Louisiana Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Crispy, well-seasoned drumsticks fried in peanut oil with Louisiana Fish Fry's Seasoned Chicken Fry coating. No buttermilk soak, no overnight planning — just a quick dredge and fry. The peanut oil's high smoke point and neutral flavor lets the Cajun seasoning come through clean.

chicken cajun louisiana fried drumsticks main
Prep10 min
Cook15–18 min
Total~45 min
Serves4

Ingredients

  • 8chicken drumsticks (about 2.5–3 lb)
  • 1½ cupsLouisiana Fish Fry Seasoned Chicken Fry mix
  • 2large eggs
  • ¼ cupwhole milk or water
  • 1 tspkosher salt (for chicken, before dredge)
  • ½ tspblack pepper (for chicken, before dredge)
  • ~2 qtpeanut oil (enough for 2″ depth in your pot)

Equipment

  • Heavy pot or Dutch oven (5–6 qt), or deep cast iron skillet
  • Instant-read thermometer (oil temp + chicken doneness)
  • Wire rack set over a sheet pan (for draining)
  • Two shallow bowls or pie plates (for dredge station)
  • Tongs

Instructions

  1. Pat the drumsticks completely dry with paper towels. Wet chicken steams under the coating instead of crisping. Season them lightly on all sides with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and let them sit at room temp while you set up the rest.
  2. Pour peanut oil into your pot to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high to 350°F. While it's coming up, set a wire rack over a sheet pan near the stove — that's where the finished chicken goes (paper towels alone make the bottoms soggy).
  3. Set up a two-bowl dredge: in one bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. In the other, put the Louisiana Fish Fry mix.
  4. Working with two drumsticks at a time: dunk in the egg wash, let the excess drip off, then roll in the fry mix, pressing the coating onto every surface. Set the breaded pieces on a plate while you finish the rest. Don't bread far ahead — the coating gets gummy.
  5. Once the oil hits 350°F, gently lower in 3–4 drumsticks (don't crowd — the oil temp will crash and the coating will absorb grease). Fry for 13–16 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden brown.
  6. Pull a drumstick and check internal temperature at the thickest part near the bone — it should read 175–180°F. Dark meat is more forgiving than breast; a touch past 165°F is where drumsticks taste best (collagen has rendered, meat pulls cleanly).
  7. Transfer to the wire rack, season immediately with a light pinch of salt while the coating is still hot. Let the oil come back up to 350°F before the next batch.
  8. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. The coating sets up and stays crisp; the juices redistribute.

Notes & Tips

Why peanut oil: ~450°F smoke point, neutral flavor, and it holds up to multiple fries if strained. Vegetable or canola work, but peanut tastes cleanest with fried chicken.

Oil temperature is everything. Too cool (under 325°F) and the coating soaks up grease. Too hot (over 375°F) and the crust burns before the inside cooks. Trust the thermometer over the timer.

Don't crowd the pot. 3–4 drumsticks max in a 5–6 qt pot. Two batches takes 5 extra minutes and gives twice the result.

Spicier version: swap in Lo…