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    Home » Recipes » Chicken and poultry recipes

    Air fryer chicken drumsticks with sweet and spicy glaze

    Published: Jun 4, 2023 · Modified: Jan 2, 2025 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Put your air fryer to good use by whipping up a batch of these air fryer chicken drumsticks in a sweet and spicy glaze for a quick and easy meal in less than half an hour.

    A pile of sweet and spicy chicken drumsticks on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • Succulent and tasty chicken drumsticks
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Air fryer chicken drumstick FAQ
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Succulent and tasty chicken drumsticks

    I've been making sweet and spicy chicken drumsticks this way for years. Before the invention of the air fryer, I used to bake these drumsticks in the oven or bbq them over the coals. But I have to say, I think an air fryer does a better job.

    • For a start, you don't have to turn the chicken drumsticks over halfway through. Just pop them into the air fryer, set the time and temperature, and then forget about them until the air fryer pings to remind you to take them out.
    • The air fryer doesn't heat up your kitchen the way an oven does, and with summer fast approaching, that's a huge benefit.
    • Once you've set the air fryer timer you can forget about the chicken drumsticks until they are done - there's no danger of an over-enthusiastic barbeque chef (ie hubby) turning them into charcoal 🙂
    • And because you don't need any oil in the air fryer these drumsticks are much healthier.

    These air fryer chicken drumsticks are juicy, succulent and packed with flavour, having been marinated for an hour in a mixture of dark soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger with just a hint of chilli for a kick of heat.

    The sweet and spicy flavour comes from the honey (sweet), with the combination of soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chilli providing just the right level of spiciness.

    You can serve these sweet and spicy chicken drumsticks with salads and crusty bread for a delightfully light summer meal, or if you want something more substantial, serve them with a baked potato and a few side dishes of your favourite vegetables.

    And of course, you can make the baked potatoes in the air fryer.

    (PS - I was only joking about burning them on the bbq - they taste amazing grilled over the coals).

    A chicken drumstick on a white plate being pulled open with a fork to show the juicy texture.

    Just take a look at how juicy and succulent these air fryer chicken drumsticks turn out!

    Let me show you how easy they are to make.

    What you will need

    Equipment

    You will need a flat glass dish (or something similar) to marinate the chicken.

    I have an air fryer oven as opposed to one with a basket, and I've based the timings on this. Different models may take longer, so do consult your manufacturer's manual for the timing. Also, if your air fryer has a basket, you may need to turn the chicken drumsticks halfway through the cooking time.

    Ingredients

    The marinade will be sufficient for 12 drumsticks.

    **You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make these sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    Ingredients for sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks.

    Chicken drumsticks - Allow 3 drumsticks per person, although if you do make extra, they are delicious served cold for lunch the next day. If you prefer you can use chicken thighs.

    Dark soy sauce - this adds a salty element and it goes well with honey.

    Honey - this adds the sweetness.

    Ginger and garlic - I used ginger and garlic paste from jars. You could use the equivalent amounts of fresh ginger and garlic, but make sure to mince the ginger and garlic finely.

    Chilli - this is optional. I used half a teaspoon of chilli paste for a slight touch of heat.

    Salt - optional - you may find that the soy sauce provides enough saltiness.

    What to do

    8 chicken drumsticks marinating in a glass dish.

    Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a flat glass bowl that is large enough to hold all your chicken pieces in a single layer. Add the chicken pieces and turn them so they are well coated with the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour. Turn the chicken pieces over in the marinade after half an hour.

    8 chicken drumsticks arranged on an air fryer oven rack.

    Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the rack of your air fryer, or place them in a single layer into the air fryer basket.

    8 chicken drumsticks on an air fryer oven rack after being cooked.

    Set the temperature to 185C / 365F and set the timer to 25 minutes. With an air fryer oven, there is no need to turn the chicken. If you have an air fryer with a basket you should turn the chicken after 15 minutes. Note - with my air-fryer oven I didn't preheat it - you may want to preheat your particular model.

    Remove the chicken from the air fryer into your serving dish, cover them loosely with a sheet of tin foil and let the chicken pieces rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Close up of a pile of golden brown air fried chicken drumsticks.

    Air fryer chicken drumstick FAQ

    How long should I marinate the drumsticks?

    You can leave the chicken drumsticks in the marinade for anything from half an hour to overnight. You can also tip the marinade and drumsticks into a plastic bag and freeze them (for up to 3 months), provided you have fresh drumsticks and not previously frozen ones. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and then cook them for the time and temperature given in the recipe.

    How will I know if the air fryer drumsticks are cooked?

    The most accurate way to know if the drumsticks are fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The drumsticks will be done when the thermometer registers 75C / 165F. If you don't have a thermometer, cut into one of the drumsticks. The juices should run clear and there should be no pink showing against the bone.

    Save for later

    If you'd like to try these sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoyed this recipe for air fryer chicken drumsticks, here are some other easy chicken recipes you may enjoy:

    • An air fryer roast chicken on a serving plate surrounded by dishes of vegetables.
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    📋The recipe

    A pile of sweet and spicy chicken drumsticks on a plate.

    Air fryer chicken drumsticks in a sweet and spicy glaze

    Put your air fryer to good use by whipping up a batch of these air fryer chicken drumsticks in a sweet and spicy glaze for a quick and easy meal in less than half an hour.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    British, South African
    Calories 276
    Prep 5 minutes minutes
    Marinate (minimum) 30 minutes minutes
    Cook 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
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    5 from 1 vote

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Flat glass dish
    • Air-fryer oven

    Ingredients

    • 12 chicken drumsticks (3 per adult)
    • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
    • 1 - 2 tablespoons runny honey depending on how sweet you like them
    • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
    • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
    • ½ teaspoon chilli paste optional and to your own taste
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

    Instructions

    • Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a flat glass bowl that is large enough to hold all your chicken pieces in a single layer.
      2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 1 - 2 tablespoons runny honey, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, ½ teaspoon ginger paste, ½ teaspoon chilli paste, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Add the chicken pieces and turn them so they are coated all over with the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour. Turn the chicken pieces over in the marinade after half an hour.
      12 chicken drumsticks
    • Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the rack of your air fryer, or place them in a single layer into the air fryer basket.
    • Set the temperature to 185C / 365F and set the timer to 25 minutes. With an air fryer oven, there is no need to turn the chicken. If you have an air fryer with a basket you should turn the chicken after 15 minutes.
    • Remove the chicken from the air fryer into your serving dish, cover them loosely with a sheet of tin foil and let the chicken pieces rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    With my air-fryer oven I didn't preheat it - you may want to preheat your particular model.
    How long should I marinate the drumsticks?  You can leave the chicken drumsticks in the marinade for anything from half an hour to overnight. You can also tip the marinade and drumsticks into a plastic bag and freeze them (for up to 3 months), provided you have fresh drumsticks and not previously frozen ones. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and then cook them for the time and temperature given in the recipe.
    How will I know if the drumsticks are cooked?  The most accurate way to know if the drumsticks are fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The drumsticks will be done when the thermometer registers 75C / 165F. If you don't have a thermometer, cut into one of the drumsticks. The juices should run clear and there should be no pink showing against the bone.

    Nutrition

    Serving - 3drumsticks | Calories - 276kcal | Carbohydrates - 10.9g | Protein - 38.1g | Fat - 8g | Saturated Fat - 2.1g | Cholesterol - 122mg | Sodium - 500mg | Potassium - 286mg | Fiber - 0.1g | Sugar - 10.3g | Calcium - 18mg | Iron - 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

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