When you don’t feel like cooking but still want to bring something tasty to the table, paprika chicken is the ideal solution. Not only can chicken drumsticks not be made any lighter than this, since there is no oil, but they’re also very easy to make: even my son, just starting out in the kitchen, manages perfectly.
All you have to do is place the chicken on the baking tray, add the spices and bake: nothing could be simpler! The result will be wonderfully fragrant chicken drumsticks, crispy and most of the fat will stay on the baking tray. So, if you want, you can even indulge in the skin once in a while — a little treat is allowed!
Of course the WW points depend on the weight of the drumsticks; read below the indications I gave about the percentage of bone and skin in chicken drumsticks. These indications together with the points for chicken with or without skin that you can find on this list: WW points list for meat and cold cuts, will allow you to calculate points precisely. Let’s prepare it.
Other light chicken recipes are here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 2 to 3 drumsticks per person
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
To calculate the exact points based on the weight of the drumsticks you will use, keep in mind the following data:
– The bone percentage of a chicken drumstick is about 16% of the whole drumstick weight
– The percentage of bone and skin of a chicken drumstick is about 27% of the whole drumstick weight.
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- to taste fresh thyme and rosemary
- to taste paprika (sweet or smoked)
- to taste garlic and onion powder
- to taste salt and pepper
- Points for 1 thigh/drumstick of 4.4 oz (125 g) without skin = 3 WW points (exactly 2.7)
- Points for 1 thigh/drumstick of 4.4 oz (125 g) with skin = 4 WW points (exactly 4.2)
Steps
Place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking tray and put the chicken drumsticks on it. If you want to avoid the skin entirely you can remove it beforehand. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, plenty of sweet or smoked paprika, turn the drumsticks and repeat on the other side. Finish by placing the little thyme leaves and the rosemary needles.
Bake at 392°F and turn the drumsticks every 15 minutes or so, for a total of 45 minutes. If the drumsticks are smaller or larger the time may vary.
And here our paprika chicken is ready to be served. What an aroma in the house, irresistible! Who needs KFC when we can enjoy chicken like this?
Chicken prepared this way stays very tender and the skin, if you decided to keep it, is tasty and crispy.
It is ideal to enjoy piping hot just out of the oven but it is also great at room temperature; in fact it’s not bad to take a few paprika chicken drumsticks in the picnic basket. Or, as my son does, use the meat the next day to make a succulent sandwich.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
