This easy Sticky & Sweet Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe is a delicious way to create sticky, sweet chicken drumsticks that are loaded with flavour. Our simple method for baking them guarantees crisp, caramelized edges, a delectable citrusy sauce, as well as juicy, tender meat inside!
Why we love these Sweet & Sticky Drumsticks
Our family loves drumsticks that are saucy and sweet. While barbequing is our typical go-to in the summer months, this method of oven-baking the chicken is a quick and easy way to achieve the same delicious results.
In order to maximize flavour, we built a marinade out of a few simple ingredients. For this Sticky & Sweet Chicken Drumstick recipe, we used Asian-inspired ingredients, including lime, ginger, sriracha, and soy sauce.
In order to create sticky sweetness, we added orange marmalade. This gives the chicken a wonderful depth of flavour while also helping it to caramelize in the oven.
How to make Sticky & Sweet Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl (see pictures 1 & 2 above).
- Place chicken drumsticks in a Ziplock bag and add marinade. Let sit for 1 hr or up to overnight.
- Remove drumsticks from the bag (reserving the marinade) and place on a baking rack placed over a foil-lined baking sheet (picture 3).
- Using a very sharp knife, slice score lines across the top of each drumstick to create a ‘criss cross’ type pattern. This will allow the chicken to have more crispy bits as well as create more surface area for the sauce (picture 4).
- Bake for 35 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining marinade on the stove until boiling. Boil until reduced by half, and the sauce has thickened into a sauce (picture 5). It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Brush drumsticks with reduced marinade, being sure to cover each drumstick completely in the sauce.
- Place chicken back in the oven, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the chicken is sticky, sweet, and caramelized (picture 6).
- Place chicken on a platter, and garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and/or chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
How do I make chicken drumsticks have crispy skin?
As far as we know, everyone loves the crispy parts on a good chicken drumstick. We’ve found that the trick is three-fold.
First, cook your drumsticks at a high heat (like 450 degrees Fahrenheit). This helps render the fat from the chicken skin, which creates extra crispiness.
Second, try scoring your chicken drumsticks. Take a sharp knife and slice through the uncooked chicken skin and partially through the meat to create crisscross cuts. This opens up the chicken and allows more air and heat to reach it, resulting in more crispy bits to enjoy! If you’re adding sauce like we did, it also creates more surface area to hold the saucy goodness.
Last, by cooking your chicken drumsticks on a baking rack over a tray (or on the grill of a bbq), you create more airflow around the meat, allowing all sides to crisp up nicely.
Sticky & Sweet Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken drumsticks
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ cup marmalade
- 1 lime (or 2 tbsp lime juice)
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup sodium reduced soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp chinese five spice powder
- ½ tsp siracha (less or more to taste)
- ½ tsp pepper
Optional, for garnish
- 2 green onions sliced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, stir together garlic, ginger, marmalade, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, coriander, five spice, siracha, and pepper.
- Place drumsticks into a ziploc bag. Add marinade. Seal and refridgerate for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.
- Remove marinated chicken from bag, reserving marinade for later.
- Place chicken on a baking rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Using a sharp knife, score chicken in a criss-cross pattern. The goal is to slice through the skin and some of the meat.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking: Place reserved marinade in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil, and simmer rapidly until marinade has reduced by half and has become a sticky, sweet sauce (it should coat the back of a spoon).
- Remove cooked chicken from oven. Brush with thickened sauce, making sure to cover all sides of the drumsticks.
- Bake drumsticks for 5 more minutes, or until sauce has caramelized and is thick and glossy on the chicken.
- Place chicken on a platter, and top with garnishes, if desired.
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