Name: Honey Sriracha Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 8 chicken drumsticks (about 3 lbs total, patted very dry); 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground); 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 3 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp sriracha (reduce to 1 tbsp for mild heat); 1 tbsp soy sauce (low-sodium preferred); 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tbsp sliced green onions (for garnish, optional); 1 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish, optional)

From the roundup: 16 Easy Skillet Chicken Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Jump to Recipe

Ten drumsticks barely cover the bottom of my largest sheet pan, which tells you exactly why I make at least a dozen whenever honey sriracha glazed chicken drumsticks are on the dinner rotation. The glaze goes on only in the last five to seven minutes of baking, which is the move that keeps it sticky and lacquered instead of burned and bitter. My nine-year-old, who usually negotiates around anything spicy, ate three drumsticks and only asked for a glass of milk once. Leftovers pull cleanly off the bone straight from the fridge, which makes them easy to chop over rice for a quick lunch the next day without any reheating fuss.

Why you will love this

One skillet, one bowl for the glaze, and almost no cleanup.
Drumsticks are one of the cheapest cuts at the grocery store and they stay juicy even when kids eat them slowly.
The heat level is easy to adjust: one tablespoon of sriracha keeps it mild enough for younger kids, two tablespoons gives adults a real kick.
The glaze caramelizes into a sticky coating without any special equipment, just a spoon and a watchful eye in the last few minutes.
Leftovers hold up well in the fridge for four days and taste just as good reheated over rice the next day.

Tips for success

Pat the drumsticks as dry as you possibly can before seasoning. Moisture on the skin is what causes steaming instead of crisping, and no amount of high heat will fix a wet drumstick.
Start in a cold skillet and bring the heat up gradually. It feels counterintuitive but this is what renders the fat before the skin has a chance to burn.
Pour off most of the rendered fat before you flip the drumsticks. Leaving too much in the pan makes the glaze slide off and pool instead of coating the chicken.
Add the glaze only when the chicken is already at 155 degrees F internally. Honey burns fast and turns bitter, so giving it more than 7 minutes over heat will ruin the flavor you built up.

Common questions

Can I use chicken thighs instead? Bone-in thighs work fine with the same method, but they may need a few extra minutes to reach 165 degrees F at the bone.
My glaze looks thin at first. Is that normal? Yes. Give it 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat while turning the drumsticks and it will tighten up into a sticky coating.
How do I know the chicken is done without a thermometer? The juices should run clear when you pierce near the bone, but a thermometer is the only reliable way to check a thick drumstick.
Can I make this in the oven? The skillet method gives better skin texture, but if you need to scale up for a crowd, you can roast at 425 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes and brush the glaze on in the last 8 minutes.

Substitutions

Sriracha can be swapped for sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce in the same amount. For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Rice vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar with no noticeable difference in the final glaze.

If you are cooking for younger kids who do not tolerate much heat, reduce the sriracha to 1 teaspoon and add a small pinch of smoked paprika for color. The glaze will still caramelize the same way, just without the burn.

Make-ahead and storage

The glaze can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and kept in a small jar in the refrigerator. Give it a stir before adding it to the pan since the honey can settle. Store leftover drumsticks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat, put the drumsticks in a skillet over medium-low heat with a tablespoon of water, cover loosely, and warm for about 5 minutes, turning once. The water loosens the glaze without washing it off. Microwaving works too, covered, for about 2 minutes, though the skin will soften. Freezing is possible for up to 2 months, but the glaze texture changes after thawing, so this is better eaten fresh or within the week.

Brittany Stage