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close up of mexican chicken drumsticks in a white dutch oven sprinkled with herbs.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Mexican Chicken Legs (Drumsticks and Thighs)

A simple recipe for cooking Mexican chicken legs. Chicken drumsticks and thighs simmered in spicy salsa verde; you will only need three ingredients for a delicious meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Poultry
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 546kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large shallow Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pan

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks OR 4 chicken quarters, Note 1
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups salsa verde 350 g/ 12.5 oz
  • ½ cup water 125 ml/ 4 fl.oz
  • 1 medium zucchini about 150 g/ 5.5 oz
  • fine sea salt or Kosher

Instructions

  • Brown chicken: Heat the oil in the pan. Place the chicken parts, skin side down, in the pan and cook without moving for about 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is golden and you can move it in the pan without the skin sticking to the pan.
  • Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for another 4-5 minutes or until golden.
  • Simmer: Add the salsa verde and water to the pan around the chicken parts and mix shortly. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 25 minutes.
  • Add zucchini: In the meantime, halve the zucchini lengthwise and slice the halves into chunks. Add them to the pan and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove the lid from the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking time to reduce the liquid slightly.
  • Check chicken: Use a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F/75°C (Note 2).
  • Adjust the taste with salt, if necessary.

Notes

  1. If using whole chicken quarters, divide them at the joint. Hold the chicken thigh with one hand and the chicken leg with the other. Bend the chicken leg until the joint dislocates. Cut through the dislocated joint with a sharp knife or use kitchen shears. Remove the excess fat and skin from the chicken parts.
  2. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, take one chicken piece out of the pan and make a small cut on the underside, near the bone. The meat around the bone should be white and not pink or bloody.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken quarter with sauce | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 328mg | Sodium: 913mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g