time, you can cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour, or overnight, for the flavors to marinade. Alternatively, you can cook them right away.

To cook in the air fryer:

• Place the chicken legs into the basket of the air fryer (cook in batches if the basket is small).
• Cook at 380°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes, then use tongs to flip the drumsticks and cook for 10 more minutes or until they are cooked through (the internal temperature of the drumsticks with a meat thermometer is 165°F).

To oven bake:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Add the marinated curried chicken legs to a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Try not to overcrowd them or they won't crisp up all around. Use two sheets if necessary.
• Place the tray in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, turning halfway, or until the chicken legs are cooked through and the skin is lightly browned and golden.
• To check they are done with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C).

Notes

Top tip:

Marinating the chicken legs in the curried coconut sauce for at least 30 minutes before cooking can help tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor.

Feel free to skip it if you're short on time, though! If you have more time, marinate it for longer, or overnight.

Nutrition

Calories: 691kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 43gFat: 55gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 513mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 247IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Keyword curried chicken legs

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