🍯🍗 Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Sticky, glossy, sweet-savory drumsticks with a caramelized glaze—easy enough for weeknights, good enough for parties.
đź›’ Ingredients
Chicken
- 8–10 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp oil
Glaze sauce
- 3 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup (optional but adds body)
- 3–4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp chili flakes (optional for heat)
- 2 tbsp butter (for shine and richness)
- 2–3 tbsp water (to adjust consistency)
👨‍🍳 Instructions
1. Prep chicken
- Pat drumsticks dry (important for browning)
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder
- Lightly coat with oil
2. Sear or bake base
Option A: Pan sear
- Sear drumsticks in a pan until golden on all sides
Option B: Oven
- Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway
3. Make glaze
- In a pan, melt butter
- Add garlic and sauté briefly
- Stir in honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, chili flakes, and water
- Simmer 3–5 minutes until slightly thick and glossy
4. Coat chicken
- Add cooked drumsticks into glaze
- Toss well so every piece is coated
5. Caramelize
- Cook for another 5–10 minutes on low heat
- Let glaze thicken and stick to chicken
🍽️ Serve
- Sprinkle sesame seeds or chopped green onions (optional)
- Serve with rice, fries, or roasted potatoes
🔥 Tips for perfect glazed drumsticks
- Dry chicken = better browning and stickier glaze
- Don’t rush glaze reduction—it should become shiny and thick
- Add butter at the end for restaurant-style gloss
- For extra depth, add a pinch of smoked paprika or Worcestershire sauce
If you want, I can also give you:
- crispy oven-baked honey garlic drumsticks
- spicy Korean-style glazed chicken
- or a air fryer version (faster + less oil)