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    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

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    A simple, 6 ingredient sweet and spicy meal that’s perfect for summer grilling! These were a big hit!

    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks: A simple, 6 ingredient sweet and spicy meal that's perfect for summer grilling! These were a big hit! www.thereciperebel.com

    I know, I know — it’s August 26th! I should probably be posting pumpkin or Christmas cookies or something, right?

    I am still hanging on to our last sliver of summer over here, so I was super excited when Ricardo Cuisine asked if I would test out one of their BBQ Recipes. Back in the day when I actually had time to do anything watch TV, I watched Ricardo all the time. I was totally, absolutely obsessed with cooking shows.

    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks: A simple, 6 ingredient sweet and spicy meal that's perfect for summer grilling! These were a big hit! www.thereciperebel.com

    And I think I still would be, if I had the chance, but it turns out that an 8 month old and a 3 year old can eat up a lot of your Me Time.

    I perused the recipes and was sold as soon as I saw these Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks.

    (a) I love Maple anything

    (b) I love sweet on everything.

    Sweet + spicy is my favorite mix on grilled anything — I just think you need a bit of sweetness to balance out the other flavors, right?

    I was also impressed by the simple ingredient list: maple syrup, chili sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, chicken. Simple is where its at theses days (see above).

    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks: A simple, 6 ingredient sweet and spicy meal that's perfect for summer grilling! These were a big hit! www.thereciperebel.com

    I didn’t change much about the recipe. I actually didn’t even change anything about the ratio of the ingredients, and the flavor was spot on.

    I did make an extra half recipe of the marinade, and simmer until slightly reduced for brushing on the chicken afterwards. We are big lovers of a good thick coating of sticky glaze, and I’m so glad I made extra because the flavor was unreal.

    I also skinned a few of my drumsticks, and left the skin on a few. I did this only because I don’t normally cook with skin on chicken, and I wanted to see what kind of a difference it made. I didn’t find that it made much of a difference in moisture or flavor, and I think it really comes down to (a) do you want to take the time to skin them? and (b) how much do you like the texture of the skin?

    I placed some on a piece of tin foil on the grill, sprayed with non-stick on both sides, and I placed some on the grill directly. I tend to grill pretty much everything on a piece of tin foil because stuck on food is my worst nightmare. I found that they didn’t stick on the grill either way, but the ones on the grill charred much more quickly.

    This isn’t a bad thing, and I like that the recipe warns against the quick caramelization (i.e., sugar burns!). I ended up taking the drumsticks off of the tin foil half way through so they would get some caramelization, and moved the ones from the grill to the top rack so they wouldn’t burn. Either way, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them (like the recipe says).

    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks: A simple, 6 ingredient sweet and spicy meal that's perfect for summer grilling! These were a big hit! www.thereciperebel.com

     

    Overall, I was really impressed with the recipe and the creativity of the rest of the recipes I found on Ricardo Cuisine! I will definitely be adding many to my To-Try list for the future.

    Here’s my version of these Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks:

    Print Pin Recipe

    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

    These Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks are the perfect sweet and tangy grilled chicken recipe for your summer barbecue!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 317kcal
    Author Ashley Fehr

    Ingredients

    • 12 chicken drumsticks
    • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup maple syrup divided
    • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chili sauce divided
    • 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp minced garlic divided
    • salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Add chicken drumsticks to a large resealable plastic bag (skin on or off as desired). Combine ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup chili sauce, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp minced garlic and salt and pepper as desired. Pour over drumsticks in bag.
    • Seal bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-8 hours (I marinated mine just a couple hours).
    • Preheat grill to about 400 degrees F (I had 2 sides on, and one side off so I could move them to indirect heat if need be). Either grease the grill with oil or non-stick, or spray a piece of tin foil with non-stick spray and place on the grill over the heat (*see post for additional explanation). Place drumsticks on the grill, and cook, turning every so often, for 20-25 minutes or until meat starts to fall away from the bone. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn! Move to indirect heat if need be.
    • While drumsticks are cooking (or you can do this ahead of time if you need to), combine ¼ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup chili sauce, ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar and ½ tsp minced garlic in a small pot. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until reduced and thickened (about 10-15 minutes). Turn off heat and keep warm until chicken is done.
    • Brush drumsticks with thickened glaze before serving.

    Nutrition (this is an estimate)

    Nutrition Facts
    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 317 Calories from Fat 126
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 14g 22%
    Saturated Fat 3g 15%
    Cholesterol 139mg 46%
    Sodium 423mg 18%
    Potassium 462mg 13%
    Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%
    Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
    Sugars 13g
    Protein 27g 54%
    Vitamin A 4.1%
    Vitamin C 4.1%
    Calcium 4.1%
    Iron 6.2%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel -- I love to see what you're making!
    Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 4-5 servings
    Ingredients
    • 12-14 chicken drumsticks
    • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup maple syrup, divided
    • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chili sauce, divided
    • 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided
    • salt and pepper
    Instructions
    1. Add chicken drumsticks to a large resealable plastic bag (skin on or off as desired). Combine 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp minced garlic and salt and pepper as desired. Pour over drumsticks in bag.
    2. Seal bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-8 hours (I marinated mine just a couple hours).
    3. Preheat grill to about 400 degrees F (I had 2 sides on, and one side off so I could move them to indirect heat if need be). Either grease the grill with oil or non-stick, or spray a piece of tin foil with non-stick spray and place on the grill over the heat (*see post for additional explanation). Place drumsticks on the grill, and cook, turning every so often, for 20-25 minutes or until meat starts to fall away from the bone. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn! Move to indirect heat if need be.
    4. While drumsticks are cooking (or you can do this ahead of time if you need to), combine 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup chili sauce, 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp minced garlic in a small pot. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until reduced and thickened (about 10-15 minutes). Turn off heat and keep warm until chicken is done.
    5. Brush drumsticks with thickened glaze before serving.

    *This post is sponsored by Ricardo Cuisine — thank you for supporting brands that help me bring you more great free content! Find more great Ricardo recipes at Ricardo Cuisine!

    More great drumstick recipes!

    Drumsticks with Sriracha Honey Lime Sauce from Maebells

    Sticky Stovetop Balsamic Drumsticks from RecipeTin Eats

    Honey Balsamic Drumsticks from Taste and Tell

    Comments

      • Oh man! We have the Food Network and I just never get to watch it! Which is maybe even worse… Lol. Seriously, NEVER. Thanks Denise! I am kind of obsessed with maple as well!

        Reply

    9. Yummy! These drumsticks look delicious!! I’m totally going to make this recipe with chicken wings for tailgating at football games. Yeah, everyone will be hanging out at my grill 🙂 Yay to grilling until the cold weather sets in!

      Reply

    10. These look phenomenal Ashley!! Love that char. It’s still super hot here, so I need to make these asap! Actually I could make these in the winter too because it’s only in the 60’s during our winter. Pinning! 🙂

      Reply

    11. Oh my gawsh, I am SO NOT ready for pumpkin anything! I am with you, holding on very tightly to ALL the things summer I possibly can! And these drumsticks MUST happen before fall recipes take over my life! Sweet and spicy is my favorite combination too (because what is there not to love??), but MAPLE sweet and spicy? YUMMM! Loving these drumsticks! Pinned! Cheers and thanks for sharing the deliciousness!

      Reply

    12. You made me crack up with the whole posting pumpkin in August…it seriously is suddenly everywhere and I’m like uhhh isn’t it summer folks?
      And I love anything maple. These wings look so good! When we used to go up to Canada to visit my family we would have Maple Snow. Please tell me you have had that before?!?

      Reply

      • Haha, yes of course I’ve had that before! Love it! And though I love the cooler weather and actually baking, it could stay like this for a few more months and I’d be perfectly happy!

        Reply

      • Haha, I so wish I had more time to watch TV Natalie! I think that’s one of the things I miss most now — actually getting to watch my shows! Pretty soon you’ll be curling up with baby to watch the Real Housewives! 🙂

        Reply

    17. Hi Stacey! Keep right on grilling! I grill year round, even when we lived in MI. I would use skin on just because I like the crunchy skin. I still have some fabulous Amish maple syrup – I’ve been rather stingy with it, saving it for the really good stuff. And these certainly qualify as good stuff! 🙂

      Reply

      • We rarely grill in the winter, but I think we’ve still got a good couple months of grilling left over here! I just love maple syrup — the real stuff is the only way to go!

        Reply

    21. These drumsticks have some serious char — they look amazing! I love maple syrup, too, and this marinade sounds incredible. I prefer grilling recipes over Christmas cookies — not ready for that yet! haha

      Reply

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