This Latin Braised Chicken Drumsticks are made with drumsticks, red onions, garlic, celery, broth, tomatoes, limes, and cilantro.

Braising is one of the easiest ways to infuse delicious flavors into food. It is perfect for days when you don’t want to spend too much concentration on your dish and requires minimum attention. I love slow cooked bone-in chicken and this is by far one of my favorites. This is a one pot recipe which makes cleanup that much easier. This is one of the easiest recipes, especially if you are feeding a family. Not only is it tasty, it is also super healthy. This is an easy weeknight meal and fuss-free. I love to serve them with some broccoli on the side. This dish will become a part of your regular meals, all it takes it one time, and you’ll be hooked.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Buttermilk Cornflake Drumsticks or my Paprika Parmesan Chicken.
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Why you will love this recipe
Full of flavor: Braising might be my favorite way to make chicken drumsticks because by the end, the meat falls off the bone and it is so full of flavor.
Hearty: This chicken is so hearty and healthy and pairs with so many dishes.
Great for all weather: You can enjoy these drumsticks in the summer or winter months.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Olive oil
- Chicken Drumsticks
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Oregano
- Chicken broth
- Tomato
- Lime
- Cilantro
See recipe card for Latin Braised Chicken Drumsticks quantities.
Instructions
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. The longer you salt the chicken the tastier it will be.
Add olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, celery and salt and cook for 4 minutes. Add the diced tomato, oregano, chicken broth and salt and pepper. Stir, reduce heat to low heat, and cook for 1 hour and a half.
When the chicken is ready, squeeze half a lime into the sauce and stir. Garnish with cilantro.
Substitutions
- Olive oil: You can use olive oil although vegetable oil works just as well.
- Onion: I used a red onion as most Mexican dishes use red onions. You could use a white or yellow onion as well.
- Tomatoes: You can use fresh diced tomatoes, but to cut down prep time I like using from a can.
- Garlic: I would recommend using fresh garlic but minced garlic from a jar works as well.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
- Deluxe - serve with guacamole or crispy onions.
- Kid friendly - add crushed tortilla chips.
Check out these Truff Hot Sauce Wings.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These drumsticks can be frozen for up to three months.
Top tip
Check every 20 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot.
Latin Braised Chicken Drumsticks
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Latin Braised Chicken Drumsticks are made with drumsticks, red onions, garlic, celery, chicken broth, tomatoes, limes, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 chicken drumsticks
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tomato, diced
- Juice from half lime
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. The longer you salt the chicken the tastier it will be.
- Add olive oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, celery and salt and cook for 4 minutes. Add the diced tomato, oregano, chicken broth and salt and pepper. Stir, reduce heat to low heat, and cook for 1 hour and a half.
- When the chicken is ready, squeeze half a lime into the sauce and stir. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- You can simmer for a minimum of 40 minutes but the longer it simmers, the better it tastes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Latin
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 171.8
- Sugar: 6.2 g
- Sodium: 228.8 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.2 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 19.8 g
- Cholesterol: 47.4 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Emily T
So full of flavor. I braised for a couple minutes longer so the meat falls off the bone. Amazing!
★★★★★