Creamy Lemon Chicken Legs

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These creamy lemon chicken legs are ridiculously easy to put together, and are loaded with flavors, making them a fantastic recipe to turn to when you are looking for a quick meal inspiration.

Chicken in all its forms is an absolute hit in my kitchen, and this recipe in specific, is my favorite easy dinner option when I’m not in the mood to put in a lot of kitchen time and effort.

It is a great recipe to prep ahead of time to, and can be a total crowd pleaser, making it a great choice for potlucks and dinner parties.

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Ingredients For the Creamy Lemon Chicken Drumsticks

To make the lemon garlic chicken, here’s a quick list of ingredients you’ll need.

• 5-6 Chicken Drumsticks 
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Lemon 
• 1 Tbs Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• 1 Tbs Flour
• 1 Tsp Butter 

How to Make the Creamy Lemon Chicken Legs

Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to put the dish together.

Step 1: Season the Chicken Drumsticks

Turn the instant pot to sauté. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place into the instant pot.

Step 2: Brown the Chicken in Instant Pot

Add half of the butter to the instant pot. Lightly brown the chicken.

Step 3: Prepare the Creamy Sauce

Remove the chicken. Stir in the flour & left over melted butter with the chicken juices.

Step 4: Get the Sauce Ready

Pour in the chicken broth & heavy cream.

Step 5: Season Well

Sprinkle in the lemon pepper seasoning. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice.

Step 6: Add the Chicken Back in

Place the chicken back into the instant pot. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release handle to the ‘sealing’ position. 

Step 7: Pressure Cook

Pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. 

Step 8: Perform Quick Release

When the Instant Pot completes its cycle, perform a quick pressure release. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot.

Step 9: Simmer the Sauce Down

Select the ‘sauté’ function of the Instant Pot, and allow cooking liquids to simmer. 

Step 10: Serve and Enjoy

When liquids have thickened, smother the chicken with the liquid when serving. 

Tips & Tricks to Make the Lemon Chicken Drumsticks

While this recipe is extremely easy to put together, you might want to keep these little tips and tricks handy.

• Keeping the chicken skin on will let you enjoy that nice crispy texture on the outside. I usually don’t keep the skin on and just use a mix of chicken thighs and drumsticks for the recipe.
• To lend some extra flavor to the dish, you can also add some minced garlic and turn it into a nice lemon garlic chicken dish. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can also make do with a bit of garlic powder instead, and you’ve got yourself a lemon garlic chicken dish!
• If you don’t have the lemon pepper seasoning the recipe calls for, just add some dried oregano, dried or fresh thyme, some black pepper, lemon juice, salt and a bit of chopped garlic instead.
• I love a bit of spice in my meals, and if you do too, you can add some smoked paprika or red chili flakes into the chicken marinade.

What Else Can I Add to the Marinade?

When you decide to marinate the chicken drumsticks, try to keep it as simple as you can, and let the juicy flavor of the chicken shine through.

Stick to the basics like olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest , salt, pepper and dried oregano or any other herbs and seasonings of your choice.

What Other Cut of Chicken Can I Use?

While chicken legs are an absolute classic and have the best flavor, you can also replicate the same recipe and use any other cut of chicken of your choice.

I personally love using chicken thighs, because the meat turns out incredibly soft and juicy and has a lot more of that delicious flavor too!

You can also use chicken breasts or any bone in chicken pieces of your choice.

Remember that depending on the cut of chicken you use, the cooking time will be different. Make sure you check if the chicken is cooked well before you serve it! You can do this using a meat thermometer.

Can I Prep the Dish in Advance?

You can! You can marinate the chicken pieces, transfer them to a baking dish, leave them in the fridge overnight, and then put them together the next day.

Doing this will actually help the flavors develop even more, and will also cut down the cooking time for the chicken.

If you want to store the chicken for a longer time, you can transfer it to an airtight container and freeze it for months.

Can I Bake the Chicken Drumsticks?

You sure can! I personally love using my Instant Pot, but if you don’t have one, you can always use your oven to make the baked chicken drumsticks, and prepare the sauce separately in a pan.

Just preheat the oven, and bake the marinated chicken drumsticks until it reaches safe internal temperature or until you get that perfect golden brown color on the outside.

How Do I Serve the Lemon Chicken Drumsticks

These delicious lemon chicken drumsticks are sure to be a total hit with the whole family. They’re super versatile, and you can enjoy them in a lot of different ways.

I love pairing them with some roasted potatoes and/or pan fried veggies on the side, and of course, garnished with some lemon slices and a bit of lemon zest sprinkled on top.

You can also serve this lemon garlic chicken with a simple pasta dish or a crunchy salad on the side if you want to make it a complete meal.

Another great idea is to arrange chicken drumsticks in a large casserole dish, top it a generous sprinkle of grated cheese, chopped herbs and some lemon slices if you love lemon, and bake uncovered for a few minutes until you get that golden brown crust.

More Chicken Recipes

Loved trying out this delicious recipe and inspired enough to try some more? Here are a few handpicked ones you might want to take a look at.

• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pin Wheels
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Best Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe
• Weight Watchers Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry