The baked honey glazed chicken have all the wonderful flavors bundled up in one single plate; the combined flavors of the sweet, spicy and tartness creates amazing honey glazed chicken legs which is simply out-of-the-world!
Baked honey glazed chicken is quite a popular recipe and worldwide well-loved too thanks to its awesome flavor; but even after planning it many times in the past, it didn’t actually materialize. It felt as if these honey glazed chicken legs were waiting for their own perfect timing which was beyond my control!
Finally, the honey glazed chicken legs did materialize at our home and turned out to be so beautiful that we all fell in love with it instantly! The combination of sweetness from honey with the spicy Sriracha sauce was simply irresistible.
The ginger garlic baked chicken legs that I had made earlier was also very tempting and loved by all; but this honey glazed chicken took the baked chicken legs to a whole new level and you need to have it in your life to believe it!
I love baked dishes for the fact that it’s a breeze to make it without spending too much time in the kitchen [especially when the hot Indian summer has already arrived to scare you!]. The recipe of this honey glazed chicken involves just 3 broad steps: Marinate – Sear – Bake!
Baking was not a very common cooking technique in Indian kitchens; but once you start tasting baked stuff – sweet or savory – you will just get hooked to it; trust me, there won’t be any escape! Baking makes the chicken so tender and juicy retaining all its flavors inside that it simply feels unreal at times!
The spices/sauces with which you marinate the chicken pieces penetrate deep inside while baking which essentially increases the taste quotient of the recipe. Same is the case with this honey glazed chicken legs which you must give a try and can thank me later!
If you are new to baking chicken drumsticks, then this honey glazed chicken is a full-proof recipe to start with. The first step of this recipe is to marinate the chicken legs with aromatics to ensure that the flavors reach deep inside the meat.
Then to lock the aromas inside, the chicken legs are quickly seared in a frying pan on high heat. Searing is nothing but sautéing the chicken in little oil over high heat so that the exterior is nicely browned.
The very next step of honey glazed chicken is to actually bake the chicken pieces in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
To ensure thorough cooking, I cover the baking dish with aluminum foil so that the trapped steam cook the chicken legs quickly and completely.
Finally comes the glazing step which turns the entire recipe to something special; that is to glaze the chicken with honey on all sides and put them back in the oven under broiler so that the honey caramelizes and adds the beautiful glaze on all over chicken legs!
Unlike this honey glazed chicken legs, our life does not have as much glaze as we wish for all the time; but I believe that’s okay because that’s how it should be! A life without ‘ups-n-downs’ won’t be quite worth living, isn’t it?
So, when I can’t control the things in my life beyond a point, I simply de-register myself and let them take their own course. Trust me, I don’t intend to sound depressive! Because I understand that the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ phases occur in everyone’s life which is a universal truth!
You know what’s my mantra to chuck-off this so-called ‘bad’ phase? I put all my energy and dedication in doing what I love to do most! Right! Cooking!
I was going through a similar so-called bad phase when this super-delicious honey glazed chicken legs materialized and proved to be my ultimate mood-booster! I don’t mind my life lacking its glaze temporarily as long as my honey glazed chicken legs shine so beautifully! What’s say?
- Chicken legs – 5
- Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Japanese rice vinegar – 1 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Red pepper sauce/hot sauce/Sriracha – 2 tbsp
- Paprika powder – 1 tsp (optional)
- Honey – 4 tbsp
- Sesame or vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Wash and pat dry the chicken legs. Make couple of incisions on each leg so that the seasonings could penetrate the meat easily.
- Mix together ginger-garlic paste, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, hot sauce, paprika powder (if using), salt and half of the oil and make a homogenous mixture.
- Rub this mixture really well on the chicken legs ensuring that the cuts are well coated.
- Leave the chicken legs into this marinate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
- Heat a shallow frying pan and add the remaining oil to it. Add the chicken legs to the hot oil and sear both sides on medium-high heat. This should take around 15 minutes or until you get a good searing marks all over the chicken. [Make sure to reserve the marinade for basting the chicken while baking!]
- While searing the chicken, start preheating your oven at 190 degree C (350 F).
- Line a shallow baking dish with aluminum foil and brush some oil on it to prevent the chicken from sticking to it. (Aluminum foil will make the clean-up very easy!)
- Place the seared chicken legs on the prepared baking dish in a single layer and brush them lightly with the left over marinade.
- Cover the baking dish with another aluminum foil and bake them in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take them out and turn them. Brush them again with the left over marinade and bake again for another 15 minutes.
- By the end of 30 minutes, the chicken should have been cooked through. Now you have to add the honey glaze to the chicken.
- Pour enough honey on each chicken leg so that the honey coats them all over.
- Now put the baking dish – without the aluminum cover – under the pre-heated broiler for 3 to 4 minutes more until the honey caramelizes and adds a glaze to the chicken.
- Serve your honey glazed chicken legs warm and enjoy with your favorite salad & drink! Enjoy!
mmm this sounds really yummy. Thanks for sharing this, looks simple to make as well.
Simon