Sweet and Spicy Chicken Drumsticks just scream summer barbeque. There is an almost primal need to hold a grilled piece of meat in one hand, especially a chicken leg!
Enjoy a summer barbeque with Sweet & Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
Grilled chicken drumsticks are slathered with a sweet and spicy glaze made with soy, orange juice, sambal oelek, and honey. Cool your palate with sour cream potato salad on the side. A perfect meal for outdoor dining.
Sweet & Spicy Glaze
One of the most popular flavor combinations is sweet and spicy. This is a flavor profile that is mutually beneficial to both sides. The addition of sweet tames the spicy component. And the sweet ingredient's depth of flavor goes up a notch when paired with a fiery pepper or sauce.
Scoville Units
Scoville units are a measurement, a comparable scale of the spiciness of peppers. The capsaicin, which provides the heat and pungency in a pepper, is measured and assigned a value. Bell peppers with a value of 0 are at the bottom of the scale with a pepper such as the Carolina Reaper at the top with a possible value of 1,500,000 - 3,000, 000 heat units.
So how sweet and spicy is up to you. Because we all have different heat and spice tolerances, this recipe is very adaptable. I like to use sambal oelek which adds a fruity spiciness to the glaze. However, if you have another favorite chili sauce or condiment, absolutely adjust.
Five tastes
All five tastes are combined in this glaze.
- Honey provides sweet
- Soy sauce adds salty
- Orange brings the sour
- Sambal oelek has the bitterness of vinegar
- Soy is doing double duty here by adding umami
Ingredients for Sweet & Spicy Glaze
Ingredients
- chicken legs
- low sodium soy sauce
- orange juice
- honey
- sambal oelek (or whatever you prefer)
- garlic
- ground black pepper
- salt
Marinade/Glaze
Many of the ingredients for Sweet & Spicy Chicken Drumsticks do double duty. The drumsticks are first marinated for two hours in a combination of low sodium soy sauce, orange zest and juice, lime juice, ground black pepper, and lots of garlic. While I used 10 chicken legs for the recipe, the amount of marinade can be used for 12-15 drumsticks. Just rotate the chicken legs every 30 minutes so that all sides are in contact with the marinade.
Marinating Chicken Legs
The difference between the marinade and the glaze is the addition of sambal oelek and honey for the sweet and spicy flavor profile. Combine all the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. At this point, turn down the heat to medium so that the glaze is now simmering. The mixture will start to reduce, thus making the glaze thicker. It only takes about 8 minutes to get the glaze to the correct consistency once you reduce the heat.
How to grill chicken drumsticks
There are a couple of tricks to grilling the chicken so that it is evenly cooked.
Prepare the grill
The best way to assure properly cooked chicken drumsticks is to use 2 temperature zones - one side warm and one side hot. For a charcoal grill, the hot coals are placed on one side. The opposite side is free of coals.
If using a gas grill, heat the grill for about 15 minutes. When the grill is hot, turn off one burner so that you have an area of indirect heat to cook the chicken legs.
Once the grill is ready, make sure to oil the grate so the food doesn't stick. If you are using a non-stick spray, coat the grate away from the flame. An easy way to coat the grate is with a set of tongs and some paper towels coated in vegetable oil. Use the tongs to hold the paper towels, moving across the grate to coat it with oil.
I place the chicken legs on the grill alternating which end is closest to the coals.
Chicken is placed on the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn the chicken legs over and reverse what side is closest to the heat. Again cover the grill and cook for 15 minutes.
How do you know the chicken is properly cooked?
The best way to check for doneness when grilling chicken is to use a thermometer. But you also need to know what is the best temperature.
Chicken breasts, with little fat and connective tissue, should be cooked to 165 degrees. However, chicken legs and thighs are still stringy at that temperature. You should grill the drumsticks to 175 - 180 degrees. The connection tissues and collagen break down, thereby basting the meat for a juicy chicken leg.
Also, remember once the meat is taken off the grill you will have a little carryover cooking. This means the temperature of the meat will continue to rise a few degrees. It helps to remove the chicken when you are 3-5 degrees within range to ensure the meat isn't overcooked.
How to take the temperature of a chicken leg
The correct tools make all the difference in the world. An instant-read thermometer is a cook's best friend.
Place the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken leg, making sure you are not touching the bone. If the chicken is approaching 165 degrees, it is time to baste the legs with the sweet and spicy glaze.
Don't walk away from the chicken at this point. The glaze will burn quickly.
Basting the chicken
Brush the drumsticks with the sweet and spicy glaze and place them over the hot side of the grill. You will need to stay with the chicken at this point since it is very easy to burn the glaze due to the honey.
Rotate the drumsticks every 1-2 minutes, brushing with more glaze as needed. Be on the lookout for flare-ups when juices of the chicken hit the hot coals. Some char tastes good, too much char is just crunchy!
If the drumsticks have enough glaze on them but the internal temperature is not above 170°, move them to the cooler side of the grill to continue cooking away from the flame. Remove the drumsticks from the grill and onto a platter.
Cool your palate
Inspired by raita, Sour Cream Potato Salad will cool your palate when you need a break from the spice.
Ingredients for Sour Cream Potato Salad
Ingredients
A simple list -
- 1 ½ pounds of yellow baby potatoes
- ½ teaspoon of finely minced garlic
- ½ cup of sour cream
- ½ teaspoon of roasted cumin seed
- 1 tablespoon of chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
This potato salad will come together quickly while the chicken drumsticks are marinating.
- Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes to cool.
- Roast the cumin seeds in a dry saute pan over medium heat. Occasionally shake the pan so that the seeds move around the pan. Roast for approximately 3 minutes until the spice is fragrant. Give the seeds a rough chop.
Roast seeds for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Combine the sour cream, cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and chopped chives.
Warm Potatoes!
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half. The interior of the potatoes may still be very warm.
The finished product!
Substitutions
- Use your favorite hot sauce - chili sauce, sriracha, tabasco
- Plain yogurt will work perfectly with the potato salad.
- If you don't want to grill, bake the chicken legs in the oven. Put them under a broiler when glazed to get the charred flavor.
Tips
- Using a Microplane for the garlic cloves works well for the glaze and the potato salad. The garlic completely melds with the other flavors.
- Use a ziplock bag for marinating the chicken legs if you do not have a baking dish. Just make sure to turn the bag to expose all the chicken legs to the marinade.
- You will probably have more glaze than you need for the drumsticks. Put the extra glaze (that hasn't been used for basting) in a small bowl. Serve with the drumsticks for dipping.
It's a grilling night!
There is something about the sound and smell of Sweet & Spicy Drumsticks on the grill. You smell the sugar as it starts to caramelize. You hear the fat as it sizzles when it hits hot coals.
Grilling Night!
Enjoy the sweet and the spicy, a classic pairing. But make sure you have plenty of napkins.
More grilling recipes - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/grilled-chicken-carnitas-tacos/
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/chimichurri-marinated-skirt-steak/
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- 1 grill charcoal or gas
- 1 Medium-sized saucepan
- 1 medium-sized bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 small bowl
- 1 baking dish or large ziplock bag for marinating
- tongs
- 1 heatproof brush for applying glaze
- 1 rubber spatula
- 1 instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¾ cup low sodium soy (6 ounces/144 grams/177 ml)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon/10 grams/.3 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange, 9grams/.3 ounce))
- ¾ cup orange juice (6 ounces/179 grams/177 ml)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 chicken legs
Sweet and Spicy Glaze
- ½ cup soy (4 ounces/118 ml)
- ½ cup orange juice (4 ounces/118 ml)
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup sambal oelek chili paste 4 ounces/118 ml)
- ½ cup honey (4 ounces/118 ml)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (juice of ½ lime)
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sour Cream Potato Salad
- 1½ pounds yellow baby potatoes (24 ounces/680 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- ½ cup sour cream (4 ounces/99 grams)
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Marinate Chicken Legs
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
- Zest 1 orange with either a Microplane or with the smallest holes on a box grater.
- Combine soy sauce, orange juice, garlic, orange zest, and ground black pepper. Add the juice of 1 lime, approximately 2 tablespoons. Makes 1 ½ cups( 375 ml) of marinade.
- Arrange the chicken legs in a large baking dish. If you do not have a baking dish, you can use a large ziplock bag.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken legs.
- Marinate for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes rotate the chicken legs so that every side marinates.
Sour Cream Potato Salad
- While the chicken legs are marinating, put the baby potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until they are tender - about 20 minutes. A paring knife will glide into the potato very easily.
- Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool.
- While the potatoes are cooking, roast the cumin seeds. Add the spice to a dry saute pan over medium heat and occasionally shake the pan so that the cumin seeds move. Roast for approximately 3 minutes until the spice is fragrant. Give the seeds a rough chop.
- Combine the sour cream, cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and chopped chives.
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half. The interior of the potatoes may still be very warm.
- Add the warm potatoes to the sour cream mixture and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust to your liking.
Sweet and Spicy Glaze
- Combine ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of soy sauce, ½ cup of sambal oelek chili paste, and ½ cup of honey in a small saucepan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice (juice of ½ lime), ½teaspoon of orange zest, 1 finely minced clove of garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. You will have 2 cups of sauce.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the glaze to a boil while continually stirring. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened. You should now have 1½ cups of glaze. This is more than enough to glaze the drumsticks. You will have some to dip the chicken in as you eat.
Grilling the chicken legs
- After the chicken legs have been marinating for 1½ hours, prepare the grill. The chicken legs are grilled using two temperature zones. Have one side of the grill hot and one side warm. If using charcoal, all the hot briquets should be on one side of the grill. The other side will not have any charcoal.
- If using a gas grill, heat the grill for about 15 minutes. When the grill is hot, turn off one burner so that you have indirect heat to cook the chicken legs.
- Once the grill is ready, make sure to oil the grate so the food doesn't stick. If you are using non-stick spray, coat the grate away from the flame. An easy way to coat the grate is with a set of tongs and some paper towels coated in vegetable oil. Use the tongs to hold the paper towels, moving across the grate to coat it with oil.
- Remove the chicken legs from the marinade after 2 hours. Make sure to place the legs on a paper towel to absorb any dripping marinade. Place the chicken on the warm side of the grill away from the burner or charcoal. Cover the grill and cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn the chicken legs over and reverse what side is closest to the heat. Again cover the grill. Cook for 15 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, start checking the internal temperature of the chicken legs. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick. You are looking for a temperature between 160° - 165°.
- Brush the drumsticks with the sweet and spicy glaze and place them over the hot side of the grill. You will need to stay with the chicken at this point since it is very easy to burn the glaze.
- Rotate the drumsticks every 1-2 minutes, brushing with more glaze as needed. Check the temperature of the chicken. Chicken legs are done when the temperature of the meat is between 175° - 180°.
- If the drumsticks have enough glaze on them but the internal temperature is not above 170°, move them to the cooler side of the grill to continue cooking away from the flame.
- Once the drumsticks are fully cooked, remove them from the grill onto a platter and serve with the sour cream potato salad.
Notes
Nutrition
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