Skip to content
LumaxisLumaxis
All recipes

American·Main Course

Hot Honey Chicken Drumsticks

Succulent chicken drumsticks glazed in a complex, multi-layered spicy honey sauce featuring four types of heat: dried, fermented, fresh, and ground peppers.

Prep

15m

Cook

60m

Total

75m

Serves

5

Method

  1. 01

    Place chicken drumsticks in a large zip-top bag. In a medium bowl, combine the honey, onion powder, garlic powder, Aleppo flakes, cayenne, and gochujang.

    Step 1
    Watch · 0:38
  2. 02

    Carefully seed a habanero pepper. Place it into a blender cup with the rice vinegar and soy sauce. Blitz until the pepper is finely broken down and incorporated into the liquid.

    Step 2
    Watch · 1:45
  3. 03

    Whisk the blended pepper mixture into the honey marinade. Pour the marinade over the chicken in the bag, squeeze out the air, and massage to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or up to overnight.

    Step 3
    Watch · 2:13
  4. 04

    Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer in a 9x13 baking dish. Roast for 20-25 minutes, then flip the chicken.

    Step 4
    Watch · 3:10
  5. 05

    Continue roasting and flipping/basting the chicken every 15-20 minutes until the meat is tender and pulls easily from the bone, about 1 hour total.

    Step 5
    Watch · 3:42
  6. 06

    Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Pour the remaining pan juices into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes until thickened into a glaze.

    Step 6
    Watch · 4:17
  7. 07

    Spoon the reduced sauce over the drumsticks. Garnish with freshly snipped chives and serve immediately.

    Step 7
    Watch · 4:46

From Chef John

  • “I'm a flipper from way back, so I prefer to turn them over.”
  • “You are, after all, the judge of making sure that meat comes clean off the bone.”
  • “It is in fact going to taste as hot as it looks.”