Sticky balsamic chicken drumsticks made on the stove with just 5 ingredients β chicken, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic. Itβs twice as fast as baking drumsticks and glaze is lip smackingly delicious!Β Watch the cooking video to see how easy it is β and how hopeful Dozer looks that one will come his wayβ¦
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 ofΒ beautiful photos I have trashed because I wasnβt happy with the recipe, or because I thought the βfailβ risk was too high.Β
I posted this Balsamic Drumsticks recipeΒ backΒ in April 2015 and a handful of readers have had trouble with it. Specifically, getting the sauce to reduce down to a glaze. Itβs 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 stepsΒ and a cooking video.Β So you can see exactly how to make it. π
These balsamic chicken drumsticks are based on thisΒ Sticky Stovetop ChickenΒ 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 donβt 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 mostΒ people would never guess it wasnβt baked.Β Or that thereβs only 5 ingredients in this. FIVE.
Itβs 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 βEw, this is terribleβ. I stood over the stove with my hands on my hips, head cocked, wondering how I was going to salvage it.Β I thought back over the recipe. I mean, it only has 5 ingredients in it. And there wereΒ rave reviews by people who had tried it. Either all those people have terrible taste in foodβ¦.orβ¦.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 β soy sauce.
DUH!
I managed to salvageΒ 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.Β 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 chickenΒ β done β with less than 5 minutes of active effort. Canβt ask for much more than that! πΒ β Nagi x
MORE CHICKEN DRUMSTICK RECIPES
Greek ChickenΒ β ideal made with drumsticks instead of thighs
Baked Chicken and Rice β make this with drumsticks instead of bone in thighs!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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, donβt let it go too far. Roll the chicken in the glaze.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and stand for 5 minutes β 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 DOZERΒ
If you want your dailyΒ dose of Dozer, youβll need to watch the video! He makes a cameo appearanceβ¦. π
AndΒ I just canβt believe itβ¦.peopleΒ mocked me over his robe that I shared at the bottom of the Caramel Slice recipe. βDogs donβt wear clothes!β, they declared. Boo to them!
Nagi, youβve done it again. It seems every recipe of yours that I make comes out freaking fantastic. I think itβs why I keep coming back! I made this tonite and got two sticky thumbs up from my 14-yr-old son! They were SO delicious! I think I cooked them on too high of a heat initially because my sauce thickened up before the 20 minutes was up (after I turned them)β¦ I never actually had to move them to let the sauce thicken. And my little know-it-all (with a pretty experienced pallette) said they were overcooked and I had to agree. Iβll know what to do next time because Iβm for sure making these again! Thank you, Nagi, for doing what you do!!
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it Cheryl, thank you for letting me know! N x PS Wow your little know-it-all sounds seriously impressive for his age!!
Nagiβ¦ you have NO idea! My ex-husband took him on a road trip this past summer. They just-so-happened to be passing through Jacksonville, FL where auditions for Master Chef Jr. were being held. He didnβt make it, but I was so proud of him for trying! The momβs of his friends call me in shock when he cooks at their houses. Sometimes I have him taste stuff, and he tells me what it needsβ¦ crazy! I guess the apple doesnβt fall far from the tree!
What a rock star! You must be so proud of him!!!
Just made this β itβs ridiculously easy and yields a ton of flavor! I cooked it with chicken thighs and kept to the exact recipe and added in just a tablespoon of sriracha. Even as it was just simmering it smelt heavenly! I agree with the comment above about watching it when it reduces; it took about 15 to 17 mins for mine to reduce to a half sticky, half liquid consistency but within a few seconds it quickly, erβ¦coagulated?.., and I was worried I burned it! When it wasnβt as reduced it was tangy from the balsamic and as the sauce got sticky the flavor was more burbon-esque. Will be cooking this *multiple* times in a month and will be on your site scouting for more recipes to make! Thank you!
I made this last night and it was AAAAAmazing! Thanks so much Nagi.
Thanks Alison, so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Bummed my glaze didnβt thicken.. I used a cast iron pan.. think that mattered? ? Still yummy sauce! I even added corn starch slurry the last 10 minutes π
Hi Kelly! If you used the right ingredient quantities it should definitely thicken π Did you move the drumsticks to the side like I do in the video to help thicken it faster? So glad you enjoyed the flavour though!
Yum! I used the 2 T Sriracha and it added a nice kick, but not too hot. Served with cauliflower rice, no carbs, and a veg. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it Becky! π
I made this with my 10 year old son. He did all ingredients and turning, then I took over on the glazing/ sticky part. It was declared a huge hit by a gaggle of children ages 2-15 (whose preferences range from sushi to Mediterranean) one picky 5 year old, and one pregnant woman! ? We served it with your coconut rice recipe- mild but delicious! I did not tell the children that the chicken was frozen for over a year and slightly freezer burnt?
This is a great way to cook a βcheapβ protein and get some meat variety in as I donβt prefer dark meat or bones! The green onions or cilantro to finish are a must?
Thank you! Easy and delicious!
Thanks for trying my recipe Christina, and Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!! What a wonderful son you have, helping you in the kitchen! N x
I love your video, quick, to the point, with everything I need without the unnecessary rambling that makes some videos 10 minutes long to give 2 minutes of instruction. Will try this recipe tonight.
Thank you Kate! I do hope you enjoy it! N x
After searching more of your chicken recipes tonightβs menu changed to Peruvian Roast Chicken π Currently marinating.
Yum yum yum this was delicious very easy very satisfying and served it with steamed green beans and tossed them in the leftover sauce it was really great thank you so much for this awesome recip!
YAY! So glad you enjoyed it Serene, thanks for letting me know! N x
Excellent recipe, the sauce was a big hit!
Nagi,
I have used this recipe twice now. First time I followed your recipe exactly, last time I changed it a little. Maybe you might like to try this.
I fried up the wings for about 15 minutes in a wok. Then I added a little more garlic than you suggested. I fried them both for about 25 minutes, flipping all the time. Then I added the other ingredients, but used honey instead of brown sugar.
Iβm not sure if the skin gets tastier if you brown it, but big thanks for sharing this. You are a wonderful cook, I am just an accountant in Canada who really enjoys making great stuff for my family. I like sous vide cooking, as I enjoy making a cheap cut unbelievably tender, maybe we can share notes on this too.
Thanks again,
Chris
Hi Chris! Iβm just an accountant by background tooβ¦. π I just decided to make a bit of a career change!!! I have dabbled in sous vide out of interest and can see the wonderful benefit but struggle to see myself making it part of my day to day cooking. But Iβve been blown away by the results, thatβs for sure!!! My favourite is chicken breast and seafood π
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!!! N x
It looks so delicious! And you make it seems easy to make. Iβll try it π Also β great photos! Made me hungry π
Thank you so much! I do hope you try it! π N x
This is very close to the Filipino version I have made many times, except i threw in a few star anise. So delicious and very easy to make.
I have Filipino Adobo on my site too! I LOVE it!!! π
I just made this dish! It is amazing and SUPER easy. The sauce came together as an amazing glaze like you instructed. Canβt believe I just found out about your dish. I have been missing out! I do think the heat temperature is key. Not too hot and not to low to get the glaze. Thank You so much for sharing this recipe! FIVE stars (I could not rate it on my phone)
So glad you enjoyed it Ambar!!! Thank you for coming back to let me know!!!
Loved it!!! I never place a comment. But it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Bianca! Iβm so glad you enjoyed it!
Unfortunately, my sauce would not thicken, even after more than 15 mins. I followed the directions to a tee! Loved the flavour!
Iβm sorry to hear that Candace π Did you use drumsticks and a pan where the drumsticks were squished in too tightly? π Glad you loved the flavour though!!
Itβs possible. I will certainly make this again. Hopefully my sauce turns sticky! Thank you for replying.
When my friends visit I bake and cook everything they like and then we sit and gossip. In your case though I guess if you ever visit me we will go to my kitchen and make something together π
Love these juicy looking drumsticks!
Thank you Muna!!
hey i like ur chicken but i have a veal shank similar based on italian osso booko
Oooh! Love Osso Bucco!!!
I just want to come to your house and stay awhile. These drumsticks look amazing. I canβt wait to try them this weekend. Honestly, I think I want to try every new recipe you put out.
Just bought your photography book. Hoping for a miracle. Lol seriously thoughβ¦I need one. No natural talent here.
BA HA HA! Come on over!!!!
Duh, I read recipe 4 times and missed boned in thighs instructionsβ¦I should have known you donβt miss a trickβ¦.:)
Not true at all!! π I make typos all the time, I really appreciate you checking my recipes!! β€οΈ N x
I made this recipe yesterday with bone-in thighs, and it was amazing. Next time Iβll make TWO pans, as they disappeared so quickly. My only word of warning would be to keep a close eye on the frying pan as the sauce is reducing. Nothing much seems to happen at first, but when it starts to get thick you only have a few minutes before it could go too far. I used low sodium soy sauce in mine for dietary reasons, do you have any thoughts about the various organic and other soys that are on the market? (You have probably covered this subject previously, sorry, I only found your wonderful web site a few months ago.)
Thanks from Vancouver Island, Canada,
Chris.
Hi Chris, Iβm so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the point about watching the sauce, I will add that!! To be 100% honest, I donβt use anything other than normal, low sodium and tamari but I donβt see why this wouldnβt work with other soy sauces! Normal ones though, not mushroom or flavoured ones. That might taste a bit odd. N x
I love how easy this is! And making this on the stovetop sounds perfect for a weekday dinner. Yum!
EASY is RIGHT!!! π N x
Iβve wanted to try this one for ages. Iβm definitely going to have to give this a go next week when Iβm feeling better.
(Iβve been sick all week β βfell downβ on Friday night last week and never really got back up on my feet again. Boo. I had plans to cook so many yummy things this week and the plans have all been thrown out the window because Iβm ready for bed at 6pm.)
OMG- I fell down the basement stairs at the end of April! Iβm still struggling to get around, and the thing I miss most is cooking/baking. Now Iβm sitting here with an ice pack on my banged up ankle trying to figure out how I can hop to the kitchen and make this incredible looking chicken while standing on my one good foot! This dish sure looks like it will be worth it!
Oh no! Iβm sorry to hear that Jeanne π If only you lived in SYDNEY, I could bring meals around for you! π
Oh no! Thatβs awful, the boys finally passed it onto youβ¦ BOO to that. Are you feeling better today??
I love getting my fingers sticky so this recipe is totally calling to me!
Iβm always a sucker for sticky!!