Honey-Garlic Chicken
Pan-fried drumsticks, same-pan honey-soy-garlic glaze and butter finish.
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When you spoon the garlic in, aim for the oil pools at the edges of the pan - NOT directly on the chicken. The oil shields the raw garlic from burning while it blooms. This is the move that takes the dish from 'good' to 'why does this taste like a restaurant'.
Ingredients
Everything below makes 4 servings.
- 12chicken drumstickspatted very dry, scored 4-6 times each through to the bone
- ¼ cupextra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cuphoney
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbsprice vinegar
- 2 tbspsugar
- 8garlic clovesfinely chopped (about 6 tbsp)
- 1 tbspfresh gingergrated
- 2½ tbspunsalted butter
- 1 tsptoasted sesame oilto finish
- 3scallionssliced
- 1 tbsptoasted sesame seedstoasted
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
In the app these rescale to however many people you're feeding.
Nutrition
Per serving, as written.
- 919calories
- 70gprotein
- 28gcarbs
- 58gfat
Swaps move these numbers. A different protein or base changes them.
Instructions
Knife work first, then the stove. Nothing below asks you to chop while something burns.
- Pat drumsticks VERY dry with paper towels.
- Make 4-6 slashes per drumstick through to the bone (helps the glaze penetrate and speeds the covered cook).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce: honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
- Finely chop the garlic (you want about 6 tbsp - sounds like a lot, it's intentional). Grate the ginger.
Season and sear
Toss the drumsticks with olive oil, salt, and pepper directly in the cold skillet to coat. Working one drumstick at a time, stretch the skin to evenly cover the meat, then arrange skin-side down. Heat over medium-high. Cook, turning the chicken occasionally with tongs, until spotty golden brown all over - about 10 min.
10 min · hands onCover and cook through
Reduce heat to medium and cover the skillet. Continue cooking, turning occasionally, until the chicken registers at least 185F at the bone - about 20 min more. (Drumsticks are forgiving; high internal temp makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender, not dry.)
20 min · hands offGarlic in same pan
Uncover. The skillet has rendered chicken fat and olive oil pooled at the edges - spoon ALL of the chopped garlic and ginger INTO those oil pools (not on the chicken). Use the back of a spoon to spread the garlic flat into the oil. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds - don't let it brown. Gently toss the chicken until evenly coated.
1 min · hands onGlaze in same pan
Pour in the honey-soy mixture, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom - that's where the flavor lives. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, continuously basting and turning the chicken to coat, until the sauce has thickened to a syrupy glaze - about 2 min. Stir in the butter; it should thicken into a glossy lacquer in about 30 seconds. Off heat.
3 min · hands onFinish and plate
Drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the chicken. Scatter scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve straight from the skillet - that lacquered glaze is best the second it hits the plate.
1 min · hands onMake it yours
Every swap here is one Maui already knows how to make, including what it does to the timing.
Wings cook faster - uncovered sear 7 min, covered cook 12 min. Saves about 15 minutes.
No covering needed; sear 5 min/side until internal 165F, then glaze. Saves about 15 minutes.
Steam 6 cups florets 5 min during the covered cook phase. Adds about 5 minutes.
Plant butter works identically in the glaze.
What keeps
Reheat in a 375F oven 8-10 min - glaze re-melts and skin re-crisps. Microwave makes drumsticks soggy and glaze gummy.
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