Sticky balsamic chicken drumsticks made on the stove with just 5 ingredients – chicken, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic. It’s twice as fast as baking drumsticks and glaze is lip smackingly delicious! Watch the cooking video to see how easy it is – and how hopeful Dozer looks that one will come his way…
I take it very personally when people have trouble making a recipe of mine. I take a great deal of care writing and testing recipes before I share them, and you would probably be horrified at the number of beautiful photos I have trashed because I wasn’t happy with the recipe, or because I thought the “fail” risk was too high.
I posted this Balsamic Drumsticks recipe back in April 2015 and a handful of readers have had trouble with it. Specifically, getting the sauce to reduce down to a glaze. It’s not a technically difficult recipe, but it is unique because drumsticks are not usually cooked the stove in a braising liquid that transforms into a glaze and there are a couple of specific steps required to be followed to make this happen.
So I decided to repost this recipe with fresh new photos, even more concise steps and a cooking video. So you can see exactly how to make it. 🙂
These balsamic chicken drumsticks are based on this Sticky Stovetop Chicken recipe that I stumbled across. When I read the recipe, I thought it sounded quite similar to the flavour and method used for Filipino Chicken Adobo (one of my favourite Asian chicken recipes!), except that it is made with drumsticks (and with less ingredients).
This recipe is actually quite genius. I don’t think most people would think to cook drumsticks on the stove, and even if you did, getting a beautiful caramelisation and the glaze is another matter altogether.
I bet most people would never guess it wasn’t baked. Or that there’s only 5 ingredients in this. FIVE.
It’s a fairly classic sweet-sour taste made with a bit of sugar, balsamic and soy sauce. But then you add some water into the pot with the chicken and sauce so by the time the chicken is cooked, the braising liquid reduces down to a thick sticky glaze. And that glaze caramelises which adds even more flavour.
Yummy! Look at it. This is what it looks like straight off the stove.
I remember the first time I made this recipe, I took a bite and thought “Ew, this is terrible”. I stood over the stove with my hands on my hips, head cocked, wondering how I was going to salvage it. I thought back over the recipe. I mean, it only has 5 ingredients in it. And there were rave reviews by people who had tried it. Either all those people have terrible taste in food….or….I stuffed up.
Yep, you guessed it. I stuffed up a 5 ingredient recipe. FIVE INGREDIENTS and I managed to accidentally leave out the most important one – soy sauce.
DUH!
I managed to salvage my embarrassing disaster by taking out the drumsticks and remaking the glaze. And because the salvaged version was so tasty that I thought I had better make it again. I gave myself a big pat on the back for remembering all five ingredients the second time!
Now this is a classic back-pocket recipe of mine.
Sticky chicken – done – with less than 5 minutes of active effort. Can’t ask for much more than that! 🙂 – Nagi x
MORE CHICKEN DRUMSTICK RECIPES
-
Greek Chicken – ideal made with drumsticks instead of thighs
-
Baked Chicken and Rice – make this with drumsticks instead of bone in thighs!
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5 Ingredient Sticky Stove Top Balsamic Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks (2 lb / 1 kg) (Note 1)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (all purpose or light, not dark)
- 3 tbsp sugar (brown)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
Extra Flavourings (Optional)
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tbsp Sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes (Note 2)
Garnishes (optional)
- Parsley or shallots/scallions , finely sliced
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (including Extra Flavourings, if using) in a large skillet/fry pan or pot (Note 3) over medium high heat. The chicken should be in a single layer.
- Bring to boil, turn chicken, then turn down to medium so it simmers energetically but not rapidly. DO NOT cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken at 10 minutes.
- At 20 minutes, the chicken should be cooked. Move the chicken to the side of the skillet, propping and stacking them up on the edges of the skillet to clear the surface of the liquid as much as possible so it can reduce.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or until the liquid thickens (consistency of thick pouring cream) and coats the chicken. Keep an eye on the sauce, once it starts to thicken it will reduce quickly, don't let it go too far. Roll the chicken in the glaze.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and stand for 5 minutes - the sauce will thicken slightly more. Roll the chicken in the glaze again, then serve, garnished with parsley or scallions if desired.
- (Note 4)
- Serve, garnished with scallions/shallots if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
* Originally posted in April 2015. Reposted with new photos and a cooking video.
LIFE OF DOZER
If you want your daily dose of Dozer, you’ll need to watch the video! He makes a cameo appearance…. 😉
And I just can’t believe it….people mocked me over his robe that I shared at the bottom of the Caramel Slice recipe. “Dogs don’t wear clothes!”, they declared. Boo to them!
bought the drumsticks on a great sale, thighs were all sold out. This recipe is so easy and absolutely delicious. I cooked it exactly as directed except I didn’t reduce the sauce all the way so I could drizzle on the jasmine rice and broccoli, I had plenty to coat the chicken as well. I do have a very large center burner so that may have helped cook through in 20 minutes, (others mentioned it took longer). This recipe is a keeper!
VERY YUM! my chicken took about 35 min too cook but think it was cause my pan was too big for my element. husband and kids loved it!!
This sounds delicious! Once cooked can I freeze the chicken legs?
Husband loved it! It took a little longer to reduce the liquid, but it did reduce and thickened.
Love this!!!! Very very very good
That’s great Denise! I am glad that you enjoyed them!! N x
So delicious. Perfect for our cold Friday night here in Melbourne. Can’t believe it’s taken me so long to discover your site. Very glad I did! Going to try your Swedish meatballs tomorrow night. Thank you 😊
Welcome to RecipeTin, Angela!! Enjoy the cooking…and eating! N x
This was EXCELLENT! My kids loved it! I feed a family of 7 so I cooked 12 chicken legs but didn’t change proportions for the glaze and it still worked wonderfully!
I have cooked chicken drumsticks and thighs several times using this recipe and I love love love it!! My family does as well and it is so quick and easy to make. Thank you!!
I love the flavour injected into all your recipes. I also love the simplicity of how the ingredients are listed and the attached explanatory videos! Well done! I’m turning to your recipes more and more.
I just made this for dinner and work lunches for one. I had a 5 pack of chicken legs so reduced everything by approximately a third. It was fabulous! Definitely sticky and salty sweet! I made rice to go with it! Wonderful meal! Thank you for the recipe!
this was lick the plate spectacular!! i had a slightly smaller pot so i knew i’d have to remove the legs to boil down the sauce to get to the sticky stage. patience people, sugar always boils down to the various candy stages. 🙂 i used honey because the boil stage has a head start on granular i think. i’ve been a gourmet chef enthusiast for 26 years. i’m definitely going to figure out how to scale this up and impress my friends! Nagi, thank you for your recipe. i appreciate your hard work testing your recipes. this is my first one from your site. i look forward to more.
i forgot to say i followed the recipe and added the fresh ginger as suggested. DELISH
We love recipe but I had to use corn starch to get it to thicken up 😆
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
Hi Aria, yes that will be fine 🙂 N x
Wowie! I was looking for a quick chicken stovetop recipe. This seemed unique. I did adjust proportions a tad because I had less chicken. It’s great! The video helped a lot. I’m delighted to have a new and different way to eat chicken drumsticks!!
It actually took about 35 min for the chicken to be cooked through. The glaze was really tasty.
Made this last night with your egg foo young recipe. Great combo. Family impressed by “my” new skills in the kitchen. I fessed up and gave all the credit to your recipes!
I love hearing this Darren, so glad they were a hit! N x
I made this recipe yesterday for my family. We loved it! Definitely going to make it again.
That’s awesome Barbara! N x
We are don’t eat gluten, dairy, or soy so made this substituting coconut aminos for the soy sauce. Also used 10 drumsticks since Costco’s come in packages of 5. It took longer to cook down to a sticky sauce but otherwise fine. Next time, I will add the ginger for a bit more ooomph.
* I’m not much of a cook…..but, I made this tonight cause I had drumsticks in the fridge. Came out very good. Had to extend cook time some, to get to 165F. Due to pan shape, I skipped the part of propping drumsticks on end…I see now that it would help cook the big end.
I really liked how easy I could make a glaze that works!!!
Will def. make again and try some variations on the theme.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Bob!
Brilliant!! 2 thumbs WAY up!!! Incredibly simple and fast, and beyond delicious! It was a huge hit with everyone ages 7 to 45! And the video was a helpful addition to the recipe. You should start a You Tube Channel, seriously!