Welcome to part two of my budget-friendly Dinners on a Dime series! Today, we are elevating the humble-but-delicious chicken drumstick with a flavorful, Mediterranean-inspired marinade. While we stay indoors, allow this recipe to take your (hopefully non-COVID-affected) taste buds on a culinary adventure to the breezy seaside coast!

Yields 2-3 servings

Active/Prep Time: 15 minutes

Inactive/Rest Time: 30 minutes 

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Toni Shindler-Ruberg / Daily Nexus

Ingredients:

Main Ingredients

  • 2-lb package of chicken drumsticks ($4.00)
  • 2 lemons; 1 juiced, 1 sliced ($2.00)
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped ($1.00)
  • 8 cloves of garlic, chopped ($0.89)

Pantry Staples:

  • Salt ($1.59)
  • Black pepper ($1.99)
  • ⅛ cup olive oil ($6.00)
  • Bay leaves (2), paprika (¾ teaspoon), cumin (½ teaspoon), oregano (½ tablespoon)($2.00 each)

Cost of Main Ingredients: $8.00

Cost of Pantry Staples: $18.00

Total Cost of Recipe: $26.00

Tools Needed:

  • Large Ziploc bag 
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Baking dish

Toni Shindler-Ruberg / Daily Nexus

Directions:

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with kosher salt. Let chill, uncovered, in the fridge while you prepare the marinade. 
  2. Combine the spices (pepper, bay leaves, paprika, cumin and oregano) in the large Ziploc bag. Place the salted drumsticks in the bag. 
  3. Add the chopped garlic, onion, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. Zip the bag shut and toss gently, massaging the chicken to ensure it is well coated in the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. 
  4. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. 
  5. Spread chicken and onion mixture on a lightly greased baking tray, with the lemon slices in between the drumsticks. 
  6. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. (Optional: Broil the chicken for 1-3 minutes to crisp the skin and provide a light char. Make sure to watch the pan carefully to avoid burning!)

Although I wouldn’t recommend using these drumsticks on an actual drum, they’re good enough to make you want to dance! The flavors in the marinade can easily be substituted and swapped around to take these chicken legs all over the culinary globe. I hope you enjoyed this installment of delicious dining on a budget, and I’ll see you in the kitchen next time!

Additional notes: If you have the time, let the drumsticks marinate in the fridge for two to four hours, or overnight for the best flavor. As always, spices and flavoring can be adjusted to your individual tastes. These prices are based on Trader Joe’s products and may not reflect the prices in other stores. When calculating the cost of the main ingredients, I excluded pantry staples including spices and olive oil. However, these ingredients are still cheap to purchase, last a long time and are handy staples to keep in stock in your pantry for many other dishes. If you’d like a starchy side, I recommend making a batch of orzo, quinoa or roasted potatoes. Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Dish.

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Toni Shindler-Ruberg
Toni Shindler-Ruberg is the Opinion Editor for the 2022-23 school year. Previously, she was the Assistant Opinion Editor for the 2021-22 school year. She is an English and Psychological & Brain Sciences double major with a passion for antique knife restoration videos and looking at pictures of ducks wearing mini cowboy hats.