These oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks are marinated and basted in a super flavorful honey, soy, and garlic sauce. This recipe is anything but boring and perfect for busy weeknights!
Oh, how I love an easy chicken dinner! Especially one that uses some of my favorite Asian ingredients, like these Baked Chicken Drumsticks.
What ingredients do I need for these chicken drumsticks?
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these drumsticks, and if you make stir fry recipes a lot like I do, you will certainly have all the items in your pantry already. (Detailed measurements and directions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.)
- chicken drumsticks
- honey
- low-sodium soy sauce
- sesame oil
- garlic cloves
- ginger
- salt and pepper
- 2 scallions
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
The preparation of this recipe could not be easier, either – just dice up the garlic and ginger, mix with the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and seasonings, then coat the chicken and marinate. Bake, baste, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Don’t skip the marinating step! This allows the sauce to permeate the chicken for optimal flavor and makes the chicken moist and juicy.
- A little chili sauce can be whisked into the marinade mixture for added heat.
- Do not throw away the marinade! You will use it to baste the chicken as it bakes.
- Make sure to cover your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Clean up will be a drag if you don’t, since this sauce gets thick and sticky.
Can I use something other than Drumsticks?
Yep! Although drumsticks are my favorite for this recipe, you can use boneless chicken thighs or breasts, too.
- For boneless skinless chicken thighs: bake at 425 degrees F for 22-25 minutes, turning them twice and basting while baking to ensure they stay juicy. Finish them under the broiler for 5 minutes to get those nice charred edges. They should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when done.
- For boneless, skinless chicken breasts: bake at 425 degrees F for about 16-18 minutes (for 6 ounce breasts) or until the chicken is opaque throughout and reaches an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees F.
You can even use this sauce on other proteins, not just chicken. Try it with pork chops, shrimp, or salmon!
Can I make these drumsticks in the slow cooker?
Yep! After marinating, add the chicken and sauce to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, basting a few times with the sauce, if you can. Place them under the broiler for a few minutes to get charred. They are done when the internal temperature reaches 165-170 degrees F. I also have a Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken recipe that includes orange juice and rice wine vinegar, which is so delicious, too!
How To Store Leftover Drumsticks
Cool chicken completely, then store in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
My family loves this chicken recipe; the meat is so tender and nobody can resist licking the glaze off their fingertips. I always serve this with my delicious Pineapple Coconut Rice for a complete meal. So good!
Other Chicken Recipes we love!
- {Caribbean Pineapple} Baked Chicken Wings
- Baked Greek Yogurt Chicken
- Easy Cashew Chicken
I hope you love this quick and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Honey Soy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- salt and pepper
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds , for garnish
- 2 scallions , diced
- Pineapple Coconut Rice , for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Season the drumsticks with salt and pepper, taste and place in a Ziploc bag; pour the liquid mixture over all the pieces. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible and marinade in the refrigerator for at least two hours (preferably overnight.) Do not discard the marinade!
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Lay chicken on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 35 minutes (basting every 10 minutes with the marinade) or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165ºF.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds and scallions on top and serve with Pineapple Coconut Rice.
Notes
- For recipe variations, please refer to the full article.
- Nutritional information does not include the rice.
- To store leftovers: cool chicken completely, then store in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Other Notes
I made this getting ready to put in oven at 425 for 30 minutes. Made wide Buttered noodles and Brocoli, cauliflower, carrots on the side Delish.
Family loved it!
Very good!
Good recipe!
However, do not use the leftover marinade that the chicken was in unless you heat it to a boil. This way you avoid cross-contamination. An alternative would be to reserve some of the marinade prior to adding the chicken and using the reserve for basting.
You have a point but I think cooking it for 35 minutes at 425 probably got it boiling.
Unless you baste them right before they come out of the oven, then not so much.
Love this recipe! Super easy! Only problem with basting the sauce on the chicken in the oven is it burns pretty quickly by the time the 35 mins has passed, and you baste every 10 mins!
Very tasty! I baked and basted as instructed however for the last 10 mins I pan seared the chicken in the marinade on high heat which thickened up the sauce and gave the chicken a toasted texture. I wasn’t able to marinate overnight but even after only 2 hours it had a great flavor!
Yes, this may be similar to a dish I make with chicken thighs, but will definitely try this version.
It looks even better.
Haha – This is totally going to be me and my husband some day – I’m definitely not the builder;) Your drumsticks look delish – Trevor knows what’s up!
Wow this sounds so good, and simple enough even I could make it. LOL I have to say your post cracked me up. I loved you describing what you made.
I’ve been waiting for weeks to make this and finally had my chance last night… totally worth it. Yum. Thanks for the recipe!
This was GREAT! Following you now …. :)
On the chicken you should discard the rest of the marinade That you soaked the chicken in, but have some that was not used to soak the chicken in kept in a separate container. Cross contamination avoided.
Or you could heat up the marinade and then baste with it.
How hot do you think 425 gets after 35 minutes?
Oh. My. Gosh. That kid…. <3
I love your creation! It’s much better than anything I could make. And I just love the stories of your sweet little boy. So precious!
My mom makes something similar to this! I think she started using agave now, instead of honey.
P.S. Love the lego scene, the dog makes it!
That looks like some fabulous chicken!
Thanks, Milisa! It really was!
Loved this post since it gave me a good chuckle plus a delicious recipe.
Haha that’ll be me and The.Boy. someday. I am so not a lego kinda gal. Especially not freehand. I can follow those little instructions but if it requires any kind of creativity, I’m out. Not so in the kitchen though!
YUMMY! I love the idea of cooking with honey—these look sticky, smoky, and delicious!
That CHICKEN. Ugh, I love it.
We loved it. I might try it with salmon next time since my family prefers fish over poultry. But the marinade was superb! Thank you!
Also, Steve said he saw your post and wants this chicken. Nice. On the list it goes.
Yay! It’s simple, but solid…typical Asian flavors that we love :D
The Lego creations. Hilarious.
And AW. Trevor knows what’s up.
I heard Paul let out a big laugh this morning…found out he was reading this. He knows how true my “building disability” is.