Honey and Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks

We know that sweet and spicy is a great flavour combination but when slathered on crispy chicken….that’s a winning dish right there!

I was introduced to ‘Sriracha’ sauce by my husband who uses it as a universal sauce to go with everything – from fried rice and momos (dumplings ) to even dosa and chips! Needless to say, we always have this sauce stocked at home.

I used this sauce to make the honey and sriracha glazed chicken drumsticks the other day, and it was an instant hit. I oven- baked the chicken drumsticks but this recipe can be modified to allow deep or shallow frying too.

I simply seasoned the chicken drumsticks and baked them. Once they were baked through and crispy, I tossed them into the sticky-sweet-salty-spicy sauce while they were still warm. Did I tell you they taste smoky too? They absolutely do! Besides the honey and sriracha sauce, I added a splash of dark soy and sesame oil which give a wonderful smoky and oriental taste to the chicken.

If you are like me, and like simple but delicious recipes, you will LOVE this recipe. I made 14 drumsticks and they were gone in no time. So try it out and let me know if you like it!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes (if you follow this method and bake the chicken. Frying the chicken will take lesser time.)

You will need:

1. Chicken drumsticks- 14 pieces, cleaned and slit

2. Red chilli powder- 1 tsp

3. Black pepper powder- 1 tsp

4. Salt- 1 tsp

For sauce:

1. Honey- 1/2 cup

2. Sriracha sauce-1/4-1/2 cup (depending on how hot you want your sauce to be)

3. Sesame seed oil- 1 tsp

4. Dark soy sauce- 1 tsp ( use normal soy sauce if you don’t have dark soy sauce)

5. Coriander leaves- for garnish, roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven on 425 F for approx 10 minutes.

2. Make cuts in the chicken drumsticks and set aside. Wipe them with a kitchen towel and make sure they are dry.

3. Mix together the red chilli powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl and then sprinkle on the chicken drumsticks.

4. Place the chicken drumsticks on a parchment lined baking rack/tray and bake for 20 minutes. The rack is better as there will be enough air circulation to avoid it from being soggy at the base.

5. Check after 20 minutes and turn the chicken and bake again for 20 minutes.

6. Check again after 20 mins and turn the drumsticks a final time for baking. Bake for another 8-10 minutes or according to the cook on the chicken. At this point, the chicken drumsticks need to be completely baked.

7. In a wide bowl, combine all the ingredients except the fresh coriander leaves and mix well. Check the taste of the sauce and adjust according to preference. Now toss the warm chicken drumsticks and coat well.

8. Finally, sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and serve! Enjoy!

Please try this recipe and leave your comments below!

Thanks,

Susan