By Wedding planning during a pandemic is wedding planning with constraints, which is to say: it's cooking with a limited pantry. You use what you have. You make it beautiful with what's available. The venue is the backyard (free). The officiant is Pastor Williams from New Birth (free, though he'll expect fried chicken at the reception). The guest list is: Curtis, the four kids, and whoever can come safely. Darnell will drive from Clarksville. Andre cannot come — COVID restrictions, LA to Atlanta is a risk — but he'll watch on FaceTime. Miss Ernestine cannot come — the facility is locked down. Derek's mother Claudette will be there. Vanessa and Brian will be there. That's it. Twelve people. A backyard wedding for twelve.
The dress: I found a simple white dress online. Ordered it. It arrived. It fits. It is not the dress I would have chosen in a world without a pandemic, but it is the dress I am choosing in this world, and the choosing is what matters. Derek is wearing the suit he wore to our first dinner — the Italian restaurant suit, the chicken marsala suit. He says he'll get it dry cleaned. I say he better.
The food. I AM cooking the rehearsal dinner. And the wedding brunch. And probably the reception snacks. Because I am Tamika Washington and I don't let other people cook at my celebrations and this is my celebration and the kitchen is where I celebrate. The menu: Friday night rehearsal — Mama's fried chicken, Claudette's rice and peas, my cornbread, Marcus's salsa, peach cobbler. Saturday reception brunch — eggs, fruit, pastries, champagne. The food is the map of the family. The food is the guest list for the people who can't be there: Mama in the chicken, Claudette in the rice, Marcus in the salsa, Jasmine in the cornbread.
Pastor Williams was promised fried chicken, and I always keep my promises — but on a weekend when I was already making cornbread, peach cobbler, a rehearsal dinner, and a wedding brunch for twelve, I needed a chicken that could hold its own without me standing over a cast iron skillet for two hours. These jalapeno lime drumsticks are that chicken: bold enough to feel like a celebration, simple enough to let me get back to the people I was celebrating with. The heat is Mama’s spirit. The lime is the brightness of a backyard in July. The whole thing comes together the way good weddings do — with less fuss than you feared and more joy than you planned for.
Jalapeno Lime Chicken Drumsticks
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks (about 4 lbs)
- 3 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave seeds in for more heat)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3–4 limes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne until combined.
- Marinate the chicken. Add the drumsticks to the bowl and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor. The longer they sit, the bolder they get.
- Preheat your oven. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Arrange the marinated drumsticks on the rack in a single layer, shaking off any excess marinade.
- Roast until caramelized. Bake for 40–45 minutes, flipping the drumsticks once halfway through, until the skin is golden and slightly charred at the edges and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads 165°F.
- Rest and serve. Let the drumsticks rest 5 minutes before plating. Scatter fresh cilantro over the top and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 480mg