Sweet And Sticky Grilled Drumsticks

Slightly smoky with beautiful grill marks and bursting with flavour, these Grilled Sweet and Sticky Drumsticks guarantee deliciousness. Be prepared to have everyone asking for the recipe.

Nothing quite beats cooking and eating food outdoors and these fork-tender drumsticks slathered with a sticky-sweet, salty and tangy glaze are the perfect dish to kick start the grilling season. The marinade for the chicken celebrates the vibrant flavours of Thailand with ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice.

You can start this a day ahead, so the chicken takes on the flavours of the marinade. But if you don’t plan ahead (I rarely do) the chicken will still be tasty thanks to the rich and flavourful glaze we paint on the drumsticks while they cook.

Boldly-flavoured and finger-lickin’ good, these sticky glazed drumsticks are perfect for serving a large crowd and a dish the whole family will love. I like to serve them alongside grilled pineapple wedges or a  fresh and cooling cucumber salad. A pile of cilantro lime rice, is never a bad idea.

About Grilling Chicken Drumsticks

Whenever I need a fun dish that serves plenty, I make a version of these super simple baked sticky drumsticks from Donna Hay. Everyone loves them and they are so easy to make. When it’s grilling season, I riff on that recipe and take it outside.

On the grill, and when cooked properly, the drumsticks are even better; Fork-tender, intensely flavoured, beautifully lacquered, crispy and charred in spots. You can serve them hot off the grill but they’re just as fabulous at room temperature so you can make them ahead.

The original recipe calls for black bean sauce but I prefer to use soy sauce, fresh garlic, and ketchup which I always have on hand. Sprinkling the finished drumsticks with chopped peanuts adds a delicious crunchiness but you can leave them out if you prefer.

One important thing to know about grilling drumsticks vs boneless chicken; they can be a little tricky to get right. The key is to not rush the drumsticks over too-hot flames or they will burn and dry out long before they have had time to cook through. Cooked over medium-low heat, you get crispy, caramelized chicken with deliciously charred spots.

Just as important is to not marinade the drumsticks with sugary ingredients which are prone to burn. Once the drumsticks are almost completely cooked through, then the sweet glaze is applied in layers for maximum flavour.

Follow my easy grilling tips on this post, and you’ll have perfectly cooked, sticky, sweet and spicy drumsticks that will be devoured quickly.

Ingredients And Notes

Using simple ingredients but delivering loads of flavour, this is going to become one of your favourite recipes for entertaining outdoors or for a family meal.

• Soy sauce – This is what gives us all the salty umami flavour. The recipe for these sweet and sticky grilled drumsticks calls for low-sodium soy sauce, if you only have regular make sure you reduce the amount.
• Toasted sesame oil or olive oil – Toasted sesame oil has more flavour but olive oil will also work.
• Garlic – For loads of pungent flavour.
• Ginger – The spicy, slightly sweet, peppery taste of fresh ginger is essential to this marinade and glaze.
• Fresh lime juice – For tenderizing and flavouring the drumsticks.
• Chili sauce – A bit of heat is fabulous in this marinade. I use sambal oelek but you can use sriracha, garlic chili sauce or red pepper flakes.
• Ketchup – Ketchup may seem a bit out of place with the flavour profile but it is an easy way to get a nice thick glaze with a mildly sweet flavour. It also doesn’t burn as easily as brown sugar, for example.
• Honey – This will give the drumsticks that lacquered, glaze-y look.
• Fish sauce – A tablespoon of fish sauce will add some nice umami flavor. For this recipe I don’t find it super essential so feel free to leave it out, if you wish.
• Optional garnish – Chopped salted peanuts add delicious crunchiness but you can use sesame seeds if you prefer. You can also garnish the drumsticks with fresh cilantro and/or thinly sliced scallions.

How to Make Sweet And Sticky Grilled Drumsticks

Brushed with a sauce that has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy these chicken drumsticks caramelize beautifully and are irresistibly sticky. Here’s the simple step by step to make them:

Step 1: Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, oil, garlic, ginger and chili sauce. Pour 1/2 of marinade into a ziplock bag and add the drumsticks to the bag. Seal the bag tightly then mix the drumsticks in the bag so they are covered in marinade. Allow drumsticks to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or place in fridge for up to 24 hours.

Step 2: Make the glaze: Add the ketchup and honey to the remaining marinade in the bowl; mix and set aside or place in fridge overnight.

Step 3: Prepare the grill: If the drumsticks were refrigerated, remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat grill to medium heat or about 375º F. Brush the grill grates generously with vegetable oil (this is important!).

Step 4: Grill drumsticks: Cook the drumsticks over direct medium heat, with lid closed, flipping occasionally, until they have had time to get brown and crispy. This might take about 20 to 25 minutes but keep in mind the time will vary hugely depending on how hot your grill runs, and how close the flames are to the grates. Use your own judgment, flip them often if necessary, and move them around searching or avoiding hot spots as needed. When the chicken is almost cooked through and is showing nice grill marks, you can increase the heat slightly and start brushing on the glaze. Continue applying layers of the sauce, reglazing, and turning occasionally until all sides are lightly charred, about 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature has reached 185ºF.

Step 5: Rest chicken. Let chicken rest for 5-10 minute. Serve garnished with scallions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, if using.

To Bake The Drumsticks

If you don’t have a grill, or prefer a more hands-off approach for cooking the drumsticks, they can easily be cooked in the oven. You may not get the irresistibly charred spots and crispy skin you get from a grill, but they will still be addictively delicious. Here’s the simple steps to bake them:

1. Follow recipe instructions for marinating the chicken. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Once marinated, place the drumsticks on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook, turning halfway, for 15–20.
3. Remove the tray from the oven, brush the drumsticks generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 20 minutes or until drumsticks look sticky and dark brown. Tip: If the drumsticks didn’t get sticky enough, brush with another layer of glaze and place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes—watching them closely so they don’t burn!

To Serve

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Sweet and Sticky Grilled Drumsticks

Author: Sandra Valvassori

Slightly smoky with beautiful grill marks and bursting with flavour, these Sweet and Sticky Grilled Drumsticks guarantee deliciousness. Be prepared to have everyone asking for the recipe. If you are grill-free, you can bake the drumsticks in the oven (recipe included in notes).

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 garlic cloves grated or finely minced
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger grated or finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 small lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil can use avocado or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce I like sambal omelek (can also use sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
• 12 chicken drumsticks
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp honey safflower or grapeseed oil, plus more for chicken

Optional for garnish

• 1/2 cup salted peanuts roughly chopped (or use sesame seeds)
• 4 green onions thinly sliced
• a handful of chopped cilantro

Instructions 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, ginger lime juice, oil, chili sauce and fish sauce (if using). Pour 1/2 of the marinade into a ziplock bag and add the drumsticks to the bag. Seal the bag tightly then mix the drumsticks in the bag so they are covered in marinade. Allow drumsticks to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or place in fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Add the ketchup and honey to the remaining marinade in the bowl; mix and set aside (or place in fridge overnight).
• If the drumsticks were refrigerated, remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat grill to medium heat or about 375º F. Brush the grill grates generously with vegetable oil (do skip this step!).
• Cook the drumsticks over direct medium heat, with lid closed, flipping occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Tip: Keep in mind the time will vary hugely depending on how hot your grill runs, and how close the flames are to the grates. Use your own judgment, flip them often if necessary, and move them around searching or avoiding hot spots as needed.
• When the chicken is almost cooked through and is showing nice grill marks, increase the heat slightly and start brushing on the glaze. Continue applying layers of the sauce, reglazing, and turning occasionally until all sides are lightly charred, about 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature has reached 185ºF (*see notes).
• Let chicken rest for 5-10 minute. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges, if using.

Notes

*Chicken is cooked through at 165ºF. However, for really fork-tender drumsticks, it is best to cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 185ºF. Eyeballing, or using a general timeframe is doable, but an instant thermometer will guarantee great results every time.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the drumsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

To Bake The Drumsticks

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, oil, garlic, ginger and chili sauce. Pour 1/2 of marinade into a ziplock bag and add the drumsticks to the bag. Seal the bag tightly then mix the drumsticks in the bag so they are covered in marinade. Allow drumsticks to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or place in fridge for up to 24 hours.
3. Add the ketchup and honey to the remaining marinade in the bowl; set aside for a few hours at room temperature or place in fridge overnight.
4. Place the drumsticks on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook, turning halfway, for 15–20. Remove the tray from the oven, brush the drumsticks generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 20 minutes or until drumsticks look sticky and dark brown. Tip: If the drumsticks didn’t get sticky enough, brush with another layer of glaze and place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes—watching them closely so they don’t burn!

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay

Keywords: Grilled drumsticks, chicken legs, sticky chicken, best grilled drumsticks, grilled chicken with glaze

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