5 Ingredient Sticky Stove Top Balsamic Drumsticks

Name: 5 Ingredient Sticky Stove Top Balsamic Drumsticks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 8 chicken drumsticks; 1 cup water; 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/3 cup soy sauce (all purpose or light, not dark); 3 tbsp sugar; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tsp fresh grated ginger; 2 tbsp Sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes; Parsley or shallots/scallions

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4.9

249 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings
4
Calories
236 kcal
Course
Dinner

5 Ingredient Sticky Stove Top Balsamic Drumsticks

Paige Becker

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Sticky chicken drumsticks that are cooked on the stove in half the time it takes to bake! Don't let the short list of ingredients fool you - the glaze tastes like it has a lot more in it. Adapted from this Sticky Stove Top Chicken recipe from Sparks People. This recipe is NOT suited for scaling up because the glaze will not thicken. Watch the cooking video (in post) to see exactly how this is made - in particular, watch the braising liquid transform into the sticky glaze!

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Ingredients

Servings

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

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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.

Notes

This recipe will work with boneless thigh fillets and chicken wings. Take the chicken out when cooked (boneless thigh - around 15 minutes, wings - around 15 minutes) and leave the sauce to reduce down to a glaze, then return the chicken to the pan to coat in the glaze. Bone-in thighs will also work - use the same cook times as drumsticks.
If you make this with breast fillets, you won't achieve the same sticky glaze (because you need fat to create glaze). If you want to make this with breast fillets, I recommend adding 3 tbsp of oil into the liquid to help a glaze form.
You can use any chili, fresh or dried, or hot sauce to add heat to your taste.
You need to use a large pan or pot for this recipe. Large enough so the drumsticks fit in one layer but not too squished together otherwise the liquid will never reduce and the drumsticks won't be submerged in the liquid enough to cook.
Even though only about 1/4 of the drumsticks is submerged in the liquid, the bubbles from simmering + turning the chicken is enough to cook the drumsticks.
The purpose of this step is to allow the sauce to reduce. The cook time required to reduce the sauce will differ depending on the size of your pan, drumsticks and strength of the stove. The sauce is ready when it coats the chicken.
This is the nutrition per drumstick. BUT note that the calories is overstated because a lot of the chicken skin fat renders out during cooking and mixes in with the glaze. And only around 1/4 of the glaze coats the chicken.