This pepper chicken leg roast is packed with bold, savory flavors in a slightly dry masala curry with tender, juicy chunks of chicken legs.
One pan and one pot meals are a total lifesaver when it comes to putting a meal together for the whole family on a busy weekday, and this recipe is just that.
You’ll need just a few pantry staples to put this dish together, and it is sure to be a total crowd pleaser.
Ready to try out the recipe? Here’s all you need to know about making it.
Jump to:
Ingredients For the Recipe
You will need two sets of ingredients to make this in pepper chicken leg roast.
For the drumsticks
- Chicken drumstick: 2
- Pepper powder (crushed): 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder: A pinch
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Oil: 1 tbsp
For the curry
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Fennel seeds: ½ tsp
- Cinnamon: 1 inch
- Cloves: 2-3
- Curry leaves: 8-10
- Onion (finely chopped): ¼ cup
- Tomatoes (finely chopped): ¼ cup
- Turmeric powder: A pinch
- Black pepper powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
- Cumin powder: ½ tbsp
- Salt: 2 teaspoon or as per taste
- Water: ¼ cup
- Prepared drumsticks
- Coriander leaves (chopped): For garnish
How to Make the Pepper Chicken Leg Roast
Got your ingredients ready? Here is what you will need to do to make the pepper chicken leg roast.
Make slits on the chicken drumstick.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Saute.
Place the chicken drumsticks on the pan. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes.
Then flip them and cook the other side. Sprinkle salt and mix. Keep them aside.
Next, in the same pan, add the oil to make the curry. Once it’s hot, add the whole spices and saute. Add the curry leaves and saute.
Next, add the onions and saute. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes next and saute. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the powdered spices next and saute. Cook for 2 minutes.
Next, add in the water and let the curry simmer.
Add the prepared chicken drumsticks and coat it with the curry.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or paratha of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can also add some veggies of your choice into the dish if you want to make it a more filling meal. I like using the vegetables I have lying around in my refrigerator. You could use practically any veggies- carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas, cauliflower florets and even some bell peppers if you want to.
While chicken drumsticks aka legs are the best choice for this recipe as they are tender and soft, you can also choose to use any other cut of chicken if that’s what you have at hand.
You could use bone-in chicken if you want that extra bit of flavor, but boneless cuts work equally well too. 
The best way to store the leftover pepper chicken leg roast is to move it to a clean container with a lid and refrigerate it. It should last for 3 to 4 days.
You might want to reheat it in the microwave or in a pot over the stovetop on low heat for best results. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Pepper Chicken Leg Roast
Making this recipe might be easy but having a few tips and tricks handy can really make a difference.
- This pepper chicken leg roast is supposed to have a very thick consistency but if you want it to be more runny and saucy, you can do that by adjusting the amount of water on tomatoes you’re adding to it.
- You can also choose to balance the heat in the recipe by adding some whole cream. This will also make the curry more rich and creamy.
- I also like to add some cream cheese into it to make the dish more fancy and elegant.
- To make a chicken soak up all those delicious flavors and add even more flavor and tenderness, you can choose to marinate it in the turmeric and black paper and refrigerate it overnight.
- To add more flavor to this slightly dry Indian dish, you can choose to start off with coconut oil or mustard oil instead of your regular cooking oil.
- You can also choose to add some sundried tomatoes into the dish to make it more indulgent.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This pepper chicken leg roast is best served with some naan bread or soft, fluffy rice on the side.
To make it a complete meal, you can also serve it with a crunchy salad.
If you enjoyed making this flavor-packed chicken recipe, and are inspired to try some more delicious ways to use some chicken that you have at hand, here are a few good ones you might want to check out.
- Spicy Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Air Fried Spicy Chicken Kebabs
- Air Fried Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
📖 Recipe
Pepper Chicken Leg Roast
Ingredients
Ingredients For the drumsticks
- 2 Chicken Drumstick
- 1 tablespoon Pepper powder , (crushed)
- 1 pinch Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Ingredients For the curry
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 3 Cloves
- 10 Curry leaves
- ¼ cup Onion , (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup Tomatoes , (finely chopped)
- 1 pinch Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- ½ tablespoon Cumin powder
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 bowl Prepared drumsticks
- Coriander leaves, (chopped for garnishing)
Instructions
- Make slits on the chicken drumstick.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Saute.
- Place the chicken drumsticks on the pan. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Then flip them and cook the other side. Sprinkle salt and mix. Keep them aside.
- Next, in the same pan, add the oil to make the curry. Once it’s hot, add the whole spices and saute. Add the curry leaves and saute.
- Next, add the onions and saute. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes next and saute. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the powdered spices next and saute. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Next, add in the water and let the curry simmer.
- Add the prepared chicken drumsticks and coat it with the curry.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or paratha of your choice.
Leave a Reply