This Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks recipe is for all you sweet-and-salty fans! This delectable dinner is sure to become a crispy, crunchy family favorite!
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This Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks recipe is for all you sweet-and-salty fans! Our amazing honey soy marinade slowly seasons your drumsticks during the day, making them ready for a quick toss in the air fryer at dinnertime! This delectable dinner is sure to become a crispy, crunchy family favorite!
WHY WE LOVE THIS Honey Soy Drumstick RECIPE
- Quick and easy to make
- Honey soy drumsticks
- Kid-friendly and approved
- A quick weeknight dinner
- Delicious homemade marinade recipe
- Flavorful, moist chicken with a crispy skin
- Recipe can be used for other types of chicken
- Air Fryer recipe – healthier alternative than fried chicken
- Ready in less than 20 minutes
- Delicious leftover
- Sweet and salty flavor
Ingredients
- Honey
- Soy sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Orange zest
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Chicken drumsticks
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS IN THE AIR FRYER
This recipe will come together quickly and easily. Putting together the marinade takes no time at all. I like to do this in the morning and let the chicken marinate all day. Then when we are ready for dinner, I just have to pop the drumsticks into the air fryer.
- Whisk together honey, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, zest, garlic powder, ginger, salt, and pepper flakes. Place the drumsticks and marinade into a large plastic bag.
- Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Place drumsticks in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 9 minutes at 350 degrees. Brush marinade on top, flip and cook for another 9 minutes.
- Garnish with optional toppings before serving.
VARIATIONS / OPTIONS / ADD-INS
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Red or white wine vinegar are great replacements for apple cider vinegar.
- OLIVE OIL: Grapeseed oil is my favorite substitution for olive or other vegetable oils.
- ORANGE ZEST: If you don’t have oranges, but have similar fruit, like mandarines or tangerines, feel free to try those instead. For less orange flavor, use orange juice instead. You can also use a lemon or lime as a replacement.
- CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS: Chicken thighs or wings will also work with this recipe. If you use another cut of chicken, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- RED PEPPER FLAKES: If you don’t like things spicy, you could leave the pepper flakes out.
- Sauces: Try using this Alabama White Sauce too – it is delicious!
Tips
- Do not throw away the marinade until after the drumsticks have finished cooking! You will need this for cooking the drumsticks.
- The cook time will depend on how large your chicken legs are. For smaller legs, it will be around 18 minutes. For larger drumsticks, it may be closer to 20 minutes. You will want the internet temperature to be 165 degrees.
Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Cheeseburgers
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Air Fryer Cherry Pop Tarts
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks
Serves — 6
This Air Fryer Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks recipe is for all you sweet-and-salty fans! This delectable dinner is sure to become a crispy, crunchy family favorite!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Marinating Time (up to): 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 23 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp orange zest (About ¼ an orange)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- Optional garnishes: sliced scallions, sesame seeds, additional honey
Instructions
- Whisk the honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, orange zest, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
- Transfer marinade to a large plastic sealable bag and then place drumsticks in the bag to let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-1 hour. Reserve the marinade for later.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Place drumsticks in the air fryer basket, spread out so they aren't touching each other.
- Cook in the air fryer for 9 minutes. Brush marinade on top, flip the drumsticks over, and brush marinade on the other side.
- Cook in the air fryer for an additional 9 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. F and are golden brown.
- Garnish with sliced scallions, sesame seeds, and an extra drizzle of honey, optional.
- Plate and serve warm.
Notes
Storage:
Place these in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also choose to freeze them for 1 month.
Important Notes:
Do not throw away the marinade until after the drumsticks have finished cooking! You will need this for cooking the drumsticks.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1190mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
