These skinless teriyaki chicken drumsticks sweet and sticky, and so delicious! Cooked in a skillet with honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger until the chicken is tender and the sauce thickens. You won’t miss the skin!
Honey Teriyaki Drumsticks
Honey Teriyaki DrumsticksMore chicken recipes I love are Filipino Adobo Chicken, Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar, Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, and Turmeric Braised Chicken with Golden Beets and Leeks.
I know this is a recipe you’ll be making over and over, it’s that good. You can serve it with brown rice, or for a low carb option try it with Cauliflower “Fried” Rice. Although they take a little time to simmer on the stove, they are super easy to make. I have made this with drumsticks, thighs and even chicken wings. I have even made it in my Instant Pot which cuts the cook time to about 20 minutes! I am providing directions for both skillet or Instant Pot, enjoy!!
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Honey Teriyaki Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, or gluten free
- 3 tbsp rice wine
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
- 8 drumsticks, 28 oz, skin removed
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- chopped scallions
Instructions
Skillet Directions:
- Combine soy sauce, rice wine, honey, garlic, ginger and sriracha in a skillet and cook medium-low, stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and cook 5 minutes, covered. Turn chicken, cover and cook 20 minutes over medium-low. Turn again, cover and cook 15 minutes, until the chicken is very tender. Remove the cover, if the sauce isn't thick simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Finish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Instant Pot Directions:
- Use saute button, when hot add soy sauce, rice wine, honey, garlic, ginger and sriracha and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add the chicken, cover and lock the lid. Cook on high pressure 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- When pressure releases, finish with scallions and sesame seeds.
Easy to make and delicious.
This is so delicious and easy. I didn’t have rice wine on hand, so I substituted 3Tbsp water. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. I’ll be making it often.Â
I think ALL the Skinnytaste recipes are wonderful, they always turn out as expected.Â
Thank you!
Super watery. Nothing like the picture. Bummer!
In the IP it will be more watery, pictured here I made it in the skillet which is better!
Made it for the first time tonight. Â It was excellent. Â I doubled the sauce and served it with rice.
When you say rice wine, do you mean rice wine vinegar, mirin, or sake?
mirin
It seems like some readers mistake or substitute rice WINE for rice wine vinegar. You should use rice wine (mirin) although that can be difficult to find. Sub in any dryish white wine (chardonnay, sauv blanc, chablis). You can even use ‘cooking wine’ (near the vinegar section in my grocery store). For me, adding vinegar just doesn’t work.
This recipe is a go-to for me. I make it in big batches for family football nights, or sub in chicken breasts (halved) for company. Adding broccoli or carrots adds to the visual appeal.
Both of my adult daughters make this regularly as well!
Thx for the great recipe!
This recipe is amazing! We loved it! I made mine with chicken breast, and I didn’t have any rice wine so added just 1 T of rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar. I will probably just leave out next time since I don’t think it added much (though I could be wrong). I might also buy some mirin to try since the recipe calls for it, and I have never cooked with it before. 🙂 Anyway, when this was close to being done, I removed some of the sauce to pour over our rice and veggies. The chicken formed a beautiful, delicious glaze just like in the photos, and I topped with sesame seeds and some diced green onion, as directed in the recipe. My husband said it was better than going to a restaurant, and we raved about it. This is definitely going into our rotation!!
I love Skinnytaste and am so grateful for all these wonderful recipes, which help make it possible for us to achieve our health and fitness goals without ever feeling deprived or bored!
We make these (stovetop) about twice a month in my house. Everyone devours them— husband, five year old, and two year old. They are seriously delicious and as flavorful as any teriyaki drumsticks I’ve ever eaten at somewhere like Buffalo Wild Wings. I just leave out the sriracha and usually have to sub rice wine vinegar. Perfect every time. Â
I have made this in the skillet and loved it, but decided to try the Instant Pot version tonight… I loved that too! I didn’t bother doing the sauté function at the beginning, just dumped the sauce then the chicken in there.  At the end, I removed the chicken, turned on the sautéed function, and let the sauce thicken, adding a little cornstarch slurry. Then I put the drumsticks back in to coat them with the sauce. It was fantastic, and nice to not have to babysit the chicken to keep turning it. I will keep both methods in rotation at my house.
I love this recipe! I come back to it again and again. The flavors are just amazing. Thank you!
Can you use ckn breast?
Really yummy! The sauce came out perfect and the chicken was delicious with rice. The whole family gave it a thumbs up!
I tried this on the stovetop and …. it didn’t work.  The first two flips after 5 and 20 mins seemed to be going well, then when I opened the lid after the final 15 mins it’s hard to describe what I saw in there other than a crazy mess.  Sauce burned and absolutely just solid on the bottom of the pan.  Chicken stuck in it when I tried to pull them out with a tongs.  It was a drumstick graveyard.  I obviously let it cook too long, or too hot, or maybe both.  Unfortunately my pot & pan lids are all opaque so I couldn’t see inside to know the horror that was occurring at the end.  It was a mess.  I could try it in the Instant Pot, but I’m a little traumatized. Â
do you use rice wine vinegar or rice wine?
I was feeling SUPER lazy so I made this on the stove with shredded chicken from my freezer (plus I just eyeballed the ingredient amounts) and it still turned out great!
One word: amazing!! I’m a beginner cook and wasn’t sure how this would turn out for me, but it turned out fantastic! My fiance absolutely loved it! He’s typically not a fan of the “sweet and savoury” flavors, but he was so impressed with this meal!! Thank you for this awesome recipe, making a delicious meal as a new cook is a great confidence booster 🙂 I’ll definitely be checking out the rest or your recipes now!!
I ended up substituting rice wine with pinot grigiot, fresh ginger with ginger powder (just used a bit less), and I made it in the skillet. I also left the skin, and seasoned the drumsticks with some salt, and it turned out great, super tender, very flavorful. But I think I let the sauce reduce a bit too long because it hardened by the end. Will definitely be making again!! Thanks for the amazing recipe – you’ve got a new fan in me! 🙂
Underwhelming. I wouldn’t make it again. Â
Did these in the Instant Pot. They were delicious! Hubby loved them too which is a plus when you are doing WW. I cut the points down by using Nature’s Hollow Honey Substitute. Yummy. Will make again and again!