Chinese Sticky and Crispy Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks
These Chinese-inspired sous vide chicken drumsticks are addictive in their own right, with each bite of tender, juicy meat and crispy skin.
I like to say, why settle for Wing Wednesday when you could “drum” your way through the whole week?
If you’re in the mood for Chinese food but don’t want to order in or make a whole spread, these sticky and crispy sous vide drumsticks are guaranteed to satisfy the craving.
Sriracha, garlic, ginger, and hoisin sauce create the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, without the need for added refined sugar or saturated fats. And did I mention, you only need five minutes of prep time?
Sous vide cooking is a healthier alternative to deep frying, but rest assured, you’ll still end up with tender, juicy chicken cooked to perfection and crispy skin with proper searing.
No sous vide machine? No problem. This recipe can be easily made in the oven. You can use the sticky sauce as a marinade and soak your chicken drumsticks in it for at least an hour.
When ready to cook, lay the coated drumsticks in a single layer in a roasting pan. Pop the pan in the oven at 350°F for 50 minutes, basting it halfway through. Flip and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
One thing I love about sharing this homemade Chinese sticky sauce recipe with you is that it uses only a touch of honey to sweeten. Restaurant and bottled sauces often use high amounts of added refined sugar to achieve their flavor, which can leave you feeling tired and bloated after a meal.
If you want to give the sauce an extra nutrient boost, you could use raw honey instead of pasteurized honey, which will be higher in enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.
Serve these super duper delicious chicken drumsticks with mashed potatoes or some grains and a side of vegetables. Drizzle the Chinese sticky sauce and enjoy. Yum!
If you are a fan of chicken legs, you might also like these Honey Balsamic Sous Vide Chicken Legs.
Chinese Sticky and Crispy Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Poultry
- Method: Sous Vide
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
These Chinese-inspired sous vide chicken drumsticks are addictive in their own right, with each bite of tender, juicy meat and crispy skin.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin on
- Salt and ground black pepper
- White sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnishing
For the Chinese sticky sauce:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 Bird’s eye chili, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat water to 155°F using Anova sous vide precision cooker.
- In the meantime, season chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a sous vide bag in one layer and seal using a vacuum sealer or a hand pump.
- Once the water is ready, slowly lower the chicken into the prepared water bath. Make sure the chicken drumsticks are completely under the water. Cook chicken for 2 hours.
- Once the chicken is done, remove the bag from the water bath and drop it into an ice bath to fully chill. (This step will help get extra-crispy skin when you sear it without overcooking the chicken underneath.)
- Remove the chicken from the sous vide bag and scrape off any gelled juices using your fingers. (You may preserve the chicken juice for soups or other uses).
- Pat the chicken with paper towels. Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove, sear the chicken for 1-2 minutes on each skin side or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, whisk all Chinese sauce ingredients over medium heat until well combined. Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the chicken drumsticks and coat them with the Chinese sticky sauce. Dish and sprinkle with white sesame seeds and chopped green onions over. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cooking method works for any parts of a chicken, especially dark meat such as chicken thighs or even whole chicken legs. The sous vide cooking temperature and cooking time remain the same.
- If you’d like to cook chicken breast using this recipe, set temperature to 147°F and cook for 2 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 579
- Sugar: 24.8g
- Sodium: 1230.7mg
- Fat: 32.9g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 32.7g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 37.5g
- Cholesterol: 184.3mg
About the Author
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.
First run at this recipe. I used chicken thighs. Flavor of sauce is so delish! I seared in cast iron pan and didn’t make it to to crispy or sticky. I think next time I will broil in oven. Very good! Yummers!
Hi Tanya! Thanks for your comment. Broiling is a great way to finish this recipe. Hope you enjoy it every time. Cheers!
Chicken undercooked I think, finishing off in the oven ?
Using sous vide method, it’s normal if you see a little pink around the bones. If you are uncomfortable with it, finishing it off in the oven or grill can do.
I make this at least once a month, its so easy and so good! Thank you for sharing this.
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
New to Sous vide, out of curiosity, where does the recommended cooking temperature for this recipe come from? Looking at the temperature vs the two cooking temp guides and trying to understand how to use the guide for other recipes I might have. Would 149 F essentially be the same as 155F? And than I guess, why not 160? Sorry to nit pick, just trying to understand cooking science in general.
Made this last night since the grandkids were over. It was a hit! They cried out that it was spicy but in a good way. Loved every sticky bite and licked their fingers and plates. Yep, it was that good!
Yay! SO happy to hear that! Thanks for trying this recipe and taking the time to let me know the result. Cheers!
Why do people rate a recipe they haven’t tried yet?? Comment on how good it looks but don’t rate it!
go to bed, Karen. I mean….Susan.
it’s 3:06am
Love that I can make these from the comfort of my own kitchen! They look amazing!
So far, we’ve only used our sous vide machine for steak. But I really feel like we’re missing out after seeing this recipe. We will definitely be trying it with chicken in the future, and this recipe seems like the perfect one to start with.
Your sous vide can cook amazing chicken, even a whole chicken as well. 🙂
Those drumsticks look so finger licking good. I don’t have a sous vide machine, but I think I should be able to manage with my oven using your tips. 🙂
This chicken looks wonderful and I completely love this sticky sauce.
Sous vide is my next purchase! I got my Instant Pot, I got my Air Fryer and Sous Vide is my next item to check off. This recipe will be at the top of my to make list once I get it.
Awesome! Wow, you’ve got so many cool “toys.” haha… the sous vide machine is my primary cooking appliance now. I think you will love it.