Very rarely do I get specific dinner requests from Le Husband. He’s pretty much game for anything, especially if it’ll be ready for him to devour when he steps foot in the door. This honey sesame ginger chicken, however, goes on his personal list of favorites. He just can’t resist the sticky-sweet-spiciness of this incredible yet simple sauce. It’s 100% Hulk Approved!
The sauce is really the all-star here. You can pretty much do whatever with the chicken– I’ve breaded and baked chicken tenderloins to make the best of both the wing-lover’s world and the chicken finger lover’s world. Here, I baked some drumsticks at a fairly high temperature to crisp up the skin and then drowned them in the sauce. I said the sauce was the best part, right?
Honey + Sesame + Ginger + Red Pepper = Infallible
- 1 tablespoon szechuan ginger salt*
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon citrus rimming sugar*
- 3 lbs chicken drumsticks, skin on
- 2 scallions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup honey
- 1½ tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top. Spray the rack thoroughly with cooking spray to prevent sticking, and set aside.
- Wash the chicken and pat it dry. In a large bowl, drizzle the chicken with olive oil and toss with the flavorings (reserve scallions for serving). Make sure each drumstick is evenly coated.
- Place the chicken on the prepared baking rack, skin side up, and roast for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is crispy and juices run clear, or a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick near the bone reads 165 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, make your glaze. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, whisking often. Allow the honey to melt and the glaze to simmer until it thickens into a sticky but still pourable sauce.
- When the chicken is ready, pour the sauce into the bottom of a large bowl and use tongs to gently toss the chicken in it, a few pieces at a time. Serve any remaining sauce on the side.
- Dice scallions and sprinkle over chicken before serving.