Sweet Chili Drumsticks
The original recipe: Sweet 'N Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks by skinnytaste
INGREDIENTS
10 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
For the marinade:
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sriracha
2 splashes of sesame oil
For the glaze:
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp sriracha (use less or omit if you don't want added heat)
1 tbsp honey
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken in a large ziploc bag.
2. Seal the bag and massage the chicken before placing in the fridge to marinate overnight (longer is better). I like to lay the chicken in a flat, even layer if possible, then flip the bag over in the morning so the other side has a chance to sit in the marinade during the day.
3. Preheat your grill to medium-high, and grill the chicken for about 25 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked and juices run clear.
4. While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl combine the glaze ingredients.
5. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the grill and use a brush to apply the glaze.
Creates 4 servings for us (2 nights of: 2 for me, 3 for my husband)
My Changes & Notes:
1. The chicken.
The original recipe calls for 8 skinless drumsticks. I used 10 skin-on drumsticks; it was easier to find in the store and plus, even though the skin isn't crispy in this recipe, I would still argue it's the best part. Since I upped the amount of chicken, I also upped the amounts for the marinade and for the sauce- see Notes 2 & 4.
2. Inject flavour.
The glaze itself is amazing, but it's nice when there is some flavour to the meat beneath as well. I found the original recipe didn't make as much marinade as I wanted (even if I only had 8 drumsticks), so to accomplish this, I used:
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sriracha
2 splashes of sesame oil
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients above and whisk together.
Place the drumsticks in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade in. Seal the bag, massage it around, then put it in the fridge to marinate (as the original recipe suggests, longer is better). I typically put this together the evening before so it marinates all night while we're sleeping, as well as during the day while we're away at work. Try to put this in the fridge in a single layer, so every drumstick has exposure to the marinade. At some point during the marinating process, flip the bag over and massage it a bit so the other side of the chicken has a chance to sit in the liquid.
3. License to grill.
This step isn't totally necessary, but I took my chicken out and let it sit at room temperature for almost an hour so it wasn't super cold and would cook more evenly. I realize most people will automatically assume they'll get salmonella from doing this, but that's not how it works. If you don't feel comfortable letting the chicken sit out, skip this step. As long as you cook it through, you'll be fine.
I didn't find it necessary to coat the grill with any oil/cooking spray, and simply had it up to medium-high heat. The grill time (25 min, flipping every 5 minutes) on the original recipe worked perfectly for me a couple times, while other times I had to leave it on the grill a little longer. Try the 25 minutes first and then check for doneness - if your drumsticks be monstrous, it will take a little longer until the juices run clear and chicken is cooked through.
Instead of brushing the sticky sauce on the chicken while it's still on the grill, we've started taking the chicken offline first, then applying the glaze. It saves a lot of sticky mess from having to get scraped off your grill.
4. Gettin' saucy.
For the glaze, I mixed the following into a bowl:
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp sriracha (put less or omit if you don't like it spicy)
1 tbsp honey
Mix it all up, and brush onto the cooked chicken drumsticks. Serve!