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Baked chicken drumsticks in a rectangular glass dish with potato wedges, red onion and bell pepper, topped with browned feta crumbles

Greek Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Potatoes and Feta (Gyros-Style Sheet-Pan Dinner)

These Greek baked chicken drumsticks come out of the oven on one tray with potato wedges, bell peppers and red onion, all coated in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, paprika and garlic. Crumbled feta goes on near the end and browns at the edges.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Calories: 973
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 7 to 8 small chicken drumsticks chicken drumsticks (or small chicken legs), with skin and bone
  • 1.1 to 1.3 kg potatoes mostly waxy; about 2.4 to 2.9 lb; peeled or scrubbed well, cut into rather small wedges
  • 3 red onions cut into wedges
  • 3 bell peppers red and yellow if possible; cut into coarse pieces
  • 1 to 2 handfuls of olives black or green. Not in the photos but part of the dish
  • 270 g feta about 9.5 oz; crumbled coarsely
  • 6 tbsp olive oil 90 ml; for the marinade
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice 45 ml; freshly squeezed
  • 3 tsp dried oregano 15 ml
  • 1.5 tsp dried thyme 7.5 ml
  • 2 tsp paprika 10 ml; sweet or hot
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; plus salt for the potato water

Method
 

  1. Prepare. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) conventional or 180 °C (355 °F) fan. Cut the onions into wedges and the bell peppers into coarse pieces.
  2. Pre-boil the potatoes. Peel the potatoes or scrub them well and cut them into rather small wedges, so they finish together with the small drumsticks. Boil the wedges in salted water for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their size, then drain them.
  3. Mix the marinade. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper.
  4. Season the vegetables. Spread the potato wedges, onions and bell peppers on a large baking sheet or in a large baking dish. Pour half of the marinade over the vegetables and toss everything well.
  5. Coat the chicken. Pat the drumsticks dry, rub them all over with the rest of the marinade and season them with a little salt and pepper. Lay them on the vegetables with some space between them and scatter the olives in between.
    Marinated raw chicken drumsticks lying on potato slices and diced red and orange bell pepper in a rectangular glass baking dish
  6. Bake. Slide the tray onto the middle rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes for smaller drumsticks. Halfway through, turn the vegetables and the drumsticks once so everything browns evenly.
  7. Add the feta. About 10 minutes before the end of the baking time, crumble the feta coarsely over the tray.
  8. Check and serve. Check that the thickest part of a drumstick has reached 74 °C (165 °F), then serve hot, for example with a fresh farmer's salad or tzatziki.

Notes

Olives: they are not in the photos but belong in the dish. Scatter them between the drumsticks before baking.
Gluten check: read the labels of the feta, olives and the spices (paprika, oregano, thyme). Use clean pans, bowls and utensils to avoid cross-contact.
Food safety (general guidance): poultry should reach 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part, measured with a meat thermometer without touching the bone. Do not reuse the leftover raw marinade as a sauce. The oven time of 35 to 40 minutes is for smaller drumsticks; check the temperature if yours are larger.
Potatoes: use mostly waxy potatoes and cut them into rather small wedges. Pre-boiling for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the size, shortens the time in the oven.
Chicken breast: instead of drumsticks, or in addition if you want more meat, you can use chicken breast. Check the internal temperature (74 °C / 165 °F as general guidance) because breast and drumsticks are done at different times.
Serving: a fresh farmer's salad or tzatziki goes well with it.
Scaling: the recipe is written for 4 servings. For 3 people use 6 small drumsticks, 800 g to 1 kg potatoes, 2 large red onions, 2 bell peppers, 1 handful of olives and 200 g feta. The marinade is 4 to 5 tbsp (60 to 75 ml) olive oil, 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1.5 tsp paprika powder, 2 to 3 garlic cloves, salt and pepper.
Bigger groups, for example 9 people (4 adults and 5 children): 18 small drumsticks, 2.4 to 3 kg waxy potatoes, 6 large red onions, 6 bell peppers, 3 handfuls of olives and 600 g feta. The marinade is 12 to 15 tbsp (180 to 225 ml) olive oil, 6 tbsp (90 ml) lemon juice, 6 tsp dried oregano, 3 tsp dried thyme, 4.5 tsp paprika powder, 6 to 9 garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Bake at 180 °C (355 °F) fan with the vegetables spread over 2 to 3 large baking sheets at the same time, turn halfway and swap the sheet positions if needed, and crumble the feta over 10 minutes before the end. Pre-boil the potatoes as in step 2.
Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from the ingredient list, not a lab analysis. They are per serving for the 4-serving version, with the weight of the bones left out. Salt, pepper and the salt in the potato water are not counted. The olive amount is an assumption.