Slathered in the most incredible Chinese Plum Sauce, these Sticky Chicken Drumsticks are absolutely and utterly irresistible. Whether you’re 7 or 70 – and everyone in between! Super simple to make with just a handful of ingredients, plus it doesn’t even need marinating time!
Today’s recipe is brought into this world with many thanks to Fountain Sauces, without whom these gloriously sticky chicken drumsticks with the most incredible Chinese Plum Sauce glaze might not have been discovered and we may have forever been deprived.
Some days, nothing goes right.
I’ll have 3 recipe fails, I’ll be unhappy with all the photos, and a certain giant furry dog will bump the tripod while filming a video, resulting in 5 minutes footage of an empty (dirty) kitchen counter. I’ll stamp my foot (yes I do – go ahead and judge me), flop on the couch, huff and puff with annoyance. Most especially because I know dinner that night will not be enjoyable (because a recipe fail has to be seriously inedible to throw it out or donate it to said giant furry dog).
And other days, everything just works. Such was the day when I went to create a recipe using Fountain Plum Sauce. Usually when I create a recipe from scratch for the first time, I won’t plan to photograph it because I assume the recipe will need tweaking. But the moment I took these sticky, sticky drumsticks out of the oven, they were everything I envisioned them to be.
The fragrant smell of plums. Sweet with a touch of tartness. Golden brown and oh-so-sticky. And that moment when you grab one of those sticky chicken drumsticks (knife and fork?? What’s that?) and you bite into the tender juicy chicken flesh and get that glaze all over your mouth face…
Now THAT is the kind of food I’m all about!!!
So what did I do? Well, this will come as no surprise to regular readers and my friends who know me so well…. in my excitement (and not wanting to lose my mojo), I dashed out to the store, purchased more drumsticks and made it again. Just to make sure – and to take photos.
Yup, just as good as Batch #1.
Any guesses what I did next? Yup, another mad store dash. Batch #3, coming right up. Triple testing and for the recipe video.
Oh boy. The homeless guy at the dog park had this 3 days in a row. As did I. No complaints from either party. Or Dozer. – Nagi xx
More chicken drumstick recipes
-
Greek Chicken – ideal made with drumsticks instead of thighs
-
Baked Chicken and Rice – make this with drumsticks instead of bone in thighs!
Serve these on the side!
-
Steamed Jasmine rice or Coconut Rice
-
Crunchy Asian Slaw on the side – great all rounder Asian salad that goes with all Asian foods
-
Asian Sesame Dressing for any fresh salad or steamed vegetables
-
Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles – another great all rounder!
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Sticky Chicken Drumsticks in Chinese Plum Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.2kg / 2.4lb large chicken drumsticks (8 drumsticks)
Plum Marinade / Glaze
- 3/4 cup / 185ml Fountain Plum Sauce (Note 1)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (can reduce to 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (all purpose or light, not dark soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder (Note 2)
Garnish (optional)
- Sesame seeds
- Finely chopped scallions
Instructions
- Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag (or bowl) and mix. Add chicken and massage to coat in the Marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour (see Note 3 for skipping this).
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all types).
- Line a tray with baking paper / parchment paper (or foil then spray with oil).
- Transfer chicken to tray, shaking off excess marinade. RESERVE Marinade.
Baking & Basting (Total bake time: 50 min)
- Bake chicken for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Spoon / slather / brush with reserve marinade (generously!) (Note 4). Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and TURN chicken. Baste again using tray juices and reserved marinade. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and baste again (very generously!) using tray juices and reserved marinade. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven and scrape/brush tray juices onto chicken (don't waste free flavour!).
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and shallots/scallions if using. I served it with rice and steamed broccolini.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sticky Chicken Drumsticks in Chinese Plum Sauce recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Did someone say STICKY CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS????
Today’s recipe is brought into this world with many thanks to Fountain Sauces, makers of the Fountain Plum Sauce which is the key ingredient in the gorgeous sticky Chinese Plum Sauce glaze!
Hi Nagi, me again!
Can I use this as a marinade & freeze/thaw for later? I find marked-down drummies a lot and would love to mete out future dinners.
xx
Really delish sauce. I steamed some choy sum and broccolini then tossed them in the sauce left behind on the tray after removing the chicken. Such an easy meal with great results. Thanks Nagi!
This was beautiful thanks Nagi and Dozer. It is autumn when I tried this and I added 2 halved black plums about 30 minutes into the cook. They can go in the tray and turn out nice and sweet with body but not ‘mooshy.’ What a find for us. Thanks for the recipe book as well!
Fantastic! Made with 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs. Serving only myself, had such a hard time not to gobble down tomorrow’s lunch!
I did make the full marinade and chicken was submerged in a bag, spent the night in the fridge. Have saved the rest of the sauce and am freezing it.
Don’t know how many 10 minutes I set the timer for – lost count. Figured when the sticky looked sticky enough it was right. Done in my Toaster Oven, served with (micro) baked potato and (micro) steamed Broccoli.
My grandson went nuts! These are so good…worth every effort and there wasn’t much effort involved. Yum! Thank you for the great recipe. Making them tonight (again). Big hit!!!
Made this with chicken wings it was amazing 🤩 definitely cooking this again 👍
I had these with your recipe for fried rice thank you Nagi delicious
These tasted as good as yours look Nagi but I never seem to get the sticky sauce thick and gooey like yours. It does thicken a little as it cools but I dont want to serve them cold! Any tips?
My local shop had everything but the Fountain plum sauce as well ☺️ So I used Ayam brand and it was still wonderful – sooo tasty Nagi!!! Will try this with chicken wings next for all the stickiness!!!
So yummy! Made this last night as per the recipe and it looked just like your pic Nagi, minus the sesame seeds as I didn’t have any. Will definitely be making again. And how delish is the plum sauce?? Have never used it before but will do again for sure.
Made the coconut lime rice and it was the perfect side – lime juice gave it a lovely zing. Thanks Nagi!
Would you believe that my local Coles had Fountain sauce brand in about 19 other flavours…but not plum!! I had to buy Masterfoods. Hope it works x
Hi Nagi,
We love your recipes and use them as a our goto for guaranteed everyday culinary delights!
Just a little concern with using the reserved marinade that has been in contact with the raw chicken to reglaze the baked chicken.
Isn’t this a contamination risk due to the chicken already having been cooked? Is the extra 10 minutes of baking enough to deem it safe for consumption? Thanks and cheers!
My 10 yo: “Mummy, we got to have more of these again!!! 😋 “Can I have this for lunch tomorrow?” 😂 Winner! Thanks Nagi!
Plum sause.not so easy to find in Texas…ordered it online lol. These drumsticks were delish!!. Both my husband and I ate and then we could have licked the plate the pan and our fingers 🙂. I am really enjoying many of your recipes. I’m a newbie to this kind of cooking and loving all the new flavors and textures. Thank you for the best recipes and explanations they are super helpful and well written. Can’t wait to try a different dish every week !
Hi Nagi,
Can this recipe be done with chicken thighs. Would it be less cooking time for them?
Hi Rob – you sure can! Just use the method for cooking listed in this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/sticky-baked-chicken-thighs/ N x
Slurp, made them last night and they were super yummi and sticky, will defo keep this recepi as I think the marinade will be nice with pork too, thanks again Nagi for sharing your recepis 🙂 x
Wow my whole family loved these drumsticks. I have the fussiest teen who I struggle with daily to feed and he loved them. Lifesaver!!
We literally made this yesterday with drumsticks and loved it so much that we’re making it today with pork ribs! A really lovely recipe that is just so easy!
I’m so glad you love it Diana, it will be amazing on pork too! N x
You were right – the ribs were incredible! Thanks for yet another consistently accurate recipe. 🙂
Hi Nagi
I’m about to make lamb shanks with plum sauce and I cant find a decent recipe. Would this work do you think for a 2-3 hour cook and still yield a slightly tacky stickiness?
Love it! We used homemade plum sauce and added ground schezuan peppercorns and dried large red chilli for spice. Love your recipes Nagi! You’re my goto site for cooking ideas.
Sounds delicious Rich!!! I love a bit of spice! N x