Oven-Baked Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

These oven-baked drumsticks come out with a sticky brown sugar–garlic glaze and glossy skin browned in irregular golden-to-mahogany patches. Soy sauce balances the sweetness, and a little ketchup adds tang. Coat the chicken and bake it right away—no marinating or separate sauce pan needed.

The sugar can darken before the thickest part of a drumstick is cooked, so start checking early and use a thermometer rather than judging by color alone.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Makes 4 servings, about 2 drumsticks each. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: about 35 to 45 minutes, plus a 5-minute rest.

• 8 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks, about 2 1/2 pounds (1,150g)
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (70g)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (60g)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup (30g)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced (about 15g)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Use a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish and an instant-read thermometer. If the drumsticks will not fit with a little space between them, use a second shallow dish.

How to Bake the Drumsticks

1. Preheat and arrange: Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Pat the drumsticks dry and arrange them in a single layer in the dish, with a little space between pieces. Lightly grease the dish if it is prone to sticking.
2. Coat with glaze: Whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and pepper until no dry sugar clumps remain. Pour over the chicken and turn each piece to coat it, leaving the meaty sides facing up. Do not add water; the glaze and chicken will supply the pan juices.
3. Bake and baste: Bake uncovered. At about 20 minutes, spoon the hot pan juices over the drumsticks without flipping them. Rotate the dish if your oven browns unevenly.
4. Check for doneness: Start checking the glaze and chicken temperature at 30 minutes. Medium drumsticks usually take about 35 to 45 minutes total; larger pieces may take longer. Bake until the thickest meat reaches at least 165°F (75°C), with the thermometer tip away from the bone. For more tender dark meat, cook toward 175°F (80°C) to 185°F (85°C). If the glaze gets very dark before the chicken is done, tent the dish loosely with foil.
5. Rest and serve: Rest for 5 minutes. Serve the drumsticks whole, with a little of the fully cooked pan glaze spooned over them if desired.

How to Tell When Drumsticks Are Done

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a drumstick without touching bone. The 165°F reading is the cooked-through minimum; the higher range is a texture choice for dark meat, not a different safety requirement. Browned, shiny skin and dark caramelized spots show that the glaze is ready, but not necessarily the meat underneath.

How to Keep the Glaze from Burning

Dry chicken and space between the pieces help the coating brown rather than stay pale and watery. Check the color from 30 minutes onward. If the sugar is darkening too quickly, keep the foil tent above the chicken so it does not stick to the glaze, and continue baking until the meat reaches temperature. Expect sticky, browned skin rather than a uniformly crisp surface.

Serving and Leftovers

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes to catch the glaze, plus roasted or steamed vegetables. For a crunchy coating instead of a sticky glaze, try crispy oven-baked chicken drumsticks.

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the glaze has thickened.

Nutrition

Approximate per serving (2 drumsticks): 410 calories, 36g protein, 19g fat, and 21g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of edible chicken and glaze, excluding bones: 225 calories, 20g protein, 10g fat, and 12g carbohydrates. Values vary with drumstick size and how much pan glaze is served.