One-skillet oven baked chicken drumsticks with a creamy black pepper sauce and roasted bell peppers. It’s made with extra coarse ground black peppercorns and pickled green peppercorns for a knock-out dish. A slightly decadent and more than satisfying dish, just pure joy.
It’s an easy pan sauce made with chicken stock, a splash of milk and soft cheese with cracked black peppercorns. It has a nice peppery kick and a delicious garlicky note. We’re serving this sauce with a bunch of golden crispy chicken drumsticks for a meal that can make even a regular weeknight dinner feel extra special.
Why you’ll love this oven-baked creamy black pepper drumstick recipe
This one skillet meal is absolutely amazing. The chicken is incredibly juicy and infused with the most delicious flavors. We add roasted bell peppers (from a jar – super easy!) to brighten up this indulgent dish. While the soft cheese makes a bold flavor statement enhanced with lively black peppercorns that add character and intensity. It’s fuss-free and tastes so good. A crowd-pleasing dish, a true back-pocket recipe to have in your arsenal. And it’s super versatile too, if you swap the bell peppers for sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll effortlessly create a totally different dish. Let’s make this delicious chicken dish, shall we? Hands down. It’s amazing.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
Helpful tips
- You can serve it with orzo, rice, crispy potatoes or mashed potatoes.
- Or use broccoli, or a simple side salad and crusty bread to mop up that amazing sauce.
- Instead of drumstick, you can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts. If you use chicken breasts, you can make this dish without using the oven. Just follow the steps, then add the seared breasts back to the skillet and cook for 5-10 minutes along with the sauce.
How to store creamy black pepper chicken?
- Fridge: Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: I recommend avoiding freezing this dish, as the creamy sauce might curdle after thawing.
More chicken, please!
Cooking Video
Creamy Black Pepper Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Chicken
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp salted butter - for frying
- 1 tbsp olive oil - for frying
Black pepper sauce
- 1 package (150 g/5.5 oz) black peppercorn cream cheese - I used Boursin
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 jar (280 g/10 oz) roasted bell peppers - cut into thin slices, excess oil drained
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tsp pickled green peppercorns - chopped (young green peppercorns in brine), optional
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- fresh thyme sprigs - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- To a bowl, add sweet paprika dried thyme, garlic powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and drumsticks. Rub the chicken with spices.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add drumsticks and sear both sides until golden brown, about 8 minutes per side. Remove from skillet.
- In the same skillet, add garlic, cook over low heat until soft, 2 minutes. Add ground black pepper and green peppercorns, sauté for 1 minute. Stir in thyme and oregano. Pour chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the cheese, add milk and roasted bell peppers. Give it a taste and season with salt, if needed.
- Return chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until completely cooked through, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
- Serve with orzo, baked/mashed potatoes or bread, and broccoli or a simple side salad.
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