Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks (Printable)
Tender drumsticks slow-cooked in savory-sweet Asian glaze with soy, honey, and hoisin for juicy, falling-off-the-bone results.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 12 chicken drumsticks (approximately 3.3 lbs), skin removed if desired
→ Glaze
02 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
03 - 1/4 cup honey
04 - 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
05 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
06 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons water
→ Garnish
13 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
14 - 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using) until well combined and smooth.
02 - Place the chicken drumsticks in the slow cooker. Pour the prepared glaze over the chicken, turning drumsticks to coat evenly on all sides.
03 - Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and tender, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F.
04 - Transfer the drumsticks to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while preparing the sauce.
05 - Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan. In a separate small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to form a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the cooking liquid.
06 - Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until thickened and glossy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
07 - Brush or spoon the thickened glaze generously over the drumsticks. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds immediately before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze transforms into this incredible sticky coating that clings to every inch of the chicken
- Your slow cooker does literally all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
- That combination of salty soy and sweet honey hits every single craving at once
02 -
- The first time I forgot the cornstarch step and ended up with delicious but thin sauce, so don't skip that slurry
- Low and slow is what makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender, so don't be tempted to crank up the heat
03 -
- Pat the drumsticks dry before adding them to the slow cooker for better glaze adhesion
- Double the glaze ingredients if you want extra sauce for serving on the side