Asian Glazed Drumsticks
These Asian inspired drumsticks are finger lickin' good! The glaze would also be great with thighs or wings. I served this with steamed vegetables to make this a complete low fat meal and drizzled the remaining glaze over the vegetables. Also would be wonderful over rice. Thighs would also work great in this recipe, but chicken breast would get too tough. If you must, remove chicken breast after 15 minutes, then allow the sauce to reduce down.
These Asian inspired drumsticks are finger lickin' good! The glaze would also be great with thighs or wings. I served this with steamed vegetables to make this a complete low fat meal and drizzled the remaining glaze over the vegetables. Also would be wonderful over rice. Thighs would also work great in this recipe, but chicken breast would get too tough. If you must, remove chicken breast after 15 minutes, then allow the sauce to reduce down.
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- olive oil spray
- 8 medium chicken drumsticks skin removed
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- 4 teaspoons agave nectar (or sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons chives or scallions chopped
- Carbohydrate 38.9545730954595 g
- Cholesterol 118.26 mg
- Fat 15.0461749999878 g
- Fiber 4.54105006171454 g
- Protein 81.7122481521788 g
- Saturated Fat 3.80579119995478 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (756g)
- Sodium 28359.7842809397 mg
- Sugar 34.4135230337449 g
- Trans Fat 1.64148560034133 g
- Calories 605 calories
Step-by-step
- In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil.
- Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.
- Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick)
- Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.
Many home cooks crowd the pan during the initial browning phase, which creates steam instead of the deep Maillard reaction required for rich flavor. Drumsticks require high heat and a heavy-bottomed saucepan to develop color without scorching the sugars in the glaze. Removing the skin beforehand allows the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and agave mixture to penetrate the meat directly during the 20-minute simmer.
Transforming Leftovers
Chicken legs maintain their moisture exceptionally well due to the connective tissue surrounding the bone. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to three days at 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold leftover drumsticks can be shredded directly into cold noodle salads or reheated gently in a covered skillet with two tablespoons of water to liquefy the set glaze.
- Substitute honey for agave at a one-to-one ratio if pantry stocks require it.
- Watch the reduction phase closely during the final eight minutes because high sugar content burns rapidly once water evaporates completely.
- Keep heat at low during the covered simmer to prevent the proteins from tightening prematurely.
