Honey soy chicken drumsticks are a great snack that is really easy to make in the air fryer. The drumsticks also work great as part a of a more substantial meal. They are great for any occasion.
Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks
I love honey soy chicken. It is a classic and tasty flavor of chicken that is really easy to put together. Chicken drumsticks are a really great part of the chicken, full of flavor, hard to overcook, easy to eat them (just use your hands) and they also cook quickly.
These honey soy chicken drumsticks are both sticky and juicy, so be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.
Honey soy chicken drumsticks make a great party food and you can often get chicken legs at an inexpensive price, which always helps. To make the drumsticks into a more substantial meal, serve them alongside some rice and/or vegetables.
Honey Soy Marinade
The honey soy marinade is the important bit of the recipes and adds all the flavor to the drumsticks. The marinade is made up of light soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar and minced garlic. Simply mix all of the ingredient together in a small bowl, until the honey is all dissolved.
The marinade can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, for up to a week, until you are ready to use it. Alternatively you can make a bigger batch of the marinade and use portions of it as needed.
Coat the chicken drumsticks in the marinade and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Ideally let them marinate overnight for maximum honey soy flavor. Try to cover as much of the drumstick in the marinade when marinating, otherwise I recommend flipping the legs at some point to ensure the whole drumstick gets a chance to marinate.
Air Frying Honey Soy Drumsticks
Cooking honey soy chicken drumsticks in the air fryer is really easy. The main thing to watch out for is burning them due to the honey in the marinade.
For this reason this recipe cooks the chicken drumsticks at 350°F/180°C. Make sure the air fryer is preheated to this temperature before adding the drumsticks into the air fryer basket. Try not to overcrowd the air fryer basket and cook in batches if required.
Cook the honey soy drumsticks in the air fryer for 22-27 minutes, turning halfway through.
Once the chicken drumsticks are golden and cooked through, internal temperature of at least 165°F/74°C, take them out of the air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve warm.
Storing Chicken Drumsticks
Store cooked honey soy chicken drumsticks in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, freeze the drumsticks for up to 6 months.
For more great air fryer chicken recipes see:
Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- Air Fryer (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb / 670 g chicken drumsticks 4 drumsticks
- sesame seeds for garnish
Honey Soy Marinade
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, until honey dissolved.
- Combine the marinade and drumsticks together in a large bowl or bag. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F/180°C
- Place chicken drumsticks in the air fryer basket and cook for 22-27 minutes, turning once.
- Once the drumsticks are golden and cooked through (Note 1), remove from the air fryer and let reset for 5 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds (if desired) and serve warm.
Notes
- Cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. This can be measured using a meat thermometer. The chicken will continue to cook for a little bit, while resting, after being taken out of the air fryer.
