Baked Chicken Drumsticks in Sesame Glaze

Name: Baked Chicken Drumsticks in Sesame Glaze
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Ingredients: chicken drumsticks — 12 pcs; soy sauce — 60 ml; apple vinegar — 30 ml; sugar — 2 tbsp; Dijon mustard — 1 tbsp; sesame oil — 1 tsp; cornstarch — 1 tsp

45 minutes

Easy

If you're looking for a quick and delicious dinner idea, I highly recommend baking these Asian-style chicken drumsticks. Coated in a flavorful glaze of soy sauce and aromatic sesame oil, they are incredibly easy to whip up. Thanks to their size, they take only about 40 minutes in the oven, making them a perfect weeknight meal.

When it comes to side dishes, the choices are completely up to you: this chicken pairs beautifully with traditional potatoes, a simple bowl of rice, or roasted vegetables.

Of course, this marinade works wonders for other chicken cuts too - feel free to try it with wings, thighs, or chicken breasts.

Main Courses Pan-Asian cuisine

19 seconds ago

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Base

chicken drumsticks
12 pcs

Glaze

soy sauce
60 ml
apple vinegar
30 ml
sugar
2 tbsp
Dijon mustard
1 tbsp
sesame oil
1 tsp
cornstarch
1 tsp

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

Chicken. As mentioned above, this marinade works beautifully not only for drumsticks but also for other chicken cuts – like whole legs, thighs, wings, or even chicken breasts.
Sesame oil. You must use toasted sesame oil, as it’s what gives the glaze its signature nutty aroma. There is no good substitute for it; skipping it entirely will leave you with just a basic soy-based glaze.
Soy sauce. Use regular, all-purpose soy sauce. Avoid using dark soy sauce here, as it will overpower the dish.
Sugar. Regular white granulated sugar works perfectly. There’s no real benefit to using brown sugar here, as its subtle caramel notes will get lost behind the strong flavors of soy sauce and sesame oil.
Vinegar. The recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, but you can easily swap it for rice vinegar or wine vinegar (either red or white).
Mustard. It adds a nice savory kick and enhances the deep umami flavor from the soy sauce.
Starch. This acts as a thickener for the glaze – without it, the sauce won’t cling to the chicken as nicely. The recipe uses cornstarch, which gives a smoother, softer texture. If you only have potato starch, use only half the amount specified for cornstarch.

Let’s start cooking!

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the glaze.

Add the chicken drumsticks and toss to coat.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, leaving the glaze mixture in the bowl. Place the baking dish in an oven preheated to the 190°C (375°F) and bake for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, pour the glaze mixture into a saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.

About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, start brushing the drumsticks with the glaze.

Serve with rice or vegetables. I’m serving it with roasted green beans and garlic.

Enjoy!

This Baked Chicken Drumsticks in Sesame Glaze recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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