You've never had chicken legs and stuffing like this before. Stuffed Chicken Legs are made with your favorite boxed stuffing and a package of drumsticks. You can have a fancy dinner that feeds several mouths for cheap.
Recipe: $8.13 | Per Serving: $1.36 | Servings: 6
I serve boxed stuffing a few times a month because it's a Frugal Pantry Staple to Keep on Hand, but mostly because it's one food I know my kids will eat.
My kids are huge fans of stuffing, whether it's homemade or from the box. They just can't seem to get enough. They're also big fans of chicken, so putting the two together means they can get their favorite main dish and side dish in every bite.
We're no strangers to Stuffed Chicken Roll Ups, but when I made stuffed chicken drumsticks the first time, the kids couldn't sit still. There were so many happy dances and praises about the meal, especially when I served it up with some Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli (their favorite veggie).
You're going to love this fun dinner idea, and if you love chicken legs as much as we do, make sure to check out my Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks and Sheet Pan Chicken, Brussel Sprouts, and Potatoes.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's an affordable dinner option. One box of stuffing is supposed to feed 6 servings (according to the package). My family of 4 can easily eat half a box to themselves. One box in the pantry can stretch to feed everyone with this nifty recipe. We often talk about How to Save Money by Stretching Meat, but sometimes stretching the side dishes can help too!
- One box can stuff up to 5 pounds of legs. One standard sized box of stuffing can easily fill the insides of 5 pounds worth of chicken drumsticks! This means plenty of servings to share with everyone.
- The chicken skin is crispy. Who doesn't love a good crispy, chewy chicken skin? This recipe pulls the skin away from the meat, allowing it to cook and crisp without drying out the meat because the stuffing is there as a layer of protection. The juiciness of the meat reminds me of our Oven Beer Butt Chicken, and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the steam from the added moisture. It's so perfect.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken legs- You will need thawed chicken drumsticks with bones and skin. The skin is what holds the stuffing inside, and the meat should be thawed so that it's easier to work with.
Boxed stuffing- Use your favorite box of prepared stuffing whether it be chicken flavor, turkey flavor, cornbread, or other. This can also be a great way to use up leftover holiday stuffing too!
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
📖 Variations
Stuffing Variation: By swapping out the boxed stuffing with homemade cranberry stuffing from Christmas or Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Dressing. Perfect for using up those holiday feast leftovers. Check out How to Reuse Leftover Food if you still have holiday leftovers to get through!
Chicken Variation: Another idea is to swap out the chicken legs for some Crispy Baked Chicken Quarters. Chicken quarters are the legs and thighs together, uncut. This means more meat per serving and more skin to fill with stuffing as well!
Cooking Time Note: Stuffed chicken leg quarters will cook for about 40-45 minutes in the oven. So plan accordingly.
🔪 Instructions for Stuffed Chicken Legs
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
Step 2: Add your seasonings to a small bowl (Image 1).
Step 3: Mix together (Image 2)and then set aside.
Step 4: Prepare the stuffing according to the package directions. I followed the microwave instructions. Add stuffing ingredients to a large mixing bowl (Image 3).
Step 5: Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff with a fork (Image 4).
Step 6: Set it aside to cool. You don't want the hot stuffing to touch the raw chicken.
Step 7: Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel if they're too wet. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 8: Brush with olive oil (Image 5).
Step 9: Sprinkle the seasoning over the top of the chicken legs and then rub around to evenly coat. Use this time to lift the skin and get underneath (Image 6).
Step 10: Lift the skin of the chicken legs and stuff them with your cooled-to-the-touch stuffing. Repeat until all have been filled (Image 7).
Step 11: Bake in your oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (Image 8).
Step 12: Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Cover the chicken if needed. If at any point you think the skin of the chicken legs is getting too dark or "burnt" for your tastes, go ahead and loosely place a piece of foil over the top of the baking sheet.
- This will help the chicken to keep cooking without browning the tops too much more. (This is a tip from my White Bread Recipe and it works well here too!)
- Chicken safety. You will know that your chicken has finished cooking properly when you can insert an instant read food thermometer into the meat and have it register as 165 degrees F. The meat and juices may still have a slight pink coloration to them but they should not look raw.
🍳 Reheating
I have had great success reheating the chicken legs one at a time on a plate in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. To heat more than one at a time, you will need to adjust the cooking time by adding more time and checking often to see if they're finished.
🥗 Side Dishes
My kids love these drumsticks with a simple side of broccoli, but any green veggie like Cast Iron Green Beans or pasta would work well. Try these chicken legs with some Instant Pot Asparagus or Instant Pot Boxed Au Gratin Potatoes.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
Chicken Preparation: You can prepare the chicken in advance and keep it well covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Baking Dish Note: If storing in a glass baking dish, allow the baking dish to sit at room temperature for one hour before preheating the oven and baking. This will prevent it from shattering.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
You can keep any leftover stuffed chicken legs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. For best results, I recommend eating them sooner rather than later as the stuffing may get soggy as it ages.
💭 Recipe FAQs
You will know that your chicken is ready to eat when you can insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken meat (not touching any bones). The thermometer should register 165 degrees F and the liquid should run mostly clear.
Yes, stuffing acts as an insulation layer to hydrate the meat and keep it moist as it cooks. The steam from the meat gets trapped in the stuffing and holds it in like insulation, keeping it juicy and tender.
Because this recipe already has a main dish and a starch, adding any vegetable (especially a green veggie) sounds like a great choice! Broccoli, Instant Pot Zucchini, asparagus, green beans, etc.
❤️ More Delicious Chicken Recipes
If you tried these stuffed chicken legs, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Chicken Legs
Ingredients
Stuffing
- 1 ½ cup water ($0.00)
- ¼ cup butter or margarine ($0.50)
- 1 box stuffing mix (6 ounce box) ($0.93)
Chicken
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon paprika ($0.04)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.02)
- 5 pounds chicken drumsticks ($5.97)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil ($0.42)
Instructions
- Prepare the stuffing according to the package directions and set it aside to cool. You don't want the hot stuffing to touch the raw chicken.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Add your seasonings to a small bowl.
- Mix together and then set aside.
- Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel if they're too wet. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush with olive oil.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the top of the chicken legs and then rub around to evenly coat.
- Use this time to lift the skin and get underneath.
- Lift the skin of the chicken legs and stuff them with your cooled-to-the-touch stuffing.
- Repeat until all have been filled.
- Bake in your oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use homemade cranberry stuffing from holiday feasts.
- Swap chicken legs for chicken quarters, which include the legs and thighs together and cook for about 40-45 minutes.
- Cover with foil if the skin gets too dark.
- Ensure chicken reaches 165°F before serving. Frozen chicken legs may take longer.
- Reheat one chicken leg at a time in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Prepare the chicken in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow a glass baking dish to sit at room temperature for an hour before preheating the oven to prevent shattering.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Eat them sooner to prevent soggy stuffing.
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