- My family has made sticky chicken for over 25 years, and I turned it into an air-fryer recipe.
- It only calls for a handful of ingredients, you can prep it the night before, and it cooks quickly.
As a child, I was a very fussy eater. The only way my mom could get me to eat was by making a batch of her super-sticky chicken that's been in the family for about 25 years.
Before it even hit the table, I could smell the tantalizing aroma wafting out of the oven. Then at dinner, I could play with my food and eat the chicken drumsticks with my hands, making mealtimes all the more fun.
Now as a first-time mom with a hectic schedule, I've taken my mother's six-ingredient recipe and transformed it into a no-fuss meal that can be cooked in the air fryer.
The recipe calls for 6 ingredients I almost always have on hand
When marinated, the chicken has the perfect flavor combination of ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and (the magic ingredient) honey.
For the sauce, I recommend using minced ginger from a tube because it makes prep work that much easier.
It's also important to prep the marinade the night before and let the chicken sit overnight in the fridge — it really helps infuse the flavors.
Doing this work in advance makes life easier — when it's time for dinner, all you have to do is pop the chicken into the air fryer.
If you have a few spare minutes and want to take this dish to the next level, you can take the leftover marinade, reduce it in a saucepan, and use it as a dipping sauce. It's also great drizzled over rice.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of chicken drumsticks (about 6 pieces)
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 heaping tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, coat the chicken in salt and pepper and set it aside.
- In a large glass measuring cup, add all remaining ingredients and whisk them together to make the marinade.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken until it's coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, set the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place the marinated drumsticks in the basket. Cook for nine to 10 minutes before flipping.
- Lower the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for another three to five minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the juices in the meat run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, check that the internal temperature is 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- (Optional) To make the dipping sauce, add any leftover marinade to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir for three to five minutes until the sauce has bubbled around the sides of the pot and thickened slightly.