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!
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