Zesty Ranch Chicken Drumsticks w/ Homemade Ranch Dipping Sauce
A healthy, yet delicious alternative to fried chicken drumsticks. They are marinated in a super flavorful, zesty-Ranch marinade and broiled in the oven in order to get a little smoky flavor. Served with a homemade Ranch that will make you never buy bottle Ranch again… I promise you won’t even miss you fried chicken drumsticks!
Healthy, yes… but will you feel like you are missing out on anything? Never! I made these a couple of Sunday’s ago while my family was watching football on TV and they were a huge hit. They had my dad and brother fighting over the last one!
I love football season.
Well my brother and dad do, I just like the food that comes along with it.
The marinade is so simple – it’s only two ingredients! Italian dressing and Ranch Seasoning Mix. It’s as simple as marinading the chicken in Italian dressing and then sprinkling ranch seasoning over the chicken as it cooks.
I actually got this recipe from my friend, Chalin, who originally got from his dad, Keith. Chalin is my foodie friend and we love to share recipes with each other! He told me about this marinade at our NYE party and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since then. I love to marinade chicken with Italian dressing but I have never heard of sprinkling on ranch powder while they cook. It’s a real gold mine.
For the chicken, the idea is to broil the heck out of it so that the skin is blackened and grilled, while the inside is still juicy and moist. You may need to switch between the medium and high broil settings while the chicken cooks to prevent the skin from becoming too dark before it gets cooked all the way through. So just watch it as it cooks.
I served the chicken with an awesome homemade Ranch. What goes better with Ranch than Ranch? This Ranch is a I’m-All-Out-of-Hidden-Valley- Ranch-Packets-So-What-Do-I-Do? Ranch Dressing recipe. And dare I say it, I think it might be better than the packet version/bottled version.
The fresh herbs bring this ranch to a new playing field.
Zesty Ranch Chicken Drumsticks w/ Homemade Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup Real Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- Salt To Taste
- 1/4 cup Italian Flat-leaf Parsley chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional
For the Chicken:
- 16 whole Chicken Legs
- 1 (16 oz) bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
- 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
Instructions
For the Ranch:
- In a bowl combine all ingredients, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.
For the Chicken:
- Place chicken legs in a large plastic bag or bowl. Pour Italian dressing over the top, tossing to combine. Cover with plastic wrap (if using bowl) and marinate for at least two hours–several hours is better. Toss a few times during the marinating process.
- Preheat broiler to high. Arrange oven rack toward bottom of oven.
- Lay chicken legs on a broiler pan, or other baking dish with a drip tray. Sprinkle Ranch seasoning on both sides and broil for 25 minutes, turning once and marinating other side with Ranch seasoning halfway through. Remove pan from oven when done.
- Serve immediately with Ranch dipping sauce and enjoy!
