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This Honey Chicken Drumsticks recipe is a simple, family-friendly dish made by coating juicy chicken legs in a sweet and savory honey-based glaze. The result? Crispy skin, tender meat, and a sticky, caramelized coating that’s packed with flavor. They’re baked, letting the honey sauce thicken into a rich glaze as the drumsticks cook.
My family goes nuts over these honey chicken drumsticks. They’re so simple to make (which is a big bonus), and it’s easy to find things to serve with them too. We like to serve them with air fryer french fries or slow cooker mashed potatoes.
Or sometimes I’m a little lazier, and I make a boxed rice mix and steam some green beans. The star of the show is the honey chicken drumsticks, so it really doesn’t matter much what you serve alongside them!
Ingredients Needed:
- Chicken: We’re using drumsticks for this recipe. You can leave the skin on for the most flavor. If you’re trying to cut calories, it’s okay to pull off the skin and discard it too.
- Honey: That’s the sweet flavor for the glaze.
- Garlic Powder: Adds some flavor!
- Cayenne Pepper: This adds a little bit of spice to balance out the sweetness of the honey.
- Green Onion: This is mostly just for garnish, but adds a little flavor too.
How to make Honey Chicken Drumsticks:
The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Rinse your chicken drumsticks, and then pat them dry. Bake them for 30 minutes in the oven.
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl: honey, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and green onions. Brush the glaze onto the partially cooked chicken. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
Recipe Tips:
- Add fresh garlic or fresh ginger, for a little extra flavor kick.
- Lemon juice added into the glaze adds a little brightness to the flavor.
- Add a little soy sauce to the glaze.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top for garnish.
- Use a meat thermometer, and cook to 175°F-185°F for best texture.
- Let the drumsticks rest after cooking. 5 minutes helps the juices settle.
About Chicken Drumsticks:
Chicken drumsticks are budget-friendly. They’re usually much cheaper to buy than chicken breasts or chicken thighs. They are a flavorful cut of chicken with juicy dark meat, and they’ll be more moist too. It’s hard to overcook drumsticks since the bone helps keep them juicy and tender.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe:
- It’s a dinner made with minimal ingredients!
- It’s kid-approved. And kids tend to love drumsticks because they can eat them with their fingers!
- The sweet and savory combo is perfect.
Honey Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 whole chicken drumsticks
- ¼ cup finely chopped green onion
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 15×10-inch baking pan with nonstick spray (or line with parchment paper).
- Rinse the drumsticks, and then pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange the chicken in the prepared pan (leaving space between each drumstick), and bake for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the green onion, honey, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Brush the partially cooked chicken drumsticks with the honey mixture. Return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes more (or until golden brown and the chicken is no longer pink).
Nutrition
This recipe comes from RecipeBoy.com
