Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks are a simple, 6-ingredient sweet and spicy meal that’s perfect for summer grilling! An easy and flavorful way to make grilled chicken drumsticks!
Table of Contents
We are gearing up for summer over here and one of the things we love to do is cook and eat outside!
These grilled chicken drumsticks are one of our favorites because they are so easy to make.
I LOVE a sweet and sticky glaze, so decided on this combination of maple syrup and chili sauce because it has the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
I also love the simple ingredient list: maple syrup, chili sauce, vinegar, garlic, salt, and chicken. I already had everything I needed in my pantry, so that was another win. Simple is where it’s at these days!
Try my Homemade Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken, this Sweet & Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken, or any of these amazing Grilled Chicken Recipes for more grilling inspiration.
Got more drumsticks? Try these Baked Chicken Drumsticks or these Air Fryer Chicken Legs next!
Ingredients Needed:
- Chicken: I used chicken drumsticks for this recipe. You can cook it with the skin or without, it’ll work and taste amazing either way. You could use chicken thighs too for similar results.
- Maple Syrup: a good quality, pure maple syrup will give you the best of the classic warm sweet flavor!
- Chili Sauce: chili sauce is a seasoned tomato sauce with extra kick! Do not mistake it for hot sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: adds extra tang and makes the chicken super tender.
- Garlic: freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor.
- Salt: use to enhance all the flavors.
How to Make Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
This recipe is quick and easy to make! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Make marinade in bag. Combine maple syrup, chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, and salt in a large resealable plastic bag or a large Ziploc bag.
- Put chicken in bag. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag with the sauce in it.
- Marinate chicken and make glaze. Seal the bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate. Make the thickened glaze.
- Grill and glaze. Cook the chicken, turning it every so often until done. Remove from the grill and brush the cooked chicken with the glaze before serving.
Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks FAQs
Yes! It’s very easy to overcook or burn chicken when cooking it, especially on the grill! Overcooked chicken has a dry and rubbery texture, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it. It’s also worth noting that sugar burns easily too, so check out my tips on cooking these drumsticks on foil and on the grill directly for best results.
Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking it.
Maple glazed chicken drumsticks can be frozen after cooking them very easily. I’d recommend removing the meat from the bone and shredding the chicken. Put the shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on top of foil on the grill.
Tips and Notes
- Paper towel to serve. Serve these sticky chicken drumsticks with a small bowl of water on the table with paper towels, or some kind of wet wipes, because they can get messy!
- Aluminum foil. You can cook the chicken on top of tin foil sprayed with non-stick on both sides, or directly on the grill. I actually found that the chicken didn’t stick to the grill either way. Chicken cooked directly on the grill will char much more quickly, but it will also get those great grill marks!
- Grilling on Foil. If you grill the drumsticks on foil, you can move them to cook directly on the grill to get a bit of caramelization on them.
- Grilling directly on the grill. If you grill directly onto the grill, you’ll want to move them to indirect heat once they are charred so they don’t burn. The sugary nature of the marinade makes it prone to burning, so be careful to watch your chicken as it cooks.
- Skin. You can cook drumsticks with the chicken on or off, this chicken recipe tastes amazing both ways. If you like a crispier outer with a bit of extra texture, then leave the skin on. If you prefer skinless pieces, then you can buy them skinless from the grocery store, or just pull the skin off before marinating them.
- Slice to marinate. You can make a long incision in the thickest part of the meat before marinating it to allow the marinade to seep into the chicken for a deeper flavor.
Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks Variations
- Mix up the seasoning. Use different seasonings depending on your flavor preferences. Cajun, paprika, turmeric, chili, and cumin are all great spices for chicken for this marinade to give a sweet and spicy flavor. You can also use a store-bought chicken spice mix if you like.
- Herbs. You can use dried herbs in the marinade as well if you like. Marjoram, oregano, cilantro, or parsley would work well.
- Garnish. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or finely chopped green onions for an added burst of freshness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks with pretty much any BBQ side to make an amazing BBQ spread. Check out my list of The Best BBQ Sides for Summer for ideas.
Some of my favorite BBQ sides are Grilled Potatoes in Foil, Maple Bacon Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, and my Homemade Coleslaw!
A BBQ isn’t complete without a refreshing drink, so try my Strawberry Lemonade, this Easy Homemade Pink Lemonade or this Berry Lime Slush Recipe for something extra tasty!
More Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes
Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 8-12 chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup + ¼ cup maple syrup divided
- ½ cup + ¼ cup chili sauce divided
- ¼ cup + ⅛cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp + ½tsp minced garlic divided
- salt
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. Pour over drumsticks into a bag. You can also do this in a large bowl, and stir to coat, but it is easiest in a bag.
- Seal the bag and turn to coat drumsticks. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-8 hours (I marinated mine for just a couple of 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 it 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 the heat and keep warm until the chicken is done.
- Brush drumsticks with thickened glaze before serving.
- Store: Store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking it.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Oh man, I SO miss having the Food Network, we had to cut our plan back 🙁 These drumsticks look SO good, love love love maple on chicken and those other flavors sound amazing!
Ashley Fehr says
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!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Gosh, could you have grilled these any more perfectly?! Seriously, they look amazing. And the sauce sounds really delicious. I love making drumsticks because they are always SO affordable. I’ll have to try these!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jess! I’ve definitely been practising my grilling skills this summer! 🙂
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
I am amazed that 5 ingredients can make chicken that looks this darn good! Thanks for sharing this recipe – as much as I love Christmas cookies, am glad you shared this instead! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, thanks Shashi! Don’t worry, there will be Christmas cookies 😉
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
The sticky glaze on these drumsticks are calling my name.
Ashley Fehr says
It called mine once or twice too 🙂
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
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!
Ashley Fehr says
This glaze would be awesome on chicken wings! You will definitely have friends 😉
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
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! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, yes totally! And then we’ll all be jealous!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
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!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
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?!?
Ashley Fehr says
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!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
This is sweet, spicy perfection! Please don’t tell me summer is almost over! 😉
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, I refuse to believe it!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
That sauce sounds amazing! I’m totally holding onto summer recipes too! I’m working on ice cream recipes for my blog this week!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! I’m so glad! And I can eat ice cream any month of the year, so really, bring on the frozen treats! 🙂
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These drumsticks look incredible, Ashley! I love the beautiful grill marks and the maple glaze sounds so flavorful! We are still in summer grilling mode here so this recipe is perfect!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
I feel like all I watch are cooking shows. That, and Real Housewives. I’m such a girl, haha! These drumsticks look PERFECT! Shawn will be a very happy boy when I make him these for dinner : )
Ashley Fehr says
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! 🙂
Dorothy Dunton says
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! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
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!
Jen | Baked by an Introvert says
The drumsticks are drool-worthy! Love the maple glaze.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jen!
Katalina @ Peas and Peonies says
These are grilled, how cool, and I love the maple flavor, definitely must try them! Si sticky and so good!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes — love the sticky glaze! My favorite part 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Yum! I love the maple glaze- it screams fall but also helps balance the sweet and savory 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Medha!
marcie says
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
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, me neither Marcie! Give me at least a couple of weeks 😉
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Dude, the char on these drumsticks. . perfection!!! they look crazy good!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Alice! I have definitely upped my grilling game this summer!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I love maple anything too and this is just perfect to savor what’s left of summer! These drumsticks look so good, Ashley! I wish I could dive right into that plate for breakfast! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Gayle!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
These chicken drumsticks are pure torture, Ashley. Love how sticky and yummy they look. And flavors are AH-MAZING here! 🙂 Definitely trying this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Anu! You definitely should!