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Prep Time: 20 minutesmins
Cook Time: 40 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr
Yield: 12drumsticks
Chicken drumsticks are lightly coated in flour, baked until golden and crisp, tossed in my Homemade Sticky Finger Sauce, then broiled until perfectly glazed. The sauce has an Asian-inspired flair but stays neutral enough for dipping in ranch and serving with celery. It’s an inexpensive alternative to chicken wings that’s just as crave-worthy in its own right.
½cuphigh quality gluten-free all purpose flouryou can sub for regular flour if not GF
salt and pepper to taste
2-3tablespoonneutral oilfor lazy frying in the oven
Homemade Sticky Finger Sauce:
1cup honey
½cupreduced sodium soy sauce or tamariI used San-J
¼cuplight brown sugar
1tablespoonminced garlic
1teaspoonground ginger
a couple of dashes of crushed red pepper chili flakes
¾cupfiltered water
3tablespooncornstarch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Place the flour in a sealable container and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken drumsticks and roll to coat evenly on all sides, or secure the lid and shake until fully coated.
½ cup high quality gluten-free all purpose flour, salt and pepper to taste, 12 chicken drumsticks
Pour the oil onto a nonstick baking sheet, tilting the pan to evenly coat the surface.
2-3 tablespoon neutral oil
Arrange the floured drumsticks on the pan, alternating their direction to fit more evenly. Roll them in the oil until coated on all sides.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the drumsticks halfway through. You may need to broil on low for 3–5 minutes per side to encourage extra browning.
To Make the Sticky Finger Sauce:
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth and well combined.
1 cup honey, ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, a couple of dashes of crushed red pepper chili flakes, ¾ cup filtered water, 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Pour the sauce mixture into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir frequently as it begins to steam.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly for 1 to 3 minutes. It will thicken quickly, so keep the heat medium-low to prevent the honey from crystallizing.
Remove the sauce from heat and set aside until ready to use.
Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 160°F, remove it from the oven.
Use tongs to transfer the drumsticks into a large mixing bowl. Pour half to three-quarters of the sauce over the chicken. Toss the drumsticks in the bowl, turning each several times with tongs until well coated. The sauce will be thick but not yet as sticky as it will become.
Arrange the coated drumsticks back on the baking sheet. If any sticking occurred, consider using a clean sheet. Baste any drumsticks with extra sauce if needed. Broil on low for 6 to 8 minutes, until the glaze is sticky and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serve the drumsticks with celery, ranch, a baked potato, or your favorite wing sides. Serve any leftover sticky sauce alongside the chicken, or store it in the fridge and use within 5 days.