Soy and Honey Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
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These soy and honey glazed chicken drumsticks are finger licking good — the whole family will love these. My kids love eating them with their hands!
Tell me, are you all meal-planners? Do you sit down on a certain day of the week and plan your meals for the entire week?
I’m kind of a half-hearted meal planner. Which is weird because I’m pretty much a solid type A. But when it comes to meals, I have a hard time thinking ahead for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of attention or if it’s just because what I want to eat depends so much on my mood for the day. (Plus, Ben’s schedule is so crazy that I never know what nights we are all going to be home for dinner).
Here’s what usually happens:
I sit down at the kitchen table. The kids are usually napping or playing with Ben. I open my computer to the grocery store ad. I have a sheet of notebook paper folded in half the long way. One side is for my list and one side is for my meals. On the side for the meals, I write each day of the week. If I know for sure Ben is not going to be home for dinner that night, I make note of it (hellllo popcorn for dinner night!). At the bottom of the meal list I usually also jot down a short list of recipes I want to develop for my blog that week.
But this is kind of where it all falls apart. I usually get lazy and just leave most of the days open. And then of course when I go to the grocery store, I have a hard time sticking to my list. I get distracted by an ingredient or a sale I missed in the ad.
Long story short, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. For these chicken drumsticks, I saw that drumsticks were on sale — so I put them on the list. But I didn’t bother looking up or creating a recipe for them. Instead I just improvised on the night I felt like eating chicken drumsticks. I’m super happy with the result and will definitely adding these soy and honey glazed chicken drumsticks to the dinner roster.
About this recipe
The chicken drumsticks are sticky, sweet and so flavorful. This recipe makes a lot of sauce so enjoy the drumsticks with white rice or brown rice, oven roasted sweet potatoes and air fryer brussels sprouts, so none of the tasty sauce goes to waste.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy flavorful chicken. As always, you’ll find the complete printable recipe at the end of this post.
What’s in this recipe
- Chicken Drumsticks: If you prefer, use chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Wings would be good, too.
- Olive Oil
- Soy Sauce: Use reduced sodium soy sauce to cut back on the salt.
- Ketchup
- Honey
- Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar would work fine, too, add a teaspoon or two of molasses, if you want.
- Minced Garlic: A couple of cloves is good but if you like a lot of garlic, go ahead and add more.
This recipe is so simple. Put the drumsticks in a baking pan, stir up the sauce, and pour it over the chicken. Pop it into the oven and it’s ready in an hour. If you want, about halfway through the cooking time, flip the chicken over so both sides soak up the sauce, making the chicken juicy and flavorful.
Looking for crispy chicken? Try easy air fryer chicken drumsticks. Ready in 20 minutes, crispy and juicy, you’ll love them! Or, if you prefer chicken thighs, try delicious air fryer chicken thighs. Are wings your thing? Try Chili Lime Chicken Wings with sour cream dipping sauce. If you are looking for a whole dinner, these Herb Roasted Chicken Drumsticks and Potatoes are just the thing, and it’s a one pan dinner, too!
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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds drumsticks (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, more as desired
- Cooked rice for serving (optional)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place chicken legs in a 9×13 baking dish (remove skin if desired). Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and pour over chicken.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If desired, turn chicken once midway through cooking to help soak up all the great flavor of the sauce.
- Serve with rice and top with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- I make these drumsticks either with the skin on or with the skin off. They both turn out great.
- This recipe makes a lot of sauce. You could probably double the amount of chicken without having to increase the amount of sauce.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Ashley Marc says
These were perfect! In the words of my husband and children. QUALITY
Rachel Gurk says
I love that! Made me smile…so glad you guys liked them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Lorraine D. says
Mmmmmm! I’ve tried this recipe twice and loved it both times! More importantly my children loved them too. The second time I cooked these I added about a teaspoon of sesame oil to the recipe. It was equally fantastic if you like sesame oil!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you all like it! My son has a severe sesame allergy so we stay away from it, but I agree, that would make a fantastic addition!