In 2016, chicken overtook beef as the UK’s most popular meat for the first time. It’s no surprise – as a nation we’ve fallen head over heels for how poultry can absorb the flavours of spices, sauces and herbs. It can be cooked in a number of different ways, all equally delicious, and as meat cookery goes it’s one of the easiest things to get right.

However, cooking chicken can have its pitfalls. Dry, stringy pieces of overcooked chicken are never pleasant, and sometimes cuts such as skinless chicken breasts leave a little to be desired in terms of flavour. But supermarkets are starting to stock a cut of chicken rarely seen before: boneless drumsticks. These little fillets contain all the rich flavour of drumsticks but without the bone. When cooked quick they’re springy and toothsome in texture; slow-cook them, however, and they become unctuously soft and really absorb the sauce they’re braised in. Whether baked, braised, grilled, pan-fried or slow-cooked, they make cooking chicken both easy and absolutely delicious.

We’ve come up with five simple recipes that showcase this cut of chicken at its very best. Pick up a pack and try them for yourselves to see what we mean.

This fragrant, aromatic one-pot dish is inspired by khoresht aloo, a Persian recipe that sees meat simmered with fruity prunes and luxurious golden saffron. The sauce itself is thickened with yellow split peas, creating a hearty stew that’s absolutely bursting with flavour. But the hero of the dish is, of course, the chicken, which absorbs all the fruity, heady flavours of the prunes and saffron.

When we think of schnitzel we tend to think of pork – but by bashing boneless drumstick fillets until they're flat and coating them with crispy breadcrumbs you’re rewarded with a fantastic twist on the classic. Ready in minutes, the chicken is served with a punchy gremolata, full of tangy, zingy flavours thanks to the capers and lemon zest. A fantastic lunch for the weekend.

Yoghurt works incredible well as a marinade for chicken – its acidity tenderises the meat and the yoghurt itself chars beautifully when exposed to harsh heat. Pepped up with Middle Eastern spices, these chicken skewers are served on top of a fresh flatbread with a bejewelled bulgur wheat salad on the side.

This summery one-pot dish is full of flavour, thanks to the lemon, garlic, capers and olives studded throughout the orzo. Using drumstick fillets means the chicken retains its texture particularly well when baked, making this an incredibly easy and foolproof recipe that contains an explosion of fresh, bright flavours.

Poaching drumstick fillets ensures they’re perfectly cooked, light and moist, which makes the meat perfect for shredding into dishes. This fricassee sees the shredded chicken served in a luxurious creamy sauce, with plenty of seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs to add verdant and bright top notes to the overall flavour.