Hoisin Honey Fried Chicken Drumsticks
The crispiest buttermilk fried chicken drumsticks, coated in a sweet & sticky hoisin & honey glaze. The meat's juicy, the coating's crunchy & the glaze is full of flavour!
Servings: 10 Drumsticks
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Digital Food Probe
- Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
- Wire Rack
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 10 Chicken Drumsticks
Buttermilk Marinade
- 500 g Buttermilk
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- ½ tsp Table Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Chilli Powder
Flour Dredge
- 300 g Plain Flour
- 80 g Cornflour
- 1½ tsp Table Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Chilli Powder
Hoisin Honey Glaze
- 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 200 g Hoisin Sauce
- 50 g Honey
- 20 g Dark Soy Sauce
- 20 g Rice Wine Vinegar
Instructions
Buttermilk Brine
- Add all of the ingredients for the buttermilk brine into a large mixing bowl then mix to combine.
- Next, add the chicken drumsticks into the brine then mix well, ensuring that each piece is fully coated.
- Transfer the chicken & brine to an airtight container then leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 24.
Flour Dredge
- Add all of the dredge ingredients into a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine then set aside until needed.
First Dredge
- Once your chicken is marinated, take it out of the fridge then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the marinade into the dredge. Mix the buttermilk into the dredge with your hands – this creates those scraggly bits on the outside of the chicken!
- Next, take a chicken drumstick out of the buttermilk then drop into the dredge. Toss the chicken in the flour to fully coat it, making sure to press the dredge into every nook & cranny on the chicken.Flip the chicken over several times in the dredge for proper coverage! Make sure to gently shake any excess buttermilk off the chicken before dredging.
- Once dredged, take the chicken out of the flour, shake off any excess then place onto a wire rack set over a baking tray. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken. Don't get rid of the remaining dredge, we'll need this later on!
- When all of your chicken is dredged, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then in the meantime, preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/350°f.I'd recommend using a digital food probe to double check the temperature of the oil.
Hoisin Honey Glaze
- Make the glaze whilst the fryer is heating up! To do this, first place the sesame seeds into a small saucepan, set over a medium heat then toast until golden brown, stirring frequently. This will take 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add all of the remaining glaze ingredients into a pan then continue cooking over a medium heat, bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer. Make sure to stir the glaze regularly.
- Simmer the sauce for 4-5 minutes until thickened slightly then take the pan off the heat & set to one side. The glaze needs to be warm when we use it, as it will brush onto the chicken more evenly.
Second Dredge & Frying
- Take a chicken drumstick, toss it in the dredge for a second time then shake off any excess flour and carefully place into the hot oil. Repeat this process with a couple more pieces of chicken but don't overcrowd the fryer!I could fit 4 drumsticks in my fryer per batch.
- Cook the chicken for 12-14 minutes, flipping it over halfway through, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f. Make sure not to move the chicken for at least the first 2 minutes, as this lets the dredge stick to the chicken properly (it could fall off otherwise!).Use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken over!
- Once cooked, place the fried chicken onto a wire rack set on a baking tray then leave to drain for a minute before serving. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken, making sure that the oil is back up to temperature in between batches.Once cooked, the chicken can be glazed & served straight away or kept warm in an oven set to 120°c/250°f whilst you cook the rest.
Glazing
- To finish, brush the chicken drumsticks with a generous amount of the glaze (on all sides) then serve immediately. Any extra glaze can be served on the side, for dipping.
Notes
1. Chicken - This recipe uses whole chicken drumsticks (without the thigh/upper leg). Using good quality chicken is key, so I'd recommend visiting your local butcher! 10 chicken drumsticks will weigh around 1kg.
2. Brine - Make sure to let your chicken marinate in the buttermilk for at least 4 hours but no more than a day. The texture of the chicken will start to break down if you brine for longer than this!
3. Dredge - For the crispiest coating, the flour dredge is made with a mix of plain flour & cornflour. We're also coating the chicken in 2 layers of dredge for the best coating. I flavoured my dredge to complement the glaze but feel free to season/flavour yours however you like!
4. Glaze - The glaze for this chicken is best used warm, so I like to make it just before frying the chicken. You can make the glaze a day or two ahead of time, store it in the fridge then reheat on the stove just before using.
5. Deep Fat Fryer - For the best results, a deep fat fryer should be used for cooking the chicken. If you haven’t got one, a pan of oil heated up on the stove will work, just make sure to do this carefully! I’d recommend using vegetable oil for deep frying. I’d also recommend using a food probe to double check the temperature of your oil as home deep fat fryers tend to not be entirely accurate. Make sure to get the oil back up to temperature between batches of chicken.
6. Internal Temperature - Chicken is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 75°c/167°f. You’ll need a digital food probe to check this.
7. Keeping Chicken Warm – If you’d like to serve all of your fried chicken at the same time, it’s best to keep the cooked drumsticks warm in the oven whilst you cook the remaining chicken. I’d recommend a low temperature oven – around 120°c/250°f.
8. Leftovers – Leftover fried chicken should be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within 2 days. To reheat, bake in an oven set to 180°c/356°f, until piping hot (an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f).